🏒 What does your player know before they ever touch the puck?
That question is at the heart of hockey IQ — and in this special edition of Our Kids Play Hockey, Lee Elias and Mike Bonelli are joined by former NHL defenseman Andrew “Albe” Alberts, who played more than 450 NHL games and now works with the NHL Sense Arena team, to break down one of the simplest and most important habits in the game: shoulder checking.
It may sound basic, but knowing what’s behind you before you get to the puck can completely change what happens next. A good shoulder check helps players recognize pressure, identify open ice, protect themselves, create more time and space, and make a better first play.
And as Albe explains, this isn’t just a skill for defensemen — or even just for older players. It’s a fundamental habit that can help players at every position and every age become faster thinkers and more confident decision-makers.
🔥 In this episode, you’ll learn:
👀 Why shoulder checking is one of the foundations of hockey IQ
🧠 How scanning the ice helps players create more time and space
🏒 The three key steps young players can use when retrieving a puck
⚡ Why knowing your next option before touching the puck speeds up your game
🛡️ How shoulder checks can help players protect themselves from pressure
🎯 Why repeatedly throwing the puck away often starts with a lack of information
📈 How coaches can progressively teach puck retrieval and awareness
🔁 Why repetition is essential for building good habits — and breaking bad ones
🥅 How NHL Sense Arena creates game-like reps for scanning, reading pressure, and making decisions
One of Albe’s biggest messages for young players is also one of the easiest to remember:
Shoulder check more than you think you need to.
The habit of looking before you arrive at the puck gives you information — and information gives you options.
This episode launches a monthly hockey IQ series powered by NHL Sense Arena, designed to give hockey families one practical concept at a time that players can understand, practice, and take directly into their game.
🎧 Listen together with your player, talk about what they see on the ice, and challenge them to start building the habit of looking before the puck arrives.
Learn more about NHL Sense Arena at hockey.sensearena.com/OKPH.
📖 Want a written version you can reference anytime? Check out our companion blog: The Hockey IQ Habit Every Young Player Should Learn: Why Shoulder Checking Changes the Game
If this episode helped your hockey family, make sure to like, subscribe, and share Our Kids Play Hockey with another parent, player, or coach.
#YouthHockey #HockeyIQ #HockeyDevelopment #HockeyParents #HockeyTraining #ShoulderCheck #HockeySkills #SenseArena #NHLSenseArena #HockeyCoaching #PlayerDevelopment #OurKidsPlayHockey
Have A Topic You Want Us To Cover? Let us know!
Please Be Sure To Subscribe & Leave A Review For Us On Apple Podcasts, doing so helps our show grow!
Follow Us On Social Media:
Facebook Group
X
YouTube