The Hockey News

The Hockey NewsEdition One 2

Rising Starspage 3

Top Ten breakout Strategies

page 2

Can the Blackhawks win the Stanley cup? page7

1 The Hockey News Edition One

the hockey news

NHL Exclusive Interview with Joe Burbano

page 8


Top Ten breakouT

strategiesOn Breakouts* The puck carrier should skate directly at the fore checker so he can’t create a good angle to steer him into a wide lane, this allows him to passeither way.

* The most important concept in the break out is for the puck carrier to drive skate to open ice when you get the puck, this creates time, avoids checkers and creates new passing lanes.

* The best play is a direct pass to a winger on the boards.

* When pressured never hesitate to dump the puck out.

* Always look for the quick breakout first.

* Remember: When the puck gets dumped into the corner by the opposing team, that side becomes the strong side.

* Don’t leave men behind you on breakouts.

* When under a lot of pressure move the puck quickly away from the pressure by using a counter, D-to-D bank, reverse or a rim.

* When under a lot of pressure move the puck quickly away from the pressure by using a counter, D-to-D bank, reverse or a rim.

* Passes around boards must be hard.

* To beat a pinch the forward should either swing very low and give and go with the defenseman or else be out high near the blue line for the pass and simply chip it over the blue line behind the pinching defenseman.




Top Ten breakouT

strategies

rising Stars

To say the NHL is a young man’s game is an understatement on par with, “Wayne Gretzky was a decent hockey player.” If you were unknowingly dropped into an NHL dressing room these days, you might think you were at a college fraternity mixer or maybe even a casting call for the male lead in the fourth installment of the High School Musical franchise.

Now more than ever, youth is be-ing served in the NHL. But a lot of these fresh-faced kids aren’t just picking up ice time in small doses or watching from the press box as healthy scratches.

They are either superstars or emerging as superstars, and it’s hard not to get excited by what it could all mean for fans and for the League.

Joseph Burbano has been working for the past ten years to become better and better so one day his NHL dreams will come true. Joey has been on the ice learning how to skate since he was five years old.

Right now at the age of fifteen he is the best he has ever been. Likeany team sport it is important to be a team player and Joey is a teamplayer on and off the ice. He is one of the most dedicated players we have seen in a very long time.

Hockey is typically seen as a violent sport where men go out and beateach other up for fun. It brings joy to all of us hear at the NHL networkto see that youth hockey players are not playing for the violence of thesport. It makes us very happy to know that our professional hockey players are a good influence to the young players across the nation. Keep reading throughout the magazine for more information on JoeyBurbano and an NHL Network exclu-sive interview.




rules atrink “Zones”

• The ice surface is divided into three zones.

• The area where the goal net is located is the “defending zone” for the team defending that net.

• The middle of the rink, between two blue lines, is the “neutral zone.”

• The area where the opposing net is located is the “attacking zone” or “offensive zone.”

The Teams

• Each team has six players on the ice, one goaltender and five skaters

• There are three forwards and two defensemen.

• Regardless of assigned positions, all players except the goaltender can go any-where.

• The goaltender cannot cross the center ice red line that divides the rink in half.

Substitutions.

• A substitution does not require an official’s permission

• A player can join the game “on the fly” as long as the departing player is within five feet of the bench and not involved in the play.

The Faceoff

• The game begins when the referee drops the puck between two opposing forwards.

• During the faceoff all other players are positioned on the defensive side of the puck.

• The faceoff is used to resume play following any stoppage in the game.

• There are nine designated faceoff spots painted on the ice.

body Checking

• A player can use a shoulder, hip or torso to hit or impede an opponent, but only when the opponent is in possession of the puck.

• A body check that targets the head is illegal.

• A body check to an oppo-nent’s back is illegal if the op-ponent is facing the boards.


a GlanceMinor Penalties

Note that the difference between a legal check and a penalty is open to interpretation, and re-mains a source of dispute among fans, players, and everyone else involved in the game.A player charged with a minor penalty is sent off the ice for two minutes, with no substitution allowed.The penalty ends immediately if a goal is scored by the opposing team. Minor penalties are called for obstructing an opponent.

Infractions include:• Tripping • Holding • Hooking (with stick)• Interferance (checking or

impeding a player without the puck)

Penalties called for dangerous use of the stick

• Slashing• Spearing• High-sticking • Cross-checking

Penalties called for dangerous physical fouls

• Elbowing• Checking from behind• Kneeing• Roughing (broadly defined;

usually involves a wrestling or shoving match)

Major Penalties

• A player charged with a major penalty is sent of the ice for five minutes.

• The most common major pen-alty is fighting. If both fighters receive five-minute penalties, substitutions can be made.

• At the referee’s discretion, an infraction commonly deemed a minor penalty can be in-creased to a major. This usu-ally occurs if an opponent has been seriously injured, or if the referee believes there was a deliberate attempt to injure.

• A player charged with a major penalty involving serious injury or attempt to injure is ejected from the game.

• If a penalized player is eject-ed, a teammate is assigned to serve his major penalty. No substitution is allowed.


The referee Guide

CroSS-CHeCkING

Called when a player delivers a check with both hands on his stick and no part of the stick on the ice.

boarDING

Called for driving, throwing, checking or tripping an opponent which causes the opponent to be thrown violently into the boards.

CHarGING

Called for running, jumping or charging into an opponent

eLboWING

Called when a player uses his elbow to foul another player.

HIGH-STICkING

Called whan a player carries or holds his stick above the normal height of the waist of an Oppo-nent and the stick causes injury to that opponent.

HoLDING

Called whan a player holds an opponent with his hands or stick. Holding the stick is called for, well, holding an opponent’s stick.

HookING

Called when a player impedes or seeks to impede the progress of an opponent by “hooking” him with his stick.

INTerFereNCe

Called when a player impedes or seeks to impede the progress of an opponent who is not in pos-session of the puck.

SLaSHING

Called when a player swings his stick at an opponent or impedes or attempts to impede an oppo-nent by slashing with his stick.


Can the Blackhawks Win the Stanley Cup?

Sitting at his corner locker inside the Chicago Blackhawks’ dress-ing room Sunday night, the Finn-ish goaltender put on his team-issued ball cap and then tried to explain what it feels like to be on the upswing of a playoff roller-coaster. After allowing a fluke goal in Game 1 that led to Nashville ty-ing and eventually winning the game, Niemi was as low as he’d ever been after a game. He didn’t talk with reporters, as teammates consoled him in a side room not accessible to the media. After blanking Nashville in Game 2 to even the series at a game apiece, Niemi admitted that it took awhile for the sting to go away. “I thought about it all evening after the game,” he said. “Then I didn’t want to think about itat all (on Saturday).” After putting the sour experience away, Niemi fixated his focus on making amends Sunday. He didn’t face an overwhelming amount of shots, but all of the Predators’ good scoring chances were thwarted by some inspired, timely goaltending.

“It shouldn’t be (difficult), but sometimes it is,” said Niemi, who picked up his first career playoff win. “Overall, though, I felt pretty good tonight.” Ever since that bad-luck goal slipped past, the Hawks defended their inexperienced goaltender. Center John Madden compared the flukish goal to one he saw happen to Martin Brodeur in the Stanley Cup Playoffs when they played together in New Jersey. Brodeur basically scored on him-self, thanks to a weird bounce. “You’ve just got to keep playing,” Madden said. “I’ve seen all kinds of weird goals go in. You’ve got to keep going and keep plugging away and be professional about it.”

On Saturday, many wondered how Niemi would respond. Watching him happily skate off with No. 1 star honors on Sunday, they got their answer.

The shutout was the Blackhawks’ first in the Stanley Cup Playoffs since Ed Belfour blanked Calgary on April 19, 1996, and was the first in franchise history by a rookie goaltender. It also helped that Chicago got a great effort from its reshuffled de-fensive pairings and that Nashville played without leading scorer Patric Hornqvist (upper-body in-jury). Hornqvist, who is expected to return for Game 3 on Tuesday in Nashville, often parks his body in front of opposing goaltenders. Predators coach Barry Trotz said that part of Hornqvist’s game was missed severely and that Niemi wasn’t screened nearly enough. Nashville forward Steve Sullivan agreed. “They didn’t give us too much; we should have battled harder,” he said. “Niemi was able to see most of our shots.”

Still, Niemi had to keep himself sharp despite a lack of pucks coming his way. Not getting enough action, as odd as it sounds, can sometimes catch a goalie off-guard.


NHL eXCLuSIVe INTerVIeW

Queston When did you start playing hockey?

Answer I started playing when I was five years old. So I’ve been playing forten year years.

Question Give us a little history of the teams you’ve played for?

AnswerWell, when I was five I played house league at McFetridge Sports Center and played there until I was about eight. After leaving house league I went on to travel hockey in Glenview for the Glenview Stars. I was loyal and played with them for a total of three years. In between playing with the Stars one year I went to play triple A hockey for the Chicago Young Americans. Triple A hockey is the most competitive hockey a kid can play until they are old enough to play juniors. After that I went back to Glenview for a season or two and then left to go play for the Chargers from Hoffman Estates. After a crazy year at the Chargers I had to play for the Leafs out of Crystal Lake and also in the same year I recently played for Latin High school.


NHL eXCLuSIVe INTerVIeW

Question Do you have any advice for youth hockey players today?

Answer I guess the only advice is to never give up on your dreams. There have been times when I’ve been on a team that’s lost almost every game and I started to get discouraged but I never gave up. I always kept my head up high because I knew that no matter how many games we lost or how many we won, we were a team, a family and winning wasn’t everything.

Queston Wow that was a lot of hockey for a kid. What are some of your favorite memories?

Answer That’s such a tough question because every year I make so many new friends and memories. But, if I had to pick one it would be when I was around five and six years old. I was playing house league at McFetridge and the team I was on was the Ducks. This team was amazing. We were all such great friends and we won the championship that year. I guess that’s my favorite memory because I am still close friends with all those players even though we don’t play together anymore.

“I always kept my head up high because I knew that no matter how many games we lost or how many we won, we were a team, a family and winning wasn’t everything.”


Question Joey, Where do you see yourself in a few years after high school?

Answer Wow, after high school… I’m really not sure. I guess ideally I’d love to play college hockey for either Michigan University or Boston College. But being drafted for the juniors would be awesome too.

“Triple A hockey is the most competitive hockey a kid can play until they

are old enough to play juniors.”


QuestionAnd now where do you see yourself more long term? Still playing hockey?

AnswerLong term? Well from living in Chicago all my life my goal has always been to play for the Chicago Blackhawks. Who are actually doing very well this season? But that’s just my dream and so far I’m sticking to it because hockey isn’t just a sport, it’s a way of life. You learn it you live it and you never want to stop.

Question Do you even go back to McFetridge where you first started and help out?

Answer Oh absolutely! They have a summer camp and whenever I have a free day off from skating I definitely go in and help out with the younger kids. It’s nice to give back to the kids because I want everyone to have the same experiences I did.

“It’s nice to give back to the kids because I want everyone to have the same experiences

I did.”


The Hockey News

To end our first edition here are some cartoons we have had submitted. Keep on the look out for a second edition coming soon.

The Hockey News

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