7 Lacrosse Skills that Will Improve your Hockey Game

This article was posted with permission from Tyler Hinds from the pro smart website.  It is an excellent resource for players, coaches and parents!  Can’t say enough about what a great site this is!    http://www.prosmartsports.com/

By Tyler Hinds (@THinds3) & a trio of Bobby Mo alumni lax bros

Some of the greatest former and current NHL players spent their summers on iceless hockey arenas or in the open field playing lacrosse. Here’s a short list of some relatively unaccomplished hockey players… (thanks Nepean Knights Minor Lacrosse Association)

Current NHL players:
Steven Stamkos
John Tavares
Kyle Turris
Jonathan Toews
Cody Hodgson
Former NHL players:
Wayne Gretzky
Brendan Shanahan
Gary Roberts
Paul Kariya
Gordie Howe
Bobby Orr
Jason York
Joe Nieuwendyk
Joe Sakic
Doug Gilmour
Paul Coffey
Adam Oates

It’s no secret that there are many synergies between the two sports. I caught up with a trio of college lax bros currently playing in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) who were no strangers to the frozen pond as youngsters. Kevin Brownell & Mitch Wilde are members of the Buffalo Bandits while Kyle Buchanan suits up for the New England Black Wolves. Here is their perspective on transferable skills that helped them in both sports.

 

By Tyler Hinds (@THinds3) & a trio of Bobby Mo alumni lax bros

https://youtu.be/RmHj_oK3kS8

Some of the greatest former and current NHL players spent their summers on iceless hockey arenas or in the open field playing lacrosse. Here’s a short list of some relatively unaccomplished hockey players… (thanks Nepean Knights Minor Lacrosse Association)

Current NHL players:
Steven Stamkos
John Tavares
Kyle Turris
Jonathan Toews
Cody Hodgson
Former NHL players:
Wayne Gretzky
Brendan Shanahan
Gary Roberts
Paul Kariya
Gordie Howe
Bobby Orr
Jason York
Joe Nieuwendyk
Joe Sakic
Doug Gilmour
Paul Coffey
Adam Oates

It’s no secret that there are many synergies between the two sports. I caught up with a trio of college lax bros currently playing in the National Lacrosse League (NLL) who were no strangers to the frozen pond as youngsters. Kevin Brownell & Mitch Wilde are members of the Buffalo Bandits while Kyle Buchanan suits up for the New England Black Wolves. Here is their perspective on transferable skills that helped them in both sports.

1. Cradle 2 the Grave

Cradling in lacrosse is the equivalent to stick handling in hockey where the top hand on your stick is very active with wrist and arm movement to keep the ball moving in the pocket while the bottom hand acts as a support lever if a pass or shot needs to be made. This is eerily similar to the wrist action that hockey player’s use to control the puck from the forehand to backhand side of their blade. Hands don’t just appear overnight, it requires continuous practice, touches, and repetition. This is the main reason why dual sport lacrosse and hockey players often have the silkiest mitts!

2. Dodge, Deke, Dangle, & Dodge

Dodging in lacrosse in the equivalent to deking or dangling in hockey where the intended purpose of the move is to create opportunistic space for a scoring opportunity. For it to work in either sports, the fundamentals remain the same. Offensive players are looking to momentarily deceive the defender with quick footwork, stick work, pump fakes, & head fakes. This will either freeze the defender or force them to open their hips causing them to lose a step on their check or throw them off-balance. This is the ideal situation for the offensive player.

3. Stick Protection

Get your head out of the gutter, I’m talking about using your body position and speed to shield the defender from your stick. This skill helps a player maintain possession when under heavy assault from a defender in the corner or when driving the net with a power move. Learn to master this skill in both sports because all it takes is one solid stick check from a defender to break up your hard work.

https://youtu.be/Z7b93AwoVnY

4. Active Stick & Feet

With an active stick, must come active footwork. In both sports, when committing to a stick check it throws your body off balance. In lacrosse we call this selling out. Why? If you miss your check, it gives the offensive player the advantage because your stick and body are now slightly out of position. Defending in lacrosse is exactly like hockey; you want to look at your opponent’s chest and be patient. Wait for the offensive player to make the first move, then channel them to the outside with an active stick & feet so your goalie doesn’t face shots from prime real estate.

5. Vision & Finding Space

In Lacrosse, like hockey, players that are able to find open space in the slot area pose a real threat as a goal scorer. This is not an easy skill as defenders cover very tightly around their own net. Honing this skill will take your game to the next level but your teammates need to be able to find you. This is where vision and reading a developing play becomes a factor. Having the confidence to keep the ball/puck on your stick with your head up is a skill that does not appear overnight. Lacrosse can help hockey players continue to develop this habit over the summer.

6. Faceoffs

One vs. one, mano e mano; centreman go at it all night for possession off draws. Though different in their own respect, the concept remains the same: the more you win, the more time your team will spend on offence. Key components to having a high win percentage in both sports are:

• Quickness – first one through usually wins
• Anticipation – learn to jump the whistle or the drop
• Creativity – constantly change your approach to keep your opponent guessing
• Balance – get a wide base and low centre of gravity so you aren’t knocked around
• Strength – don’t be afraid to get physical and out muscle your counterpart
• Desire – plain and simple, who wants it more?
• Support – very few draws are won clean, active teammates coming in to scoop up loose change goes a long way!

7. Goaltending

With two distinct styles, there isn’t much comparison between stand-up in lacrosse and butterfly in hockey. What does remain consistent is just how crazy you need to be to stand between the pipes. To put things into perspective for you, professional lacrosse and hockey goalies face incoming shots at over 100 mph. It takes a special breed of human to willingly put themselves in front of that kind of velocity night after night. To play this position you must have cat like reflexes, great reaction time, fast recovery, the ability to track rebounds, and smother them quickly.