Can Barbara Underhill help the Leafs glide into the playoffs?
When Paul Martini was spinning her in the air at the world figure skating championships and Winter Olympics in the 1980s, the last place Barbara Underhill thought she would land was with the Toronto Maple Leafs.
But the former world champion has been brought into the Leafs’ camp to help young players get better at the most basic element of both sports: skating.
“It wasn’t something I went out and went after. It sort of came to me,” Underhill said of a gradual move into professional coaching. “I love being on the ice. I love skating. I love figuring out the science of skating, figuring out how to generate power and speed.”
She’ll combine what she’s learned as a figure skater, broadcaster and hockey mom in this new role — officially the Maple Leafs’ skating consultant.
“Every player is different,” she said. “I spend time one-on-one with the players to figure out how to get them stronger, faster, more in balance. We work on every aspect of skating. It’s extremely individual. I do a lot of video analysis. I break down the player’s stride. I work on the finest detail to make them quicker, faster.”
