This morning I did something unusual: I grabbed my son William (soon to turn 18 months old) and we went to watch 30 of the worst minor hockey players from the South Shore of Montreal.
Okay, I’m being harsh on these kids, but then again U13 C is the lowest level of house league hockey in Quebec. We did have fun with friends. And we’ll do it again soon.
During the game, I stood within earshot of the home bench. What I heard reminded me of of an important lesson I learned from Sheldon Keefe back when we were on the coaching staff of the 2019-20 Toronto Marlies:
The players on the ice can’t hear what you’re saying, but the players on the bench sure can.
Every minor hockey coaches I’ve had shouted things such as:
“Get it out!”
“Use the boards!”
“Shoot the puck!”
Or other specific directives, as if they’re able to control the players on the ice.
I’m not sure whether such orders help the players on the ice. Speaking from experience, I can say that these messages raise the anxiety level of the players sitting on the bench. If they internalize that panicky voice, they’ll start slapping the puck away under pressure instead of taking a breath, taking a look and making a play.
In that light, perhaps players would show more poise if coaches said nothing at all while the play was ongoing.
Sheldon was seldom silent during play, but he went about things in a different way. The content of his discourse is different (more about getting off the wall, changing sides or reloading forecheck pressure instead of clearing the puck), but the intent was different, too.
Sheldon’s play-by-play was ostensibly targeted at the players on the ice, but his actual audience was the ones sitting right next to him. If something positive happened he’d let all of us know immediately so that we could take a mental snapshot and recreate that nice picture when we next had a chance. Of course, he’s quick to point out negatives as well, but the intent is always to make the next shift better than the last.
Spending time on the bench of the Marlies, Leafs and, now, the Devils means learning about right and wrong, good and bad from Sheldon’s perspective. Then we go out and execute according to those standards. That’s good coaching at any level.