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J A N / F E B 2 0 2 2 | M H J ON L I N E . C O M 15 Strong edges can help you evade danger and maintain possession of the puck. should be looking—to the space you're skating into, or toward the area of the ice where you're going to move the puck to?" Maintain good stick positioning. Keep your head up. Rotate your head and shoulders when you're power turning or crossing over and always look to the space you're skating to. "We want everything to work togeth- er," Ness said. LEARN FROM YOUR MISTAKES If you play hockey, you know you're going to fall down. Sometimes it's embar- rassing. Sometimes it's funny. Whatever the case, Ness said you need to think about why it happened. "Ask questions," he said. "I always say, 'You know, it's OK to fall, but just try to understand why you fell. Was I leaning back on my skates too far? Or leaning too far over them? When I came into that turn was my upper body in the right position? "Just be aware of why something didn't go right. It's not always going to be per- fect, but understand why and then try to learn from it and make the correction." SKATERS NEED COACHES There's a lot for play- ers—especially young players—to remember as they develop their skating habits and incorporate them into their overall game. Coaches can help. "Coaching, to me, is worth its weight in gold, especially at younger levels," Ness said. "When habits start to slip a little bit, you need a coach to regain those habits. The kids might not even know that they didn't shoulder check. They might not look to see where their winger is before getting the puck from their partner on a D -to-D pass." All it takes, Ness said, is a gentle reminder to stick with the good habits. You don't have to kill a drill to talk it out. PLAY LIKE THE PROS The best players have great habits. They skate the same way no matter the situa- tion. And their hockey habits go right with the skating habits. Wild captain Jared Spurgeon is a great example, Ness said. "Working with a guy like Jared Spurgeon, it's almost like you don't have to say any- thing because the habits are so ingrained," Ness said. "Every time he goes back to get a puck, he does a shoulder check. He looks over his shoulder to check." That includes practice and drills, Ness said. "If you're doing anything, do it like you would do it in a game: Keep your head up, bend your knees, have good stick position. For Spurgeon, it's the reps. It's one rep after another after another, and they all look exactly the same. It's just ingrained in him. ... Start focusing on the habits that are important if you want to play at a higher level." Keep your head on a swivel to stay one step ahead of your opponents.