Dan Replies:
Dear C.D.This is an important question for young players and we devote a whole chapter in our kids' book to it. Perhaps the most important thing your player can do is see this as a "longtime winger set free in a centerman's position" rather than thinking of it as a "longtime winger now trapped in a centerman's position". This because the centerman has more responsibilities (which should be read "opportunities") in the game. In this regard, I would take it as a compliment if my coach thought that I had the ability to move from wing to center.
Generally, as a centerman he now has the responsibility to go down low in the defensive end, a place he may be unfamiliar with. Any time you have to go to a place that's unfamiliar, you feel uncertain, that's natural. He should find out from his coach what's expected of him because different coaches have different expectations and systems. Then do what's asked aggressively. Don't be afraid of making mistakes, hockey is not a perfect game and he should not err on the side of being timid.
As to specific tips I can offer: first, there are about 70 face-offs in a game. Any one centerman will be charged with winning about 25 of them. So learn how to win face-offs. Q&A #77 is devoted to tips on winning face-offs. This is a very important part of the game and a good face-off centerman can make the difference in a game. One of the reasons Bob Corkum (a former teammate of mine on the Kings) has remained in the NHL is his ability to win face-offs.
Second, in a real sense, the centerman is the quarterback of the team. So the centerman should be a keen student of the game because he has the whole ice to be concerned about and he must learn when and where to go after and move the puck - to read defenses like a quarterback. To learn about the game, I have two suggestions. First, there is an excellent interactive CD put out by Axia (it's offered in the Learning Aids section of the web site), that goes into depth on the role of each player including the centerman. It covers positional play and responsibilities in each area of the ice and in each situation from ace-offs to offense and defensive play. It goes into far more detail than I can here and it's done very well. Check it out.
Also, in this regard, I'd tune in to the NHL games broadcast in your area and don't watch the game... watch the centerman. As Yogi Berra said, "You can observe a lot by watching."
Further, as a rule of thumb, the centerman has the responsibility to chase the puck. And that's what most of us play the game to do. It's just that wingers and defensemen have defined areas of the ice. The centerman is free to be more aggressive and free-wheeling than the other players who are trapped by their need to be aware of zone play. I'd call that an opportunity.
Lastly, two of my very good friends in the NHL, Ken Klee (D-man with the Caps) and Steve McKenna (LW with the Wild) both have had their careers made possible or lengthened because they could play different positions. Both of them were D-men who either made or stayed in the NHL because they could play both D and forward. I have played center, left and right wing in the Show. So it doesn't hurt to learn to play more than one position. I think you understand the game better, it makes you better at your preferred position, and you become more valuable to your coach... which doesn't hurt anyone.
FROM JAY: Further to the answer Dan had to your question, we received the following P.S. on an email yesterday and asked and received permission to pass this along to you. It's from an attorney in Chicago who has played and coached and whose thoughtfulness and advice we respect.
"P.S. Keep reminding the kids to always look for a way to turn life's twists and turns to their own advantage. By way of example, I have 2 players (1 being my own son) that were life-long defensemen who were told that they would never make juniors because they are too small. They're attempting to increase their chances by switching to forward and are trying to master new positions as midgets. It seemed natural to give them a very prominent penalty killing role. Killing 50 of 52 shorthanded situations (while picking up a shorthanded goal), and being top +/- players, caught the attention of the local junior coach. They are now getting a reasonable look (being scouted). To their credit, both are putting up above average point totals by making good use of their skills at passing through traffic and grinding things out along the boards (that they learned to do well as defensmen)."
Concrete examples of what Dan was saying about your "winger trapped" vs "winger set free..."
To which I would add that outcomes are determined more by attitude than by circumstance.
