Hockey Animal - For The Everyday Player

Hockey Is Such A Great Sport!

2011-01-27T14:08:00.000-08:00

PLEASE... Get a Room!!!

Skating Bear

Now That's a Five-Hole!!!

Best Costume Ever!!!

Uuummm... I Think He Needs a New Coach

Take That!!!

What Polar Bears Do When No One's Watching

World's Biggest Stick

I Love This Shirt... I gotta Get One

Man's Best Friend

Ovechkin For President? What the...

You've Broke In Your Skates, But They Still Hurt Your Feet

2011-01-27T12:30:00.000-08:00

After the initial break-in period, your skates should feel comfortable on your feet. If not, then there may be some additional factors coming into play.

Some things to ask yourself:

1) When trying on your skates, did the tip of your big toe rub against the front of the skate?

   a) No - Your skates may be too big and you need to go down in
   size.
   b) Yes - The length of the skate is correct (as long as it wasn't
   crammed against the front of the skate).

2) Does the skate hurt on the sides of your feet?

   a) Yes - The width of your skates may be too narrow
   b) No - The width is correct (as long as your foot doesn't move
   side-to-side).

Keep in mind that it is much better to buy skates that are slightly too small, rather than too big. Why is that? Because you can actually widen the boot of a skate, but you can't shrink it.

Some options you have to relieve the pressure are: Boot Stretching and Punch-out

Boot stretching can stretch the toe box area of your skates up to 1 full size bigger in length or width. With this option you will have to leave your skates for a couple of days. Keep in mind that this is not an exact science and a lot of shops won't guarantee this type of work. It may be wise to start out by only stretching the boot up a half size to see how it feels. Once they stretch it out, they can't make the boot smaller. So, always protect your investment and take baby steps. This type of work will cost around $20 -$30.

Punch-out is more controllable than the boot stretching. Let's say that you have one spot inside the skate that is aggravating you. The skate shop can use a tool that will punch out that specific area so it doesn't rub against your foot. The cost for this type of work depends on how many areas need to be punched-out, but it is generally cheaper than boot stretching.

So, get your boots adjusted to fit your feet better and get back to enjoying the sport you love!

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Breaking-In Your New Hockey Skates

2011-01-26T15:00:00.000-08:00

I know for me, getting new skates is exciting! Well at least, until that dreaded first skate when you leave the ice with your feet throbbing and in pain. You remove your skates to find raw skin, blisters, or you wake up the next morning not able to walk because you have a major case of lace-bite. Ouch!

Here's a true story:

I had my goalie skates ruined from a flood in my basement. The blades had rusted out so bad that there were pits in the steel. Unfortunately, my skates didn't have the replacement systems that most of todays skates come equipped with. So, I was stuck with going to get a new pair of skates.

After trying on about 8 different skates, I ended up with the Bauer Vapors. These skates have the Heat-Fit moldable liner, where they throw the skates in these tiny ovens that are specially made to heat the skates without damaging them (do not try to put your skates into your oven at home, you will ruin your skates). After they are heated they slide the skates on your feet and lace them up so they are tight. You wear the skates for about fifteen minutes while the liner cools and molds to your foot. This process drastically reduces the amount of time it takes for your skates to break-in. Which sounded great to me and they were on sale. So, they molded them to my feet, sharpened the skates and off I went, a happy little camper.

The next morning I go to get out of bed and I can hardly bend my right foot. I looked down and noticed major swelling around the top of my ankle and bottom of my shin. I really didn't think too much about it and went on my merry way to work. A few days later my leg was still hurting pretty bad and the swelling was still there. I immediately began a regimen of ice and ibuprofen for the next few days to see if I could get the swelling to subside. Eventually, it did a few days later, and let me tell you when it did... whew! man-oh-man the pain was excruciating! My ankle and shin had turned a beautiful reddish-purple and I could see a lump on the tendon that runs from my shin to the top of my foot. It took a full 3 weeks for the pain and bruising to go away.

So what caused this? Lace-bite.

The salesperson that had been helping me out was cranking the laces as tight as possible and making me flex to see how they felt. By flexing, I was putting a lot of pressure on the tongue of the skate and the laces were pinching and cutting through the tongue and into the soft tissue of my foot and leg. Never again will I let that happen!

Okay, so let's get back on track with breaking in your skates.

First - I don't recommend cranking your laces to tight, as mentioned above. I would make this a gradual tightening. As you skate you will feel your skate getting loose, that's when you snug it up. You may have to do this a few times while you skate.

Second - If your skates don't have the Heat-Fit system you have no choice but to resort to breaking them in the old fashioned way. If they do have the Heat-Fit system, lucky you as this will help to speed the break-in period.

Third - (If you don't have the Heat- Fit system) Take a pair of socks and get them damp. Wring out the excess water and put them on your feet. Throw your skates on and wear them around the house. I've done this multiple times and it does help soften the inner padding. Again, be careful with tightening the laces. I would recommend using the first step here, too.

Lastly - Skate, skate, skate. This is the best way to get them to break-in and the more you do it, the faster they will.

I hope this information helps. If you have some other ways to break-in skates that you've had success with, please leave a comment for everyone to see.

Tomorrow, I will follow up with "What to do when your skates are painful and won't break-in".

How to Have a Screaming Slap-Shot!!!

2011-01-25T14:46:00.000-08:00

Okay... so you want to have a 100 mph slap-shot?

Well, I can't make any guarantees, but at least I can lay down the fundamentals.

It begins with weight transfer. You must have your weight on your back leg during the windup. As you release your stick downwards your weight will transfer forward. The key is to have your weight transfer to your stick and not your front leg. If you're somewhat new to playing hockey, you're probably going to spend some time on your backside. That's just part of learning the game.

Next, you need to hit behind the puck and not directly on the puck. Some say a few inches and the pros say closer to a foot. The reason for this is to allow time for the stick to flex from your weight before it releases. The more flex, the faster your shot will be. If you hit directly on the puck, you don't allow enough time for the stick to flex and you will be left with a less than satisfying shot.

Lastly, at the end of the shot you need to put in a little wrist flick that will create the spin on the puck, which helps create lift and added speed.

At this point your weight should now be entirely on your front leg, with your back skate off the ice. Confused? Watch your favorite player take a slap-shot and you'll understand.

When everything comes together and works in synergy... the slap-shot is a thing of beauty!

So, get out there and practice, practice, practice and some day you'll have a wicked slap-shot that makes the best goalies cringe and the crowd's jaws drop in awe.

Good Luck!!!

NHL All-Star Break

2011-01-24T18:15:00.000-08:00

This site opened January 24th, 2011

This is the first ever blog for this site!

Okay, so let's get this started by welcoming the NHL All-Star break. Personally, I'm not a fan of the game itself, but who doesn't like the skills portion? Of course, the new platform of captains choosing teams like everyone did as a kid peaks my interest. However, the break means more than just the best players getting together for a weekend of fun. It allows injured players extra time to heal, and for those under-achieving teams to refocus for the second half. It also brings questions to whether or not the teams that had a successful first half, can keep it up until spring.

Which, leads me to my question: Do you think the Devils will be able to turn it around and have a successful second half?

I ask this because my fantasy team took a hit with Kovalchuk and Brodeur.