Huskies Hockey Club - Our Club - Player Development

Player Development

Every player who joins our club will be provided with the opportunity to achieve their goals, whatever they may be. Our mission is to teach kids how to succeed on the ice, and then take those core principles of leadership, teamwork, effort, and attitude and apply them in every aspect of their lives. When they step on the ice, we ask them to focus for the next hour or two on pushing themselves to do the little things it takes to make them a more complete hockey player.

It is sometimes hard to believe how much a player has developed from the beginning to the end of a season. When it comes to skaters, coaches prioritize skill development over teaching specific systems, as they believe that enhancing each player's individual abilities will ultimately strengthen the entire team. This approach allows players to become more creative, talented, and intelligent hockey players. As for goalies, our Monday night goalie clinic focuses on improving the technical skills and mental resilience required to excel in their position.

Structured Practices

Our practices for Mites, Squirts, and Peewees have extended practices that are combined with one other Huskies team. A portion of the practice brings players from both teams together so they have the opportunity to compete with each other before breaking off into individual team practices. Each practice incorporates power skating drills to ensure that all players improve their speed, technique, and edgework. Bantams and Midgets get their own sheet of ice for practice and continue their growth through highly competitive and challenging drills. Our coaches actively share practice ideas and drills with each other to ensure all players at the club develop each time they are on the ice. Each coach will break their team into smaller groups, so there is less standing around in line waiting for their turn and more time working on their skills.

Off-ice Training and Video Review

The Huskies are committed to helping players develop both on and off the ice. Every week, Squirt, Peewee, Bantam, and Midget players participate in off-ice training sessions with Tier 1 at the gym in Canlan, focusing on improving endurance, strength, and mobility. We have also introduced video analysis for all teams at the Squirt level and above. Coaches can use our high-resolution Pixelot cameras to record games, analyze the footage, and incorporate highlights or clips from the games into teaching sessions for players during team or individual video reviews. Players can also log in from home to look at their personal plays from recorded games.

our goals

  • focus

    Focus

    We encourage players to pay close attention to the details during drills, skills, or strategies to lay a strong foundation for success. Being fully engaged in the present moment will enhance their mental awareness during both practices and games, ultimately leading to peak performance and contributing to the team's overall success.

  • develop

    Develop

    We understand that everyone experiences growth at their own pace, and our goal is to assist each player in reaching their full potential and succeeding at their own level.

  • compete

    Compete

    We instill in our players the importance of overcoming challenges and competing both individually and as a team. When they give their maximum effort, positive outcomes will naturally follow. While skating, stickhandling, and shooting are valuable skills, it is tenacity, persistence, and determination that will propel them even further.

  • execute

    Execute

    The ability to actively listen, comprehend, ask questions, and adapt to difficult situations is crucial. Translating the skills and fundamentals acquired in practice into effective team strategies is how players will accomplish their goals.

Measuring Success

We don't measure success simply by wins and losses. While winning is great, it's not our sole indicator of success. For us, true success is when we see many players signing up to play with the Huskies for the next season. This shows that we've not only provided them with a positive experience, but also helped them grow as players and inspired them to see how far they can go.

Additionally, we consider it a success when we see our players progress to higher playing levels, such as from a bronze division to a silver division, from an elite division to Central States, or from the Huskies to a AAA club. It's satisfying to see our players excel at higher levels and become important parts of those teams, which confirms to us that we're doing things the right way.