WTF Ottawa

So we're a world class hockey town?
We've got some great retired defensemen still living in the area Luke Richardson (for now anyway), Garry Galley, Denis Potvin, and even Jason York. Yet with all the retired and current NHL defensemen living in Ottawa how easy is it to find a summer camp for defensemen?

Garry Galley used to have 3g-hockey which ran (from what I was told) a very good set of sessions geared towards defensemen. I'm leery about spending the 400-500 dollars for a week at a camp only to find out I would have been better to rent 3 or 4 hours of ice on a mini rink to teach him what an old High School players knows about the position.

He's 8 (I know isn't that young), but according to his Spring AAA coach and his winter Coach he's exceling at the position. I'm not looking for a basic camp teaching how to skate backwards, or passing. Those are all skills every camp should be teaching, but he's a better skater backwards than most players at his age can skate forwards, and is already adept at backwards cross overs. I'm looking for an advance camp that will take a younger child and start to teach him the fundamentals of the position.

Anyone know of any good camps for defensemen?

22_4_ever wrote:So we're a world class hockey town?
We've got some great retired defensemen still living in the area Luke Richardson (for now anyway), Garry Galley, Denis Potvin, and even Jason York. Yet with all the retired and current NHL defensemen living in Ottawa how easy is it to find a summer camp for defensemen?

Garry Galley used to have 3g-hockey which ran (from what I was told) a very good set of sessions geared towards defensemen. I'm leery about spending the 400-500 dollars for a week at a camp only to find out I would have been better to rent 3 or 4 hours of ice on a mini rink to teach him what an old High School players knows about the position.

He's 8 (I know isn't that young), but according to his Spring AAA coach and his winter Coach he's exceling at the position. I'm not looking for a basic camp teaching how to skate backwards, or passing. Those are all skills every camp should be teaching, but he's a better skater backwards than most players at his age can skate forwards, and is already adept at backwards cross overs. I'm looking for an advance camp that will take a younger child and start to teach him the fundamentals of the position.

Anyone know of any good camps for defensemen?

Better off learning the basics of the game, breakouts, using your partner, simply stuff that can be complicated for a kid. He needs to understand the position to excel at it. Going to a D man camp at 8 is a little over the top IMO and things change quick in minor hockey as well, he could be a forward tomorrow.

I always like Roger Neilson's camp, they always get great NHLers, 1 practice a day, 1 game a day, and you get a wide varity of different players from around Canada, the US, and Europe.

His brain is a sponge right now, let him learn the game as a whole, not specifics.

Thank you.

He'll never be a forward...I would like him to, but with the opportunities he's been given this year already he just doesn't get aggressive enough in the offensive zone. His tendencies is to be defensive, but that's ok because he's pretty good already.

I agree with learning the basics of the game, and I guess that's really what I'm looking for. Believe it or not, but already at 8 they are into breakouts, and using your partner. That's what they learn at the major novice 'A' and spring hockey levels.

He plays 1 on 1 and 2 on 1's really well, but there are little things he does wrong like positioning his stick to cut off lanes, and how to angle a player off.

I know it sounds stupid that he should be learning it at 8. But when he already knows the basics of breakouts (to the winger on the half boards, or to his partner on the off side) and playing the position in the offensive zone then what's next?

Kids playing hockey at the upper levels these days are so far ahead of where I was and most likely where you were at your age. At least where we live. The coaching is unbelievable, it's just that there is no where I have found for him to go in the summer to help him improve. All the camps are stick handeling, or skating, or just city run glorfied day camps. If I want to fork out the money for a hockey camp I want him to improve not just be there skating.

Then again, maybe he should just be skating and having fun. Or maybe not even have him in hockey at all. I have no problem taking 2 months off...it's been a long 10 months for him.


Thanks again.

If Ottawa doesn't offer anything you are looking for, you might have to consider going to the hockey capital of Canada, the GTA.

If he is excelling at a positon, I can't see why you wouldn't want to nurture his skills in that position.

22_4_ever wrote:Thank you.

He'll never be a forward...I would like him to, but with the opportunities he's been given this year already he just doesn't get aggressive enough in the offensive zone. His tendencies is to be defensive, but that's ok because he's pretty good already.

I agree with learning the basics of the game, and I guess that's really what I'm looking for. Believe it or not, but already at 8 they are into breakouts, and using your partner. That's what they learn at the major novice 'A' and spring hockey levels.

He plays 1 on 1 and 2 on 1's really well, but there are little things he does wrong like positioning his stick to cut off lanes, and how to angle a player off.

I know it sounds stupid that he should be learning it at 8. But when he already knows the basics of breakouts (to the winger on the half boards, or to his partner on the off side) and playing the position in the offensive zone then what's next?

Kids playing hockey at the upper levels these days are so far ahead of where I was and most likely where you were at your age. At least where we live. The coaching is unbelievable, it's just that there is no where I have found for him to go in the summer to help him improve. All the camps are stick handeling, or skating, or just city run glorfied day camps. If I want to fork out the money for a hockey camp I want him to improve not just be there skating.

Then again, maybe he should just be skating and having fun. Or maybe not even have him in hockey at all. I have no problem taking 2 months off...it's been a long 10 months for him.


Thanks again.

That's of so little value at 8 because they are so small having a "good stick" is almost impossible.

He should always be working on the basics, always. He might do things very well but he doesn't do them perfectly as is the same with any 8 year old.

You hit the nail on the head when you said he should be having fun. Best camp I can think of is Roger Neilson's. They have video sessions, on ice practice each day, off ice training, classes on diet, and a game every night. It's a 2 week camp away from home.

Also, he can never do enough skating. Power skating camps suck for the kids but they learn how to skate properly, how to use their edges, pivoting, etc.

8 is too young to be so focused on one position in terms of just developing those skills. Once contact comes along then focus a little more on it because right now is the time to develop his skating habits because as he grows that's what will get him noticed.

Practice his shot, practice his skating, practice his stick handling. Over, and over, and over. When contact is around the corner you want these skills to be above everyone elses because the game totally changes from that point on. Kids that were great don't even make A teams and kids that had no chance before just understand the game at that point and thrive.

Might be something you should talk to the coach about? When I played there was always 1 or 2 coaches from the area that would run there own "mini-camp" type thing all through July/August. Granted, I was older than 8 when I went to these camps, so maybe it's only something that goes on later.

NEELY wrote:Also, he can never do enough skating. Power skating camps suck for the kids but they learn how to skate properly, how to use their edges, pivoting, etc.

I hated the Diddle out of those power skating camps. Oh man. I still remember the dude that ran them... Bucky... and his smoothed back hair, just like Kerry Fraser... it was HELL but you know what, they were awesome in the end and really improved your skating.

shabbs wrote:

NEELY wrote:Also, he can never do enough skating. Power skating camps suck for the kids but they learn how to skate properly, how to use their edges, pivoting, etc.

I hated the Diddle out of those power skating camps. Oh man. I still remember the dude that ran them... Bucky... and his smoothed back hair, just like Kerry Fraser... it was HELL but you know what, they were awesome in the end and really improved your skating.

Ah yes, Bucky. Everyone knows him well. Hell on ice.

NEELY wrote:

shabbs wrote:

NEELY wrote:Also, he can never do enough skating. Power skating camps suck for the kids but they learn how to skate properly, how to use their edges, pivoting, etc.

I hated the Diddle out of those power skating camps. Oh man. I still remember the dude that ran them... Bucky... and his smoothed back hair, just like Kerry Fraser... it was HELL but you know what, they were awesome in the end and really improved your skating.

Ah yes, Bucky. Everyone knows him well. Hell on ice.

HA! Man... brings back some bad memories...

Thanks guys

We're already signed up for him to work on his skating twice a week for an hour a day, and he's going to play 3 on 3 with his spring team mates having fun.

That should be enough...for now at least.

Thanks guys

We're already signed up for him to work on his skating twice a week for an hour a day, and he's going to play 3 on 3 with his spring team mates having fun.

That should be enough...for now at least.

I'm gonna have nightmares about Bucky tonight... I just know it...

Are you from Ottawa...

Are you talking about Bucky Buchanan?

22_4_ever wrote:Are you from Ottawa...

Are you talking about Bucky Buchanan?

I grew up in Ottawa and did the Power Skating camps with Bucky when I played hockey as a kid. Left Ottawa in 1999 and moved to Toronto (long story, save it for beers with the GMHockey crew one day).

Don't remember his last name.