Chris Pryor

A pro scout on when to put the whistle away

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Last Updated on Thursday, 06 December 2012 18:43

By Chris Pryor

Coaching. We all need it and it is vital to a player's development, BUT when is it too much? When do we put the whistle away and let the players just play?

Coaching is very important at every level. Good coaching can enhance a player’s skills where vice versa, bad coaching can stunt their growth.  

At times we see the most skilled and creative plays made when players are at the youth levels. Why is this? It might be because young players are just going out and playing and not worrying about if they’re “trapping or if they’re supposed to be the third forward high.”

As we move up the ladder, we break the game down more and more. Video used right has a place, but can it be a hindrance to development? Hockey is an instinctive sport. There are certain areas where video plays an important role, e.g., specialty teams, opponents tendencies, etc., but it can be overused.

There are times during a game that you wonder if the players are more worried about where he should be on the ice and less concerned about actually making plays. I understand there is a fine line at most levels – winning vs. development. However, there are too many games being played now that more resemble a tennis match than a hockey game. There’s got to be a better way to play the game other than slapping the puck up to the forward at the far blue line where he deflects it in the offensive zone and in turn the other team does the same thing. The only time you actually see a couple passes made are on the power play and for that matter, most of the offense is found there. 

Safe hockey. If you constantly play this type of game over months and years, what do you think will happen? Players begin to become robotic and lose their ability to make plays and handle the puck. Now I understand that systems have to be in place and there are certain games or situations that call for a gameplan to limit your opponent, BUT we also cannot lose the fact that practice is meant to develop skills and work on individual weaknesses, too.

Practice makes perfect!
 
Chris Pryor is the director of hockey operations for the Philadelphia Flyers. He is in charge of the amateur and pro scouting departments. A native of St. Paul, Pryor spent eight seasons as a scout for the Flyers. He played parts of six seasons in the NHL with the Minnesota North Stars and New York Islanders. If you have a question for a pro hockey scout, e-mail it to This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .