Watching and following sports is a pressure release valve for the politics. However, as the pressure increased recently, my favourite hockey team the Toronto Maple Leafs have had a disappointing first 20 games. They are a lousy distraction right now.
My first communications and public relations gig was in earliest days of the Victoria Salmon Kings and the Save-On-Foods Memorial Centre. My job was to coordinate all the communications for the ECHL hockey club and Victoria’s brand new, highly anticipated arena. It was an exciting opportunity for me and a quick introduction to managing through chaos.
It was the early 2000’s and it is fair to say the team and the building had a “slow start” — much like the Maple Leafs this season. “We just don’t play the game of ice hockey very well,” said a Salmon Kings coach after another drubbing. It’s a crisp characterization of both situations.
Unsolicited advice
My only professional hockey experience was that “brief stint,” where I mainly wrote press releases for losing streaks and player transactions, as the roster was a constantly shuffling deck. So for whatever it is worth, here are a few ideas.
From what I see the problem with the Maple Leafs is when the players stop moving their feet and get caught standing around. They are a much better hockey team when the players actually skate!
There are a few other details as well.
The whole group needs to show up ready to go at the beginning of every game and at the start of each period. The period does not get going around 19:22 or something. Be ready to go right before the clock reads 20:00.
Also play the full 20 minutes three times each game. Be prepared to play a little more if it is tied. So basically be ready to go at 20:00 and don’t stop playing until sometime after the clock reads 00:00. It’s important to both pay attention and work hard the full 60 minutes. Till the buzzer.
Finally on the coaching side, please innovate. For example, if the power play breakout plan is to pass it back into your own zone to a player standing still so there is no one generating any forward momentum and the penalty killers are stopping the play every time, then change it up. Mix it up. On a side note it would be great to move some players around a little. Double-shift Matthews or something.
Players play and coaches coach (spoken in the style of Maple Leaf’s head coach Mike Babcock.)
So get on with it please, I need my distraction to be a pleasant one 🙂
* This post is dedicated to Al. Happy Birthday!
** Editor’s Note: Go Canucks Go!
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