Twas the Night Before Playoffs

Twas the Night Before Playoffs

By Coach Brian Acord

(Dedicated to Bronson Kunzler…who brought the leaves.)

Twas the night before playoffs

And all through the rink

Several players were skating

Their equipment did stink

They worked hard all year long

To improve their game.

Now the stats and the standings

All lauded their fame.

Other teams feared their teamwork,

Their passing and speed;

Which all seemed to strengthen

In this time of great need.

Their coaches worked hard

Through the whole hockey season

To one clear-cut goal,

They all knew the reason.

All throughout warm-ups,

Their focus the same

Coach smiled and felt ready

As he called them by name:

On gold line, on defense,

On goalies, and black

On Smith, Everett, Bailey

One name he did lack.

When up in the stands,

He remembered the reason

His own son, the winger

Who worked hard all season.

Bremen sat among friends,

His family and fans.

The rest of their season

Was out of his hands.

For the night before playoffs

He threw one last great fake.

His skate caught an edge,

His shoulder did break.

Headfirst into the boards

Was what sealed his fate

And now he cheers loudest

For his team to TAKE STATE!!!

Goooooooooooooooooo VIEWMONT!

broken collar bone

Rink & Ice Management

We are having problems with the ice at our rink. We have a brand new facility that is only 2 years old but the management team has been around for way too long. The ice is in terrible condition and the puck won’t slide more than a few feet.

Does anyone know where we could find some policies and procedures on managing the ice at public rinks? Any help would be greatly appreciated.

Injuries and Fantasy Hockey

My fantasy league team sucks. I got stuck with Toskla as my goalie and he has had a pathetic start to the season. I was finally able to add a decent goalie, Roberto Luongo of Vancouver four whole days before he got injured. They currently estimate that he will now be out for 5 weeks.

I picked up Khabibhulin in the hopes that the Blackhawks might want to offload his large salary to NJ when Brodeur went down for the season but they didn’t. Fortunately, the Bhulin wall has been playing well…until he got injured last week. I picked up Luongo’s replacement Curtis Stanford so I would avoid forfeiting games due to not starting enough goalies and now I have four goalies on my roster. Not one of them is a good starting goaltender.

To make matters worse, Two of my albatrosses of the season are saddled with the “no-drop” clause and since Ollie Jokinen is now injured I won’t be able to unload him or his pathetically puny production. And while we are on the subject, does anyone have a player from St. Louis with a positive +/-? I have Brad Boyes on wing and while I appreciate the fact that his scoring has picked up a bit, his -13 on the +/- scale is doing me no favors.

Women’s Hockey Blowout! (Slovakia vs. Bulgaria 82-0)

That’s right, I said 82-0. And we’re not talking the world’s elite vs. a pickup game at a learn-to-play session either. The Slovakia women’s team beat the Bulgarian women’s hockey team by a score of 82-0.

I found the following video clips on YouTube for those of you who just have to slow down and watch the train wreck. Considering all of the high-speed play you might expect, there really doesn’t appear to be much defense . However, some of the best saves were made after Bulgaria decided to make a run for a comeback and actually pulled their goalie after the score hit 77-0.

One quick explanation. If a player covers the puck in the crease when the goalie is off the ice, a penalty shot is awarded. A player (non-goalie) can play the position of goalie but they are not allowed additional equipment and do not have goalie privledges that allow them to freeze the puck in the crease or hold it in their hand.

Of course, after a tight, physical battle of this nature, the last clip does include a little bullying and eventually a match penalty as well. I’m sure that the crowd (which you can’t see a single person in the stands) really enjoyed the contest.

Video One

Video Two

Video Three

U Wanna Ref?

WIHOA (Wasatch Ice Hockey Officials Association) is looking for the few, the proud, the on-ice officials. Anyone interested can contact WIHOA or visit their website at www.utahrefs.com for more information.

New officials will be required to register with USA Hockey, pass USA Hockey’s open-book, online exam, pass a written exam and attend a training session. Upcoming training sessions are available this Saturday and again on 9/20, 10/18 and 10/25. Click here for more information or contact us for additional details.

Certified Ice Hockey Officials earn between $18 and $45 per game and must be at least 12 years old. Being an on-ice official is a great way to earn a little extra money and learn even more about the great sport of ice hockey.

DCYHA – Davis County Youth Hockey Registration Tonight!

Just a few quick announcements. First off, DCYHA wanted me to remind everyone that registration for the upcoming youth hockey season is tonight at the South Davis Recreation Center.

DCYHA provides house teams and travel teams for boys and girls between the ages of 3 and 15 years old.

REGISTRATION is set for Thursday, September 4th from 6:00 – 8:00 pm. We will meet upstairs in Meeting Room B at the SDRC.

Complete Registration Details

DCYHA Participates in USA Hockey’s 24-Hour Hockey Game

USA Hockey’s first-ever 24-Hour Hockey Game, in which one 30-minute running-time game in each of the nation’s 50 states will be played consecutively beginning in Maine, will commence at 12 noon ET on Friday, Feb. 29.

“We’re very excited about the 24-Hour Game,” said Dave Ogrean, executive director of USA Hockey. “February 29 has been designated as the worldwide day to celebrate the 100th anniversary of the International Ice Hockey Federation and our 24-Hour Game is a unique and fun way for us to be engaged in the celebration and also bring visibility to our great sport.”

USA Hockey’s 24-Hour Hockey Game will begin in Hallowell, Maine, at 12 noon ET on Feb. 29 (see complete schedule below). Hawaii and Alaska will both play a 30-minute running-time “overtime” game with the 24-Hour Game ending at 1 p.m. ET in Honolulu, Hawaii, on Saturday, March 1.

In Utah, a blended team of DCYHA Squirts and PeeWees will comprise the Stars team and the Stripes team. Our local event begins at 7:00 a.m. Saturday Morning at the South Davis County Recreation Center.

Players of all ages, backgrounds and skill sets will participate in the event. The mite (8 & Under), squirt (10 & Under), pee wee (12 & Under), bantam (14 & Under), midget (18 & Under), high school, junior, college (non-varsity), disabled, inline and adult levels of hockey will be represented, spanning across 100 teams.

In each state, one team has been designated as “Stars” and one team as “Stripes.” A national running score will be kept at the event website — 24HourHockeyGame.com.

Please Wear Your Neckguards

Yesterday, a player for the Florida Panthers, Richard Zednik, suffered a serious neck injury in an NHL hockey game with Buffalo.  Zednik’s carotid artery was lacerated when he was hit by one of his own teammate’s skate blade during the game. Zednik skated off the ice under his own power and underwent immediate surgery. He is currently in stable condition at Buffalo’s General Hospital.

Zednik’s injury came 19 years after former Sabres goaltender Clint Malarchuk almost died when his jugular vein was cut by a skate blade in a goal-mouth collision between St. Louis winger Steve Tuttle and Buffalo defenseman Uwe Krupp.

The quick actions of the Sabres’ team trainer saved Malarchuk’s life.

Skate blades are very sharp.  Ice-level collisions happen.  The neck can be very vulnerable. Protection is available!

** EVERY YOUTH HOCKEY PLAYER SHOULD WEAR A NECKGUARD.

Please, buy your player a neckguard.  Coaches:  encourage your parents/players to wear one.  Better yet, make it mandatory on your team.

Let’s not wait until a serious injury occurs.  Make it happen NOW.  In my opinion, neckguards should be mandatory for all players.

Please pass the word along to fellow parents, coaches, administrators and players!

Thanks!

Name That Caption

What is the best caption for the above image? Submit your answers in the comments section below. Winner of the best response will receive an autographed puck and will be spotlighted in the next DCYHA newsletter.

Last month’s winner – Gus Erekson!

What Are The Criteria In Awarding a Penalty Shot?

Your player has the puck and is breaking down the ice. It appears that he has a clear shot at the goalie but is penalized from behind. The referee’s arm shoots up signifying a delayed penalty. Will it be a penalty or a penalty shot? How can we tell? This edition of “Ask a Ref” looks more closely at the criteria that should be used in awarding a penalty shot.

The Penalty Shot – USA Hockey Rule 406 

This one is relatively straightforward and simple. The Basic Officials Manual outlines the five key criteria used in distinguishing between a penalty and awarding a penalty shot. In order to be awarded a penalty shot, all five of the following criteria must be met:

1. The player must be in possession and control of the puck. The key word here is control. For example, a player who shoots the puck slightly ahead in a controlled manner in order to skate faster is still considered in possession and control of the puck whereas a player who is trying to dig the puck out from between his skates while he is moving may not be considered to have enough control.
2. The player must be beyond his/her defending blueline.
3. There is no opponent present between the player and the opposing goalkeeper. (Note, the opposing defensemen does not have to be directly in the player’s path but simply between the player and the opposing goalkeeper.)
4. The player must be fouled directly from behind. an opponent who has an angle on the breakaway player and commits the foul from the side should be penalized, but no penalty shot shall be awarded.
5. The player must have been deprived of a reasonable scoring opportunity. (Note, a player who still has a reasonable scoring opportunity, even though fouled from behind, should not be awarded a penalty shot.)

Like most rules, these criteria are somewhat subjective and while USA Hockey does provide additional guidance on defining the terms “possession,” “control,” and from “behind,” (meaning outside of a reasonable peripheral view), the term “reasonable scoring opportunity” is left to the official’s discretion. By the way, you can download a complete version of the USA Hockey Rule book and the USA Hockey Rules and Casebook (much more detailed “what if scenarios”) from the USA Hockey Website.

EXTRA Credit

Did you know that a team is allowed to change goalies just for a penalty shot?

Did you know that in cases where the infraction would normally have resulted in a minor penalty, the coach of the non-penalized team can opt to have the penalized player serve a 2-minute penalty instead of taking a penalty shot?

You Make the Call

During a penalty shot attempt, the puck is shot over the goal, rebounds off the glass, hits the goalkeeper in the back and enters the goal. Should the goal be allowed? (Answer will be posted in the next DCYHA newsletter. Click here to subscribe.)

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