On January 9, 18 players involved in atom and peewee-aged hockey took a shooting and scoring clinic at the Civic Centre offered by Jeff Cole of Moosomin.
Genevieve Shukin, a member of the Canora Minor Hockey executive, arranged the clinic with a lot of support from Canora Minor Hockey. The four goalies who agreed to participate were: Durban and Iona Hleboff, Cole Marcinkoski and Tyler Palchewich. Cole brought his son as a helper and Shukin lined up three helpers: Jessie Biletski, Tyler Kopeck and Logan Statchuk. Dwayne Wolkowski, assistant coach with the Atom Cobras, also went on the ice to help.
“We have to thank the players, helpers, goalies and their families who made this a great success,” said Shukin.
The players that attended are as follows: atoms, Taye Shukin, Bronson Heshka, Hayden Strelioff, Carson Ebert, Logan Lewchuk, Jason Lindgren, J.T. Foster, Randi Foster, Porter Wolkowski, Nate Wolos and Hunter Lamb; and peewees, Taber Ebert, Clay Sleeva, Jacob Danyluk, Grady Wolkowski, Jake Statchuk and Codee Kopelchuk.
Jeff Cole is a hockey training director/instructor/co-ordinator who runs specialized shooting and scoring clinics. He also runs introduction to body contact clinics and is a Saskatchewan Hockey Association zone bantam evaluator. He has his Hockey Canada and SHA coaching certification. He represents the following programs: SHA Initiation Program Coach Standing, SHA Speak Out, SHA NCCP Level Coach Qualification and is a Level 1 coach, and certified with the Canadian Hockey Safety Program and the SAHA Body Checking Speciality Clinic. He has been the instructor/co-ordinator for numerous hockey development schools and clinics and selection camps.
His coaching experience includes: 2010-2012 Melville AA Bantam,
2009-2010 Moose Mountain AA Peewee, 2005-2010 Man-Sask Wolf Pack AAA Team 1997 and 1997-2015 Moosomin Minor Hockey. His hockey experience includes: 1993-1994 East Coast and AHA; 1989-1992 Minot Americans and Humboldt Broncos SJHL and 1987-1988 South West AAA Midget Cougars Manitoba AAA.
In addition to an hour of classroom instruction, he offered two hours of on-ice training for wrist shots and deaking.
The players’ shot speed was measured with radar.
Cole told the players that shooting well requires a complete understanding of the principles of each type of shot. Making a great shot is one of the joys of the game – especially when it results in a score. NHL players make shooting and scoring look easy, but it is really a complicated art, he said.
His instruction included: scoring tactics and secrets, puck positioning, wrist movement, arm movement, weight transfer, follow through and shooting. He focussed on
wrist and snap shots, one-on-one deaking and backhand shot, quick releases, freezing the goalies, shooting in stride, shooting moving laterally, getting in proper position to shoot, bad angle shots and accuracy training.
The anticipation for the clinic was great and the kids had a fun afternoon learning, improving and refining their skills, said Shukin.
Last year an email circulated regarding a clinic that Cole ran in Moosomin, but only two novice players attended, said Shukin “This is where I got the idea to offer the same clinic in Canora to our Minor Hockey players.”
Canora Minor Hockey team schedules and Trip of the Month winners can be found at canoraminorhockey.com webpage.
