Stopping pucks

This picture was taken in a game against a 35+ Russian elite hockey team during the CARHA International Hockey Tournament in Ottawa in the spring of 2004.

I have been stopping pucks for most of my life, but at the age of 37, this game was one of my best. I was so dialed in, that immediately following the game, I could only remember three or four of the over 50 shots I faced.

Having been whipped the day before by a team from Finland, I decided to change our defensive strategy for the Russian game. I say "I" because I was the organizer, the goalie, and with my father as coach, it was my prerogative to do so. :)

Even though I played for two years in Switzerland, I had forgotten the European style of puck possession, of constantly dropping the puck to a trailer, of forcing their way down the middle (the slot).

The change in strategy was relatively simple, but something that Canadian hockey players don't like to do... exercise discipline. I requested that our guys not fore check... at all. The thought was that if we could minimize the Russian's offensive opportunities, we'd have a chance to score on turnovers. Europeans play hockey as if its soccer... If forced, they will simply pass the puck around the attacker, trapping him behind the play. Which means that unmeasured fore checking often leads to immediate odd man rushes against – a recipe for disaster from a goalie's perspective.

Instead, the forwards were instructed to pick up the Russians at centre and force them wide along the boards, as opposed to allowing them to come down the middle. Like wise, the defensemen were instructed to stand up at the blue line and force the Russians wide... "DO NOT, I said, allow them to come across the middle. Force the play at the blue and if you don't stop them there, then force them wide."

I've always preferred to face a breakaway head on rather than face a multitude of screened shots coming out from behind my defensemen. The challenge of going 1-on-1 with a goal scorer is what makes playing nets worthwhile.

And, it worked. Even though the Russians were streaking down the wings, we forced them to either shoot from a bad angle or pass to the far post... either way, the odds of thwarting their advance were greatly enhanced by laying back, in a rope-a-dope manner the way we did. This happened over and over again, over the course of the game. 2-on-1's 3-on-2's... it didn't matter, with adult hockey rules of no slap shots, they were unable to beat me (most of the time).

We ended up coming from behind to tie the Russians 2-2. What an amazing feeling it was to compete at such a high level again, and to play well. It had been 18 years since I played Junior in Cape Breton and 13 years since I'd played semi-pro in Switzerland.

More importantly though, the Russians were beside themselves. I don't speak Russian, but it was clear that the captain, an overweight but highly skilled centre, was visibly upset... he kept pointing to the high slot as if to say to his wingers, "stop going wide you idiots!" (he had figured out what we were doing, unexpected as it was) I couldn't help but laugh at how frustrated he became.

Mid-way through the final period, he started yelling openly at his teammates on the ice and on the bench. He even had a few choice words for their goaltender after the poor guy let in the tying goal. After the game, my father heard the Russian coach laying into his team when he walked past their dressing room.

Man, were they pissed! :)

Although we didn't win the tournament, our team effort against the Russians was inspiring. It was only the second game we played together as a complete team... and the first time the (O'Grady) Raiders had played together in 20 years.

We knew after the Finnish game that we were in tough, but we responded as Canadians do when playing the Russians. It was my first time playing against a Russian team... I'm glad I had the chance to experience the rivalry.

I'd like to thank our new recruits, my good friends, long-time teammates and coaches, some of who came from far away to play, for making the effort. It’s hard at this age for us to get together as we once did (young children, family commitments and great distances separate us), but I hope that we will be able to do it again in the not too distant future. Until then, try to keep the pounds off will ya!