Stephen Heisler
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Unleashed Junior Hockey Coverage. A blog by Stephen Heisler - husband, daddy, and hockey writer.
Stephen Heisler
1d ago
Junior hockey coaches, especially at the free-to-play levels, take a lot of things into consideration when identifying and selecting prospective players. There’s so much more to the game than skill level alone, and the sooner prospects figure that out, opportunities have a tendency to flow like water. Today’s Ten list comes from one of the ..read more
Stephen Heisler
2d ago
By Derek Harper It’s a new week in major junior hockey and we’re getting deeper into each of the three conference championship rounds in each of the three major junior leagues under the CHL umbrella. In the WHL, both the Portland Winterhawks and Moose Jaw Warriors were up two games to one going into their ..read more
Stephen Heisler
3d ago
“You have been taking a lot of shots at USA Hockey lately,” a district staffer complained recently. Maybe so, but if USA Hockey spent a little more time enforcing standards, instead of simply hiding them, I would have less about USA Hockey to talk about ..read more
Stephen Heisler
4d ago
Billeting a hockey player is an exciting and rewarding experience. When a family makes the choice to welcome a young athlete into their home, or more importantly, into their family, they have the opportunity to establish a wonderful friendship, while making a difference in the player’s life. Billet families learn first-hand about the different lifestyle ..read more
Stephen Heisler
4d ago
Empires crumble, it’s just what they always do. The North American Hockey League stretches from Alaska to Texas to Maine playing in four divisions that could easily be for different leagues. While operational costs have skyrocketed, the standards of operation have become a trade secret, that’s if they continue to exist at all. Players are ..read more
Stephen Heisler
6d ago
By Michael Moore ROAD TO THE CUP Unless you’ve been completely out of the loop, you are keenly aware that the 2024 Stanley Cup playoffs are well underway. This postseason is a thrilling showcase, not just of hockey’s present, but also of its future. We’re seeing outstanding performances from players who have climbed the ranks ..read more
Stephen Heisler
1w ago
By Derek Harper It’s a new week in major junior hockey and that means it’s time for a new Five Minute Major. The three major junior leagues under the CHL umbrella are getting deeper into their respective playoffs. Conference final matchups are being set and the contenders are becoming even clearer as this season’s Memorial ..read more
Stephen Heisler
1w ago
IF I WERE KING of hockey, we would cancel the continued practice of the kangaroo court. Hold on a second, did SafeSport not already address that ridiculousness? That’s right you silly brain surgeons, SafeSport did mandate the end of the silliness. This is junior hockey and SafeSport can’t mandate out a time-honored tradition that delivers ..read more
Stephen Heisler
1w ago
If you look at the sport over the past 25 years, the clearest example of a particular position taking their game to higher levels would be the goalie. The modern goalie has a system of play and he works diligently at honing all the critical skill sets for his position. Along with training, he studies ..read more
Stephen Heisler
1w ago
The North American Hockey League has turned the junior hockey world upside down with expansion and the drop off in level of play has been everybody’s concern ..read more