State of Origin on ice

The Ice Dogs have Andrew White back in the line up a win under their belt and they are off to the Gold Coast this weekend to continue the season series that kicked off last Saturday night.  Asked about the situation that occurred at the Gold Coast bench last game and the Dogs are not dwelling on the event “That was last game and we have moved on and are focused on making things happen up at the Gold Coast this weekend” says forward Scott Stephenson who was sent flying over the boards which started the whole skirmish.

The team admits it needs to continue to buy into the systems tha have been put in place and focus on playing solid defence and getting the simple things right.  “Especially on the road, you need to play as a team and come together…buying into the same system accomplishes that” says Tomas Manco who has been in top form as of late.

Scottie and Willo

The Gold Coast have come off a tough Sydney road trip losing to the Ice Dogs 4-1 and then the Penrith Bears on Sunday night 7-1 and will be looking to turn things around at home. The Bluetongues have a perfect record at home so far this season to protect as well and the Ice Dogs will need their full line up to be on their game.

Stay tuned for the footage from the last home game to be posted on Ice Dogs TV very soon.

2010 Home Opener against the Penrith Bears

Finally the BANQ Ice Dogs, coming off a tough road skid, are playing back at home with a classic rivalry to0 good to miss at home this Saturday Night May 15th at the LCC Sports Complex, 5:00pm.

“We have showed at times over the last four games what we can do and that we have a good hockey team here, so we are looking forward to finding some form this weekend and get things going” says defenceman Tomas Manco.

The Penrith Bears will be missing two imports due to suspension and the BANQ Boys are looking for their first win of the season to get some momentum for when Melbourne comes to town on Sunday night May 16th.

It looks like Andrew White will be playing forward similar to the line up for Newcastles game last Sunday.  “Andrew used to play forward and played forward overseas when playing Junior (under 20s) in Canada, so he gives us a bit more depth up front” explains Coach Mark Stephenson.  “With around 8 defenceman of which two to three of them can play forward quite well, we had to move someone up front, but you will still see Whitey [Andrew White] back there from time to time on defence”.

The Home Opener is proudly sponsored by EA Sports NHL 10′ and will be the raffle prize on the night.

The Battle of Sydney

This weekends lineup

Forwards
Andrew White
Matt Monaghan
Scott Stephenson
Derek Campbell
Andrew DeCristoforo
Scott Herbert
Todd Stephenson
Brenton Tripp
Billy Cliff
Adam Culligan

Defence
Tomas Manco
Chad Elliot
Anthony Wilson
David Dunwoodie
Patrick Hornacek
Shannon McGregor
Spencer Austin

Goalies
Jim Herbert
Alan Becken

Be sure to come and catch the action. Adults only $12 and Kids only $6.  Melbournes Game Preview to come underneath here shortly!

On the Road. Melbourne Saturday then Adelaide Sunday

The Ice Dogs season is underway starting this Saturday on the road against the Melbourne Ice.  The Ice Dogs will make history as this will be the first AIHL game played at the new Docklands Ice Arena.   Melbourne will be looking for redemption after 2 losses on the road against the Newcastle Northstars and the Penrith Bears last weekend.  With a sellout crowd predicted, The “Ice” have a lot to get motivated about. 

“We had a really great tempo at Thursday nights skate and everyone is looking pretty sharp, so we can’t wait to get this [2010] season underway” says Ice Dogs forward Chris Sekura.  A tempo that the Dogs will need to continue to set a tone for when Melbourne comes to town May 16th.

This Weekends Line up

Forwards

Derek Campbell (Import)
Chris Sekura
Andrew DeCristoforo (Import)
Scott  Herbert
Todd Stephenson
Brenton Tripp (Rookie)
Scott Stephenson
Matt Monaghan (Import)
Adam Culligan
Billy Cliff

Defence

Andrew White
Chad Elliot (Import)
Tomas Manco
David Dunwoodie
Anthony Wilson
Shannon McGregor

In Goal

Jim Herbert

Dogs face defending champs on their home turf this Sunday

The very next Sunday morning the Dogs will be on a flight to Adelaide to face the defending champs in their home opener.  “This weekend presents a couple of challenges for the playing group as we face two teams hungry to impress their home crowds so the boys will need to gel quickly” admits Assistant Coach Dion Dunwoodie.  “It won’t be easy but I think the guys can make it happen this weekend”.

This weekend marks the beginning of a four game road stint before the Dogs finally play their first home game May 15th vs the revitalised Penrith Bears.

Aussie Mens team at training session with McKenna in Lithuania

Any Aussie who doesn’t know anything about ice hockey and has been watching the Olympics are all asking the same thing…Where is Australia?  The year 2010 caps off a 50 year period since the Australian’s first and last Winter Olympics appearance in the 1960 games at Squaw Valley.  Whilst it is great to hear Aussies on the street, office, work sites and in cafes talking about ice hockey with fascination and interest it is also tragic they are unaware that the game has existed in Australia for over 100 years. 

So where is Australia? Well in 2009 the Aussie Mens team travelled to Lithuania to compete in the Division 1 World Championships which is one division below the World/Olympic Pool and the closest we have been to the Olympics in a long time.  Ask any member on that team and it was an eye opener to say the least.  But the great part is that Australia does produce talented ice hockey players and put them through a similar program, league and training regime similar to other European nations or even the Japanese who compete in Division 1 and the Olympics could be a closer possibility than you think.  Key word in that last sentence is “possibility”.  Unfortunately the last two sentences involve lots of financial support and the facilities but these are challenges not problems with the sport.

At Lithuania in front of a 7,000 people crowd

But don’t write off Aussie Ice Hockey just yet.  Have some faith!  The Australian Youth Team won gold for the first time in 2003 at the division 3 world championships knocking off China for the first time ever in a 6-3 win at Mexico City.  5 years prior to that the Australian Youth teams used to lose by ten goal margins to China.  What was the difference?  Was it the depth charts of the team of 1985-1986 born players where a spike of numbers in this age bracket was spurred along by the ”Mighty Ducks” movie…Maybe, but most likely not…or was it the fact that 5 years prior a training camp would last 2 days at a rink somewhere in Australia compared to 2 week training camps held in Canada or Europe which became the norm from 2001. This years Youth team is off to compete in Division 2 again.

The Mens team in Lithuania last year lost to third place Japan 6-0, an Aussie team that was also missing some key players to injury mind you.  See a pattern here?  With the right direction that 6-0 gap can be closed down to 2-0 or 1-0 and with a scoreline like that it then becomes anyones game.  If Australia can find its way to being competitive in that top three of Division 1 then the Olympics and World Pool become a possibility and a scary one at that. 

On top of that the AIHL are making strides every year and the league is getting better and promoted better. Melbourne just got a brand new ice facility so we are moving forward!

But I guess it all starts with the next upcoming Division 2 Wolrd Championships in Mexico City where the Australian Mens team will be looking to reclaim Gold and have another crack at Division 1 again.

So shall we aim for 2018 or 2022, or lets host the game and get automatic qualification…who cares if we get dominated at least people know where Australia is in the ice hockey come Winter Olympics!

Your way to keep up to date on your team

You may have seen the RSS Feed logo around on the Ice Dogs website and wondered what it is all about.  Basically by signing up for the Ice Dogs RSS Feed, you are sent an email every time an Ice Dogs article is released on the website and hence you can keep up to date on the latest updates and feature stories of the team.

We know the off season has been long and the news has been slow.  But that will all change as the season approaches.

This season the Ice Dogs aim to bring you more news and keep all our supporters up to date on everything that is going on with the team.  The RSS Feed allows us to do just that and is also handy as you then can visit the website knowing something new is up to read about.

Join now! It is simple and gives you first wind of all the action!  You can click on the RSS Feed logo on the blog home page or click the link below to sign up:

http://feedburner.google.com/fb/a/mailverify?uri=GiveADogABlog

Wilson Assistant Captain of Mens team again

Anthony Wilson has just recently been named Assistant Captain of the Australian Side travelling to Mexico.   Adelaide Adrenaline’s Greg Oddy will move in as Captain and Melbourne Ice’s Lliam Webster is the other Assistant Captain. 

“I would like to congratulate Greg on his recent selection as captain. He led the Adrenaline to an AIHL championship last year and is a perfect fit for the Mens team” said Wilson.

The ‘A’ comes as no surprise to Wilson as it will be his 11th time enduring the role of Assistant Captain of the Australian side.  If you didn’t read the last Ice Dogs article, Wilson joins five other Ice Dogs on the Australian Mens ice hockey team: Chris Sekura, Andrew White, Tomas Manco, Todd and Scott Stephenson.

Anthony Wilson as Australian captain in 2008

Great News for the Ice Dogs with six players named in the Australian Mens Team for the 2010 Division 2 World Championships.  Chris Sekura and Anthony Wilson are back in the fold after being unavailable for selection in 2009.  Other Ice Dogs in the team are Tomas Manco, Todd Stephenson, Andrew White and Scott Stephenson.

The tournament is held in Mexico City and the squad departs for training camp April 4th.  The tournament will be Wilson’s 15th  international showing (he has also captained the Australian Mens team for 3 years and been an assistant captain for 10 years over this time).  “Captaining the Aussies is the greatest acheivement I have had in ice hockey.  I think we can win this tournament if the players show discipline, buy into whatever system we have and score” says Wilson.  Although the AIHL and NST veteran won’t officially be leading the roo’s this year his leadership is definitely unquestionable.  “Having Willo back in the mix is a massive boost to the National team again as we have a younger squad this year which needs a bit of guidance” says Ice Dogs Tomas Manco.

You will be able to keep up to date on the Mens team at www.iihf.com and hopefully the Ice Dogs twitter and Ice Dogs website.   

So why is this big news for the Ice Dogs?  “Having  six players going through the Mens team camp and tough international play puts us in good stead and shape to start the season strongly” answers coach Mark Stephenson.

This years mens team will be hunting for Gold after the great taste of Division 2 gold in 2008 and being relegated from Division 1 last year in Lithuania.

Get out your diaries and your red marker because the 2010 AIHL schedule is finally here.  The Great news is that the Ice Dogs will be playing 12 home games this year as opposed to the 11 like last year which means more hockey for everyone!

Out of these 12 games, 9 of them are Saturday night games so for the hockey players and sporting folk who normally can’t make it to a Sunday night game can now get to more Ice Dogs action this year. 

The Dogs start out the season with their first game away in Melbourne May 1st at the new Docklands Ice Arena.  This will be a memorable event as the Ice Dogs will be a part of the first ever AIHL game at this venue. 

After another weekend on the road in May the Ice Dogs will then have their first 2 home games in Liverpool in a Double Home Opener Weekend as we face the Penrith Bears on Saturday May 15th followed by the Melbourne Ice on the Sunday May 16th.

Ice Dogs Memberships should  be on sale by March, which will come with access to all 12 home games at a saving, reserved seating and more.  In 2010, the Ice Dogs are working furiously to bring you a better supporter experience online, at the games and a better on ice product.  We hope you are as excited as we are.

To see the Ice Dogs full home and away schedule go to http://www.icedogs.com.au/schedule.html.  Or just click on the Schedule menu option on the site.

Number 4 is the Bike.  This can be done in or out of the gym. 

The Bike is great for strengthening your legs and getting a good cardio workout. 

If in the gym you can actually program most bikes to do what is called Speed Intervals where you set a total time and it will divide that time into intervals.  After you have set a level for first low interval and then for the second high interval it will remember the levels so all you have to do is ride.

If the bike does not have a speed interval setting not to worry.  Just adjust the level to a suitably challenging level that will allow you to go at a high intensity (Above 80 RPM) for 40 seconds.  After the 40 seconds drop the level to a comfortable setting that doesn’t require too much effort and stay at this level for 1-2 minutes before bumping it back up for your 40 seconds of high intensity.  Do you see a pattern here.  If not, heres a clue.  In what activity would you go really hard for say 40 seconds to a minute and then get off and catch your breath for 1-2 minutes?  (the answer is ice hockey)

Again we are training for Ice Hockey so we need to condition ourselves accordingly preparing for High Intensity shifts.  The best thing about bike is you get the benefits of cardio whilst giving your leg muscles a good hard work out.  The proof is hidden in a cyclists legs!!!

If your not in the gym and have a bike well then go for a ride.  You could even do bike sprints in a park.  Just remember to wear a helmet!

Note: It is always a good idea (and recommended by the ice dogs) to consult with a personal trainer or someone from the gym if it is your first time using the bike or any equipment for that matter at the gym.  Not only as a safety precaution but also because they can provide some very useful tips. A qualified trainer is also very good as they can design a program to suit your needs and help you achieve your goals as everyone is different.

This coming Thursday night the 21st of Januaryat 7:45pm the Ice Dogs clinics are back on.  The clinic goes for 1 hourand is held every Thursday night and is $25 per session at the LCC Sports Complex – home of the Sydney ice dogs. 

For those who haven’t been before the clinic is run by the Ice Dogs players and hones in on building the skills of players from Atom up to Midget.

“It will be great to be back on the ice after a break and get out there with the kids and get them ready for the 2010 season” says Ice Dogs player Scott Herbert.  After the clinic the invitational Junior Elite training will be back on, this time with the addition of some of the national senior team players in attendance.

The team lines up to the sound of the national anthem

Claiming two golds with in the period of one year with the Australian Youth team last March 2009 and then now with the Australian Junior team just this week Shannon Macgregor is in top form.

The Australian Junior Team started by winning their group taking down Bulgaria 11-1 and New Zealand 5-1 which led them to the semi against DPR Korea.   A tight 4-3 win and promotion to Division 2 secured the Aussies found themselves against Iceland for the Gold Medal game where they were victorious 3-1.

The 18 year old Ice Dogs Defenceman found himself 10th among defensive scoring leaders with 2 goals and 1 assist in 4 games.  “I am impressed to see Shannon’s performance on the stat sheet especially his plus minus tally and scoring percentage” says Dogs coach Mark Stephenson.   Economical would be the best way to sum up Macgregor’s perfomance with a +2  rating, 2 penalty minutes in a tournament where Australian’s usually spend alot of time in the penalty box (sin bin) and a scoring percentage of 16.67% (2 goals off 12 shots).

Note: Plus-minus rating is when you are awarded a +1 everytime you are on the ice when your team scores, but a -1 when you are on the ice when your team is scored against.  It can be used as a good measure of the defensive awareness and capabilites of players – forwards and defence.

In 2009, Macgregor elevated his game to the next level seeming more confident at the AIHL level and has the ability to lift his game a few more levels if he keeps up the hardwork and learns from his fellow Dogs D-corp.

Strength and Conditioning Coach Sam Brewer running a few combos with Todd Stephenson

I know we were trying to reveal ways to improve your ice hockey without being a member of a gym, but this activity was one we just had to mention. 

 Now boxing is good for ice hockey and no it isn’t because of the fighting.  Most gyms have what is called a boxfit class.  “These boxfit classes will really test out your fitness and are great for your ice hockey as you run through punching combinations at  intervals of between 40 seconds to 2 minutes depending on the combination or exercise which is quite similar to a hard working shift out on the ice” says strength and conditioning coach Sam Brewer. 

Check in with your local gym and give it a try.  Brewer goes on to say “Nothing to be afraid of with a boxfit class because you are not physically fighting or sparring and all sorts of people are giving it a go i.e. Mums, Dads and all ages”.  Once you have been to a few classes you will see that if you have a set of boxing gloves and pads you can run through some combinations with a friend in the park or even your backyard.  So I guess you don’t have to be a consistent member of a gym to do this exercise so it does keep in theme with our 10 ways segment.

A qualified personal trainer can easily take you through a boxing session and give you a real workout. 

Boxing is great for discipline and upper body strength and endurance, so you will find it not only benefits your fitness on the ice but probably give your shot a boost as well.

We won’t give you any examples of punching combinations or a program as it does need to be communicated visually and verbally and by a professional to be done properly.

TAB West Hoxton Backs the Dogs

As the long and tough 2010 AIHL season rapidly approaches West Hoxton TAB has joined forces with the Sydney Ice Dogs.

This mutually beneficial sponsorship will see West Hoxton TAB be able to access the rapidly growing Ice Hockey community who may or may not be aware that they can have a bet on the NHL with TAB Sportsbet. Whilst the Sydney Ice Dogs gain some monetary help with the rigours of the 2010 season.

“I wasn’t aware that you could place a bet on any NHL game through TAB sportsbet and I have been playing the game for over 15 years now. So I guess it is a very fitting partnership” says forward Scott Stephenson who visited West Hoxton TAB just the other week to seal the deal.

“The Ice Dogs do alot of work with the ice hockey community all year round so it is also nice to help them out with a sponsorship” explains TAB agent Peter Azzopardi (pictured to the right above).

For those adults out there who like to gamble responsibly and have a bit of fun by betting on the NHL be sure to stop in at the West Hoxton TAB and support the company that supports the Ice Dogs.

Macgregor will be looking for Gold in Turkey

Most of us were at the beach or watching the cricket on Boxing Day whilst 18 year old Ice Dogs defenceman Shannon Macgregor was on a plane with the  Australian Junior (Under 20’s) team heading to Orangeville, Canada for training camp.

The Junior Team is currently preparing for the Division 3 World Championships which kicks off in Istanbul, Turkey January 4th. 

The Australians will be facing off against New Zealand, Iceland, Turkey, Bulgaria, DPR Korea and Chinese Taipei.   The team looks pretty solid and in with a chance of claiming gold (knock on wood) which would be Macgregors second at a division 3 level after winning last year with the Youth team.

“It would be nice to bring home another medal, but just have to take it one game at a time.  We have got the team to do it” admits Macgregor.

Ice Dogs coach Mark Stephenson is excited by Macgregors selection “Shannon had a good AIHL season this year and this experience at an international level will help step us his play again”.

For updates on how the Junior Team is going at the tournament simply go to www.iihf.com.

This Thursday December 17th will be the last Ice Dogs clinic for 2009 before the clinic resumes back on Thursday January 21st 2010.

The Ice Dogs would like to thank all kids and their parents for coming out to the clinics throughout the year and hope you enjoyed yourselves as much as we have.

Also in case we forget, a big merry christmas to not only our clinic and our pups club but to all our supporters as well

If you have any enquiries about the clinic just send us an email at contactus@icedogs.com.au

TJ Eason in 03' with his Memorial Cup winning team the Kitchener Rangers

If you didn’t catch the 1st edition of “where are they now”, we caught up with ex-imports Cam Kuzyk and Lanny Ramage not to worry. You can find the article in the Ice Dogs Blog section.

This edition we flashback to 2006 when import Mike Tobin entered the Australian Ice Hockey League for the Dogs halfway through 2006 and made twice the impact. Notorious as an ice hockey heavyweight not to be messed with, he definitely gave the Ice Dogs room to move, leadership and his time back to the ice hockey community.

Mike Tobin playing for the Ice Dogs in 06' at Ice Dogs old home venue the Blacktown Ice Arena

But best of all, he was a class act and despite his ability to make a mess of opponents if he wanted to, he didn’t run around like a maniac as other heavyweights who have come to Australia to play ice hockey have.

Mike Tobin’s pro hockey career began back in 1997 with the El Paso Buzzards of the WPHL.  Notable stints at the Oklahoma City Blazers of the CHL in 1998 where he recorded 4 goals and 33 assists and 177  PIMs in 78 games played, as well as, The Flint Generals of the United Hockey League where Tobin notched 2 goals 17 assists and 129 penalty minutes in 79 games played in 2004.

A few of the Ice Dogs bumped into Mike at their Australian team camp in Ontario back in April this year where he had just finished playing a tournament and was on his way back home.   “Mike really enjoyed his time in Australia and is interested in coming back and playing for the Ice Dogs again one day, so we will have to wait and see” tells Captain Anthony Wilson.

Speaking of Ontario that brings us to T.J Eason.  Eason played 4 season’s of Major Junior in the OHL, starting in Peterborough before being moved to the Kitchener Rangers  in a trade that exchanged  fellow Ice Dog import and friend Jimmy Gagnon to Peterborough.  In 2003, he won the Memorial Cup with the Kitchener Rangers on a team that boasted  many NHLers such as Derek Roy (Buffalo), Steve Eminger (Anaheim), Mike Richards ( Philadelphia’s current captain) and David Clarkson (New Jersey).

Can you spot TJ in this picture. A few clues are he sported a moustahce and is number 26

From there T.J secured a scholarship with the Acadia Axeman which his where he teamed up with Jimmy Gagnon as well as where he met their goalie Lanny Ramage.   “T.J really moved the puck up ice well and had a great on and off ice presence” explains coach Stephenson.  “He also had pretty wide and flattened shin pads, which was for shot blocking…something that made me laugh but when you think about it is very handy on defence” continues defenceman Tomas Manco. 

After the Ice Dogs T.J took his impressive resume to the CHL in 2007-2008 where he played for the Rio Grande Valley Killer Bees where he put up 5 points and 87 PIMs during the season in his rookie CHL year. 

T.J and Jimmy Gagnon also visited some of the Ice Dogs at their Australian Team training camp in Orangeville Ontario at the start of 2009 as both are back living at home in Canada pursuing their careers.

“I think we had more stories to tell that year than we have any other..those guys were a hoot” says Wilson with a smile on his face.  ”We wish them all the best and hope to bump into them one day soon”.

The Ice Dogs are now on Twitter. So if you have twitter be sure to follow us - http://twitter.com/icedogscomau

By following your favourite ice hockey team on Twitter you can keep up to date on recent Website updates, latest scores and all recent Ice Dogs news.  The Ice Dogs of course will “follow” you back i.e. add you back.

If you don’t have twitter joining  is easy just sign up at www.twitter.com and we will be happy to be your first follower!

Counting down the top 10 ways so far we had at:

number 10 flexibility
number 9 Bodyweight squats
number 8 nutrition
number 7 watch NHL every chance you get;

and now :

Number 6: Sprints 

Sprints are great for ice hockey as they assist you in building explosiveness in skating when starting as well as the added cardio benefits and fitness. A park down the road with a level field of grass is perfect for sprint training.  Jogging to the park is actually a great way to warm up for your sprints.  Take 5 markers or something that can be used to identify where to run to and place one at your starting point.  Then every ten metres place down a marker til you have reached 40 metres.  Simply take ten large steps and you should have roughly ten metres mapped out.  See first diagram. 

Quick sprint workout:

Exercise 1:
Sprint to the first marker(10m) and walk back
As soon as you get back to the start sprint to the second marker(20m); walk back
Sprint to the 3rd marker(30m) and then walk back;
Sprint to the 4th marker(40m) and then walk back
Rest for 1 minute
Repeat 3 times

Exercise 2:

Sprint 40 metres and walk back x 3
Rest for 1 minute
Repeat 2 times

Exercise 3:
Sprint to 1st marker backward sprint back to start
Then sprint to 2nd marker and backward sprint back 10 metres back to first marker
Then sprint to the 3rd marker; backward sprint to the 2nd marker;
Then sprint to the 4th marker; backward sprint to the 3rd marker and sprint back to the 4th marker
Rest 2-3 minutes
Repeat once

Exercise 4:
Sprint from start to first marker and back continuously for 20 seconds all forwards
1 minute rest
Repeat 3 times

Exercise 5:
Warm down by jogging to 4th marker and walking back
Then full body stretch

If you have any good ones you would like to add as there are plenty more out there please feel free to comment below.  Remember to warm-up with some light jogging before sprinting for at least 5 minutes and to warm down as above with some jogging and a really good stretch.

Ice Dogs Forward Scott Stephenson shaking hands with Westbus CEO Jim Glasson

The Ice Dogs would like to extend a big thank you to one of their 2009  major sponsor’s Westbus, for supporting the Sydney Ice Dogs and the Pups Club.

Every year Westbus  continuously give back to the community and in 2009 they decided to invest in the often neglected ice hockey community through the Ice Dogs and the Pups Club.   The Pups Club  is made up of registered ice hockey players in the Atoms (under 11) and Peewees (under 13) age grades around Sydney, who receive free passes to all Ice Dogs Home Games.

The purpose of the Pups Club aligns with the Ice Dogs mission statement which is “to retain the youth of the game, by providing a pinnacle they can aspire to”.  “The most important thing to come out of the AIHL and Ice Dogs at the end of the day is that kids come to the games with their families and stick to the sport, because they want to play at that level in the future” says Captain Anthony Wilson.   Wilson goes onto say “It is great to find a partner like Westbus who not only understands this, but shares the same vision”.

In 2010, the Ice Dogs are looking to take everything to the next level, including the Pups Club.  “We want to give more to the younger players who come to the Ice Dogs games” says forward Scott Stephenson. “We want to have the Atoms and Peewees playing games in our intermissions, receiving free posters and go that extra mile beyond letting them have first dibs on broken sticks (and even complete sticks sometimes).  It is just a matter of setting up the infrastructure over the off-season to grow the Pups Club”.

So thanks again to Westbus and if you live in the Western Sydney area and are looking for a public transport alternative please check out www.yourbus.com.au and help support the company that supports us!

Number 7: Learn from the Pros

With the NHL a week into action overseas and running over the course of an Aussie off season the timing couldn’t be any better whilst you prepare for next year.  Number 7  is watching the NHL this summer and watch not only becuase you enjoy watching ice hockey but because you can actually learn a lot.  Why? Cause they are the best ice hockey players in the world.  You could pick up a new move that you can start practising, even use it as a bit of motivation to work harder. 

“I tend to watch what the center’s are doing positionally all around the ice from defending in their own end and acting as a support for the defenceman to how they forecheck and apply pressure to the opposing team in their end” reveals center Scottie Herbet.  “Even how they approach face-offs”. 

Now there are a few ways an aussie can keep up to date with the NHL action.  Firstly, anyone can go onto www.nhl.com and watch highlights and even livestreamed games.  Secondly, if you have foxtel.  Fox sports plays at least two games a week.  Go to www.foxsports.com.au and check it out.  Thirdly, if you know a friend who has foxtel, get them to even tape a game for you.

This is probably the easiest and most enjoyable out of our 10 ways to improve your ice hockey this off-season.  Number 6 is sprints.  We will also detail a sprint program that you can use straight away.

Keep up the hard work this offseason.

Position: Forward

Age: 21

Height: 5’11

Weight: 75kg

When did you start playing hockey? 5 years old.

How did you even get into Ice Hockey? Grew up watching my Dad play and I sucked at cricket

What was your favourite cartoon as a kid? Transformers

First pair of hockey skates you owned? Micron Laser’s

What do you do in your spare time? Going to Macquarie University studying Chiropractic, gym and play in my band

What is the best meal you can cook? Can you even cook? My specialty dish would be burritos or satay chicken with rice.

What has been your favourite Doggies moment to date? Winning the Goodall Cup in 2004 in my first AIHL season

Do you have any advice for the youngsters coming up? You are never too good to keep learning.

Favourite Music: Whatever makes me feel like partying and having a good time.

Favourite Car: Monster Truck

Who was your first crush on? Buffy the Vampire Slayer.

Position: Forward

Age: 16

Height: 5’11

Weight: 73kg

When did you start playing hockey? 8 years old.

How did you even get into Ice Hockey? I started playing inline hockey and then after 3 or 4 year started playing ice hockey

What was your favourite cartoon as a kid? South park

First pair of hockey skates you owned? Nike v 12s

What do you do in your spare time? Boxing and hang out with mates

What is the best meal you can cook? Can you even cook? Toasted cheese sandwich

What has been your favourite Doggies moment to date? My first aihl goal against Melbourne last year

Do you have any advice for the youngsters coming up? Train as hard as you can every time your on the ice

Favourite Music: anything good

Favourite Car: Bentley

Who was your first crush on? The chick from Buffy the vampire slayer

Position: Defence

Age: 23

Height: 5’9

Weight: 73kg

When did you start playing hockey? 5 years old.

How did you even get into Ice Hockey? Watching my Dad play for Canterbury when I was little

What was your favourite cartoon as a kid? Goof troop

First pair of hockey skates you owned? CCM Tacks

What do you do in your spare time? Wakeboarding

What is the best meal you can cook? Can you even cook? Steak

What has been your favourite Doggies moment to date? Winning the league in 2004

Do you have any advice for the youngsters coming up? Actions speak louder than words

Favourite Music: House

Favourite Car: Lamborghini Gallardo

Who was your first crush on? Carmen Electra

Now if you missed last week, Number 10 was flexibility.  You can always find the article here on the blog however so don’t worry.  Now although this is a count down to the best exercise we wanted to throw in a wild card to break things up a bit.

Number 9 – Body Weight Squats

Now Squats would be up the top when it comes to an exercise outside of the gym and off the ice that can really help your skating and power.   But as we mentioned earlier we wanted to give you some juicy stuff early.  As you can see in the photo’s when performing a squat your knees should not extend out past your toes as this is bad for your knees.  You will also see that you are not lifting any additional weights.

It is also important to keep a proud chest and straight back as shown in the photo’s as well.  Start out light maybe with a set of between 20-40 and see how your legs feel. Try 50 a day for a week and then maybe increase your load a bit each week*.

“I have seen a great benefit to my hockey when doing squats. I also remember when Alex D’Jamirze (an ex-ice dog) came back from overseas and he was just flying around the ice. I asked him how he had increased his speed and he was doing up to 500 squats a day!” recalls Scott Stephenson.

Squats will not only help your speed out on the ice but also contribute to further stability.

Remember to keep up your stretching as well, you might be a bit sore after the first few days of bodyweight squats.

*Ice Dogs recommend consulting with a professional i.e. qualified personal trainer, on the workload of squats you should be doing.

This article is for all you young aspiring ice hockey players out there without gym programs.  The AIHL season is over and the Dogs are already back in the gym getting ready for 2010!  As your season draws to a near this might come in handy for your off-season.  We have tried to come up with 10 ways that require minimal time in the gym for all those who don’t have a gym membership.

Each week we release one new way to improve your ice hockey off the ice counting down from 10.

Number 10: Flexibility

You kids might think stretching is boring but have you ever realised that one of the biggest factors stopping any athlete from reaching their full potential is injury.  All that hard work gone to waste because you didn’t make time to stretch.

Ideally you should be stretching everyday especially the older you get and the more you start working out.  “I separated my collar bone when checked into the boards playing junior in Canada and the doc pinned it down to my inflexibility as a major contributing factor” explains Scott Stephenson.  ”Because I neglected stretching when I was younger I am now facing all these issues that will take me even longer to reverse”.

By increasing your flexibility it actually increases your range of motion which will benefit your stride and your shooting power!  Try to make a habit of at least doing a couple of stretches when you wake up and before you go to bed in addition to stretching after every work out and training.

“Flexibility is important, I think back to Australian Youth and Junior teams and so many players would be pulling groins as there body was not ready for the increased 2 a day trainings at camp. When guys are off the ice, it tends to let the team down” adds Dogs Defenceman Tomas Manco.

So make the habit of stretching now as we drip feed you with exercises over the next 10 weeks to improve your ice hockey. We don’t want you getting injured now do we!

Whilst other imports have returned to their homeland, Canadian Jamie Galbraith has decided to stay longer to experience the warmer version of Australia as we head into spring but more importantly to help coach the younger kids. “It has been a lot of fun at the clinics this year helping the kids out with their skills and getting to know them better” says Galbraith. “To then see them at our games and talk to them after the games and about the game at the clinics is really cool”.

Galbraith working with Christiarn

Every Thursday the Ice Dogs hold a skills clinic for kids Atom aged up to Bantam and Midget. Although the clinic costs $25, all funds raised from the clinic go to running the Ice Dogs and keeping it alive. The clinic this year has been an absolute success as the kids get to not only learn off the Ice Dogs players but the Ice Dogs and young Pups get to know each other better.

Scottie H teaching Matty how to shoot

“It basically aligns with what we are doing with the Westbus Pups club where Atoms and Peewees receive free passes to our games, along with the clinics it helps us achieve our mission statement which is to keep the younger kids in the sport and a pinnacle they can aspire to” explains Ice Dog Scott Stephenson.

The Ice Dogs players themselves don’t get any individual financial benefit from giving up their time to coach as all funds go to the team. “We have had some great feedback from the parents but I have also noticed a massive improvement in most of the players from when they first started the clinic at the beginning of the season” admits Galbraith.

The Dogs will be continuing to run the clinic over the off-season so that other clubs whose training clashes on a Thursday night can benefit from the clinic. In addition to giving back at the clinic, the Ice Dogs have made at least 50 appearances to minor hockey club trainings across Sydney over the past 2 seasons voluntarily despite their heavy AIHL training and game schedule.

Toddy with Conner Lee

“The ability of the Ice Dogs to interact with the young players at both their AIHL games & at these training sessions not only allows the young players to mix with their heroes but also shows them that there is a path to senior ice hockey if you are prepared to work hard” tells parent Peter Azzopardi. “An insight into the Ice Dogs dedication to their young players for me happened when the kids asked Todd Stephenson to come out to one of their games and sure enough he made it out to their 7:00am game when he could of been in bed happily sleeping”.

The Ice Dogs would like to wish all minor hockey clubs the best of luck as they head into finals in the coming weeks.

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