Beck is Back
“Play physical, this is hockey!” Barry Beck, wearing his usual no.5 jersey, commands his young players in Team Principal during a briefing prior to their second appearance in the Principal Standard League against the NAB BushRangers.
“Play physical, this is hockey!” Barry Beck, wearing his usual no.5 jersey, commands his young players in Team Principal during a briefing prior to their second appearance in the Principal Standard League against the NAB BushRangers.
Beck, captained the New York Rangers for 5 years in the 80’s, is the player-coach of Team Principal in the Standard League. “I have seen some of these young lads from the first day they put on their skates, they are all from the Hong Kong Academy of Ice Hockey (HKAIH) junior programmes”. “The Standard League is the first time they have to play checking and they need time to adjust their mind and playing habits, with me playing with them on the ice, I hope they can accelerate the process,” said Beck. The Canadian is also a first-timer in the Standard League since his first arrival to Hong Kong.
Principal lost to NAB BushRangers by 1 : 8.
“As a coach I want my players to know that they have to battle for every square inch of ice for 60 minutes. If you’re not ready to do that then you’re in the wrong sport.
They have to be committed from start to finish as the game will have many momentum swings. Tuesday night we played 15 minutes of hockey. We won’t win many games this way.
When Thomas Wu sets up the HKAIH the objective is very clear and that is to promote ice hockey to locals, we won’t change this DNA during our cultivation.
Team Principal has to do the simple plays well to stay close in the game. Many of the players do not have the natural instinct of the game so you must be good doing the little things and communicate well. Individual play will not take you very far although you do need big plays. They must continue to use all their teammates on the ice and have consistent shifts,”