Kevin Goumas

Sid said he was pretty close to playing. Also said Canada deserved better vs USA. This is a really good interview.

FIRST GAME BACK FROM INJURY AND CAITLIN CLARK HAS GONE NUCLEAR

Today doesn’t officially begin until you watch the “Leprechaun in Mobile, Alabama” video

Youth sports in the US are a disaster driven by egos & money. 70% of kids drop out of sports by 13 Fear of failure & pressure to perform from parents & coaches is one of the biggest reasons We need to do better Here's my youth sports manifesto for parents. It's important:

Years ago when I was recruiting for Cornell, I remember watching a preseason game in Western Canada with Brett Larson, now the Head Coach at St. Cloud. The game we were watching was turning into a bit of a blowout in the second period and wasn’t going to be a great evaluation so we got into talking some hockey. Just an unreal hockey mind and a great coach. At one point he goes to me - “Watch every time a team makes 3 passes in a row and see what happens…” I was like OK, not thinking much of it. But then as we keep talking and I’m watching, very rarely are there three passes being made on the tape in a row. It’s a dump, someone tries to beat someone one on one, it’s a turnover, etc… And then finally BOOM three passes in a row - and there’s a scoring chance. Go a little while longer, not a ton of plays being made and then BOOM again - three passes on the tape in a row and there’s a scoring chance. It didn’t happen often, but when it did…offensive chances and goals were created. It was like clockwork. PASSING is the most underrated and under-worked-on skill in hockey. Hockey is a TEAM game and when I watch the game, especially at the youth levels, the team that passes the puck better typically wins. We need to prioritize it more with our kids…BIG TIME. This goal is an incredible example. Just flawless execution of passing, making the game look so beautiful. What a display of hockey sense, support, puck protection, and poise. I know there’s a lot of coaches out there on social media working their ass off to create content. Only problem is, 90% of the content I see from skills coaches on social media have zero passing in them. The kids are seeing dangles, tight turns, spins, etc…but they aren’t seeing what is going to make them an actual “hockey player”. High level scouts today are telling us all the time they’re seeing a ton of skilled players…who just don’t understand the game. They can all do “The Michigan”, they have incredible speed and hands…but they struggle to make plays or play as part of a unit. Working on skills is important - but let’s make sure that we don’t forget the one most important for playing a team game. If we get back to that, we’ll see a lot more goals like this one in the future.