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On the Pond with Dave Spehar

By Mark Burns, Special to Minnesota Hockey, 12/16/14, 11:15AM CST

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With a solid two months (likely more) of snow and below freezing temperatures ahead, it’s our time to shine. December, January and February are the months when we embrace who we are and the weather that makes people in other parts of the country cringe. This is pond hockey season. Or rink rat season. Or shinny season. Whatever you want to call it, this is our time, and it really belongs to the kids that get out to the local outdoor rink for some unstructured hockey.

That’s what Minnesota hockey legend Dave Spehar did almost every day possible growing up as a kid.  

We sat down with the Duluth youth hockey product, Duluth East legend and former Golden Gopher to talk about four of the many benefits to playing outdoor hockey.

1) Beauty of the Game  

Spehar said that playing on a sheet of outdoor ice brings you back to the purity of the game and the way it was meant to be played – with the snow, uneven ice, open scenery and of course, Mother Nature. The former University of Minnesota standout (1996-2000) cited a few NHL legends like Bobby Orr and Wayne Gretzky who spent a considerable amount of their youth exposed to the elements.

“It was a totally different landscape than it is today,” said Spehar, who added that all of his practices when he was younger were outside at Duluth’s picturesque Glen Avon rink. “… I am a firm believer in a sheet of outdoor ice and a kid that wants to be there. That’s the key.”

2) Creativity  

While structured practices with a lot of puck touches and games that focus on skating are paramount to a child’s development, so is having fun. On an outdoor rink, there’s no limit to what you can try, and more importantly, no rules. It’s about trying new things without having to worry about pleasing a parent or a coach.

“There is no doubt in my mind that if you love the game and spend time on outdoor rink, that’s where you turn into a hockey player,” Spehar said. “I’ve said it time and time again: I’ve never seen so many kids nowadays who can skate fast. …The game has never been faster at the youth level, and there’s never been more lack of creativity.”

Playing outside removes the structure from the game and allows youngsters to utilize their head, make plays with their hands and feet and learn from their

3) Fun

With access to free outdoor ice, players have the opportunity to skate for 30 minutes or three hours if they wish. Whether one is skating by himself or herself or with a group of 10 playing 5-on-5, ‘fun’ should be the main focus versus a structured environment. As Spehar reiterated, for those seven, eight, nine and 10 year olds, they’ll eventually play competitively at the youth level, maybe even into high school, juniors and perhaps, college.

Why not promote a laid-back atmosphere now? And what better way to achieve that than playing with friends or teammates outside under the lights, pretending you’re St. Louis Blues captain David Backes or Minnesota Wild forward Zach Parise. Those chilly nights and weekend days are the times you’ll look back on and wish you had more of.

4) Outdoor Games

Growing up outside, Spehar played countless made-up games on the ice and used different methods for improving his stickhandling and shooting. Using tennis balls, for example, forced him to concentrate more closely, which, in turn, sharpened his hand-eye coordination. Additionally, because of their size, golf balls can help players’ improve their stickhandling as well.

Breakaway contests, keep-away games and shooting at pucks on end until one last player survives are all worthwhile ways to spend an afternoon outdoors.

“It should be all about having fun, and if they’re passionate about something, everything will take care of itself,” Spehar said.

Send us your pond hockey photos on Twitter at @MinnHockey!

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