One of the most crucial aspects of preparing for a hockey game is the pre-game off-ice warm ups.
Some teams chose to go for a run 40 minutes before puck drop which can include a variety of different exercises and stretches before the actual warm-up.
For goaltenders, pre-game preparation is especially important; whether it’s using a tennis ball to get your reflexes and hand-eye coordination ready, properly stretching out the lower-body, watching game tape to pick out certain opponents’ tendencies, or simply visualizing save movements, pre-game prep can sometimes be the difference maker on whether a ‘tendy has a strong game or not.
But once the pre-game warm-up actually commences, players really really start to get into a zone, and sometimes, players get a little crazy with the moves and shots they're pulling off in warm-up. After all, warm-up is a time where you allow your goaltender a good feel of the puck.
To further illustrate the importance of warming up a ‘tendy, the On the Bench boys have released their latest video on how to properly warm-up a goaltender.
That's exactly how it's done!
Ask any goaltender, and there’s nothing more they dislike when their own teammates start drilling them with shots when he’s trying to insert the pegs into his net after stepping on to the ice, or just flat out shooting pucks around his vicinity when he’s not fully ready to begin the shooting drills. If you really want to piss off your goaltender, just fire a clap bomb right by his head, as Jacob and Olly showed you in the video above.
Goaltenders like to reset their stance and recover first, but some teammates tend to just start launching pucks at their own will. Do you really want to throw your goaltender off prior to puck drop?
As we saw in the World Juniors recently, it can get dangerous when pucks are flying around the ice when people aren’t prepared.
While that poor arena worker isn't a goaltender, he sure as hell can relate.
The next time you're playing a beer league game, make sure your warmies game is on point. At least try to keep it low.
(h/t On the Bench)
