| Yes.
A scout doesn’t think, in general terms, of an individual as a
"good hockey player" but rather as a hockey player with strong
and not-so-strong attributes. For example, he may have good hands and
a good shot but he doesn’t read the ice well and he is not a strong
skater. Similarly, I look at skaters in the same way. There are a number
of components even to straight forward skating and I have yet to find
a player who was excellent in all areas. A player may do a good job
of retracting his leg across his centre of gravity but he may kick his
heels too high or may not finish his stride with a good plantar flexion
of the ankle joint. Even when a player makes changes to improve his
speed and agility, it is a lifetime challenge to continue applying that
improved technique in game situations while performing the other hockey
skills at top speed. We work on all these areas. What I can tell you
from what I have observed and from what coaches, players and parents
have stated, is that good skaters who continue to come back year after
year just keep getting better. |