TrailBlazer Hockey Advisors’ Newsletter | March 2024

TrailBlazer Players & Parents,

As the regular season and playoffs begin to wind down across North America and around the world, we wanted to share with you what we feel are EXTREMELY IMPORTANT player tips going into Spring Tryout Camps.

TrailBlazer Hockey Spring Camp Tryout Tips

It is IMPORTANT to understand what GM’s, Coaches & Scouts are looking for at Spring Tryout Camps and what you need to show them.
First and foremost, every player should have his or her own identity going into tryout camps. You need to be unique in your own way based on your unique personal skills & abilities. And you must be very honest with yourself related to your self assessment for this. If you do not have your own IDENTITY as a player, you run the risk you are “invisible” to the GM, Coaches & scouts. You have likely heard the term “a million shades of grey”. This term is used in the scouting world often and is typically used when scouts are watching a game and they see no one on the ice that is doing anything unique or showing a skill that jumps out at them, that no one else on the ice is doing. This is NOT good if you are a player trying to earn a spot!

FORWARDS:
A typical hockey team needs 6-forwards who are offensively skilled, can put the puck in the net, and/or are great play makers. Those 6-players will make up the top 2-lines on a team. That team will also want 3-players that are close to being in that top 6, but maybe don’t have the high-end offensive skills yet, but show the potential. They show a bit of decent offensive skills with upside potential, along with some solid defensive skills that make them a well-balanced player that can play in all areas of the ice. Those players will typically make up the 3rd line. Last, but certainly not least are the role players that every team needs. These are players that might bring energy to a team, typically are bigger more physical players, are willing to fight if required and are often the most popular players on a team. These are the 4th line players.

DEFENSE:
From a defense position, hockey teams will typically be looking for 1, possibly 2 offensively skilled D that you might hear termed as “mobile, puck movers”. They also need 3-4 rock solid “shut down” D that are usually bigger bodies that are physical and can prevent goals in their own net. A D unit is then often rounded out with 1 or 2 D that might be younger and are being groomed for future years to be the next “shut down” D or future “mobile, puck mover”. These will be the 3rd D pairing and typically won’t get near as much ice time as Top 4 D.

GOALIE:
Finally, and maybe MOST IMPORTANT of all – every team needs a Goalie that can win them games by him or herself. Every single GM & Coach you talk to at any level of hockey will tell you a GREAT goalie is by far the MOST IMPORTANT component of a great hockey team. Ultimately teams need to find goalies in camp that can stop almost every puck coming at them. If a goalie has a bad camp and let’s in some soft goal’s, there is a strong possibility you will not move on from that camp, regretfully. Further, the goalie position remains likely the one position that is most biased toward SIZE. Right or wrong, this is a fact of life in hockey at the vast majority of levels. So, if you are an above average height goalie, you are instantly going to be placed ahead of any average height or below average height goalies at the camp. Remember what I mentioned earlier about standing out, doing something to catch coaches’ attention and NOT being a “million shades of grey?” For a goalie nothing screams out like being 5’10’ – 6’ for females or 6’4” plus for males. This all said, there absolutely is still great opportunity for average and below average height goalies. You just have to be that much better at keeping the puck out of the next then the BIG goalie. If it’s a tie when coaches look to make a decision on a goalie, the BIGGER goalie will win the position 99% of the time.

Player Tangibles & Intangibles at Tryout Camps
Our players that have been with TrailBlazer Hockey for a couple years will have heard how important showing your player TANGIBLES & INTANGIBLE traits at tryout camps are. A bit about both:

TANGIBLES:
Tangible player traits include body size, skating & playmaking abilities, physical play, ability to put pucks in the net or as a goalie the ability to keep pucks out of the net. Tangible skills are typically skills you either have – or you don’t. Tangible skills typically take months if not years to develop.

INTANGIBLES:
Intangible player traits include your effort – how hard you work on the ice, do you skate onto the ice hard as well as off hard on a change, do you engage in puck battles like that puck is the last puck on earth, do you have good body language or bad body language (bad body language will get a player cut in itself), are you a good teammate on the ice and on the bench (do you tap teammates on the pads after good plays, do you console your goalie after a bad goal, do you stand up for a smaller player in a scrum, etc.), are you polite and professional when you interact with any of the team staff, are you neatly dressed & groomed (this does NOT mean suits / business wear or expensive clothes & jewelry) – blue jean or casual shorts, clean sneakers and a polo shirt are more than adequate for most camps when coupled with well kept hair and good hygiene when you report to the rink. INTANGIBLE traits are 100% in a players control! You can choose to do them, or not. Your decision in this area will play a key role on if you move on in the camp – or go home. It most definitely helps differentiate you from any other players who choose not to leverage these INTANGIBLE traits at spring camp. Sometimes this can be the difference maker when coaches are making a decision on two players who showed EQUAL tangible skills on the ice. The player demonstrating great INTANGIBLE skills will win the tie breaker every time!



I hope you find these tips insightful and helpful. Should any of your have questions or require support in this area leading up to your tryout camps please do reach out to your Family Advisor assigned to you.

Wishing you all the best at these upcoming camps and we look forward to any updates you wish to share during or coming out of these camps.

Thank you for your ongoing support and trust in TrailBlazer Hockey Advisors, we feel honoured and privileged to work with such a great group of players and parents!

All the Best,
Wayne