BLOG: Making Sense of Hockey Sense

We hear about it all the time around the rink when people describe and analyze players.  Unfortunately, the hockey market is oversaturated with clichés and buzzwords that misrepresent players all the time.

What is hockey sense? Why do we feel so compelled to label or mislabel players because of it? Are players more intelligent now then they were in the past?

You don’t have to watch a game for too long to pick out the select few players that have a high hockey IQ… or do you? It all depends on how you truly analyze the game; is it the winger that makes a nice play off the half boards for a clean breakout, or the defenseman that makes a solid first pass who is playing smarter?

We have overused the term so much that we think that it takes phenomenal hockey sense for players to pull some plays off. Sure, it takes skill and repetition, but most plays should be entrenched in a player’s DNA from the time they laced them up in youth hockey.

So how do we classify hockey sense, or a high hockey IQ?

For me, if a player can see the game two plays ahead, is spatially aware and can recognize where his opponents and teammates are at any given time on the ice, and can process all of that at top speed, he possesses a high hockey IQ.

Are players in this era smarter? Can hockey sense be taught?

One thing is clear: the junior game is a lot faster than it used to be, and players have to process the game differently. That is when a player with great hockey sense usually stands out right away.

I believe hockey sense can be taught. But the real question that should be asked is; is it being taught, developed and emphasized enough at the youth hockey levels? It’s clear the QMJHL is producing quality players and the overall skill level in the league is very high, but it could perhaps be better is players learned more of the fundamentals early on in their careers.

So what sets players apart? That’s easy: skill, speed and… hockey sense!

It’s not difficult to see who the best and most complete players are in the QMJHL because their skill is on display every shift. But it’s the future NHL stars that will go above and beyond the basics. Those players have an uncanny ability of playing the game, and thinking the game, on an entirely different level.

Nico Hischier was a perfect example of this last season. If Hischier was struggling offensively, he would make an outstanding defensive play that left you in awe. That’s the wow factor NHL scouts are looking for in a player.

Scouts see the game differently; they break down the player’s subtle nuances and analyze every aspect of their game. At the forefront of every scout’s analysis and projection in the game today are two intangibles: can the player skate? And can he think the game at the next level?

There are quite a few current up-and-coming QMJHL players that standout in those two areas. I first saw Alexis Lafrenière (Rimouski) and Samuel Poulin (Sherbrooke) play at the QMJHL Combine in Blainville, Quebec, last April. They stood out for a number of reasons, but it was their understanding of the game and their awareness on the ice that jumped out at me right away.

The third overall pick in last June’s QMJHL Entry Draft, Jakob Pelletier (Moncton) is another player who displays an innate ability to read, analyze, slow down or speed up the game when he has the puck on his stick.  Pelletier, along with Poulin and Lafrenière, is a special player who possesses tremendous individual skill. When matched with their high hockey sense and IQ, they all display a lethal combination.

Sure, hockey sense can be taught through practices. It can be honed and refined with video analysis. But when it comes naturally, it’s truly a sight to behold and appreciate!