Off-seanson On Dry Land
Improving ones hockey skills does not always entail practicingdrills on the ice. There are always some practice time away fromthe rink that can enhance your ability for when you are on theice and moving at full speed. A couple of critical aspects ofstick handling is the ability to control the puck through yourperipheral sight and feel; with the feel of the puck on thestick being the most important aspect because it enables you toconcentrate your vision on watching out for where you areheaded, as well as for where your teammates are at on the ice. Afew of these drills might seem improbable of enhancing yourskill but the drills are designed for repetition of movementwhich forms a foundation for your hand-to-eye coordination.

An example of a short drill as noted by Mike Hartman and SamMercurio in ‘STAY IN SHAPE BUT HAVE FUN’ is to “work on littlethings like stickhandling. Take out a golf ball and stickhandlein the driveway for an hour or so. Controlling the golf ballwill further enhance your hand-eye coordination and, again, youwill be amazed at the difference when you step back onto the icein the fall” (www.hockeycoach.com). For all practical purposes,all you need for stick handling improvement is your hockey stickand something to hit. Common choices for something to hit canbe: golf ball (as stated before), tennis ball, roller hockeyball or puck, racket or hand ball, or any comparable sizedobject in your vicinity. Balls tend to work the best for drillsoff the ice because the ball naturally returns to the shooter,depending on where you are practicing.

Another fun drill to practice is to take a hockey stick, atennis ball wrapped in 1-layer of hockey tape to lessen thebounce, a brick wall, and something to mark the wall with. Chalkcan be used on the wall, but you do not want someone accusingyou off graffiti; therefore, it is best to take some hockey tapeand stick it on the wall. If you want the exact dimension of aregulation goal, 72″x48″ what most goals opening are scaled at;however, for your purposes, just put a large rectangle of tapeon the wall with the corners marked as targets. Try to copy thedimensions in this diagram. Another idea is to transpose thisdiagram onto a piece of plywood, which can be transported towhere you want to practice.
Once you have this shooting target, you can begin to repeatedshoot for the corners with your various shots. A way for you tosee where your shots hit is to dampen the wrapped ball withwater,
which should leave a water mark where it hits; the wateralso adds to the ball’s weight since it is not as heavy as anice puck. This drill should not be rushed because you want toassign a number of direct hits to each corner triangle (15 percorner) before shooting at the next corner. The higher thenumber of direct hits you assign to each corner will graduallylead to an increase of your hand-to-eye coordination because youare not just haphazardly shooting at a goal. You need to takeyour time to aim at each target mentally, locate the ball, andthen shoot at the target while your is head up looking at it.Hitting the corner successfully while your head is up will alsoincrease your confidence and feel for shooting by relying onyour peripheral vision. You can call it looking out of thecorner of you eyes, or how you see the ice.

Battling the off season blues should not be wasted by layingaround watching TV or playing video games. You could take theinitiative to improve your stickhandling and shooting aim bypracticing these fun, basic fundamental drills mentioned in thisarticle. You could come up with a new drill of your own thatbuilds your own confidence. The main point is to take somequality time in practicing stickhandling and shooting. The moreoften you practice, the easier and more natural handling a ballor puck will become to you. The benefits you will receive fromthis diligent practice will be realized when you return to theice for the beginning of next season. Your teammates will bereally pleased that you took the time off the ice and used it toyour and their advantage.

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Toronto Tourist Destinations
As the largest city in Canada, Toronto sees an incredible number of visitors to the city each year. There is something in Toronto for everyone, including cultural areas, historic landmarks and neighbourhoods, amusement, and live entertainment. Here is a quick look at some of the more popular attractions in the city of Toronto.
Canadian Culture
Toronto is home to one of the six original hockey teams in the National Hockey League, and perhaps the most storied of them all. The Toronto Maple Leafs play at the Air Canada Centre, and fans of hockey from all over have to catch at least one game here when they visit, even if they are rooting for the visitors.

Toronto is also appropriately the home of the Hockey Hall of Fame, which moved to a new building in 1993. This is sacred ground for any serious hockey fan, showcasing the very best players in the world and including displays such as memorabilia and of course the Stanley Cup. Visitors can also take part in the many interactive displays the Hall has to offer.

Queen Street is located within one of the most attractive neighbourhoods in Toronto for tourists. The entire street is generally hopping during the week, as people take in the architecture and unique shops that Toronto has to offer. Anchoring the display is the CHUM building, which houses many of Canada’s hippest television networks, including MuchMusic. If you’re lucky, the building might be hosting one of the network’s famous Intimate and Interactive specials with a good musical guest; they always include street portions in these shows as well as live performances.

History and Landmarks

Toronto is home to some of the most amazing buildings in Canada, each with a story, some of which go back to the creation of the nation. One of the best places to go of course are the Provincial Legislature Buildings, located at Queen’s Park.

Other landmarks in Toronto include the huge Casa Loma, which is located just off Spadina Road. This incredible structure was actually built to be the largest residence in Canada, but the excesses of building eventually caused the investor, Sir Henry Mill Pellatt (who also developed historic neighbourhoods such as Rosedale) to go into bankruptcy. Another historic building is Union Station, a transportation hub, on Front Street.

Toronto is also the home of several museums. The Royal Ontario Museum is undergoing renovations, and houses several unique displays that all visitors will find appealing, including art, dinosaurs, and visual displays of aspects of Canadian and European history. Toronto also offers a unique experience for those who like footwear at the Bata Shoe Museum.

These are just a few of the many tourist hot spots that can be fond in Toronto. Canada’s Wonderland, just a few miles north, Ontario Place, and Centre Island are all great places that offer opportunities for entertainment in the summer months. In short, Toronto is a place that is guaranteed to keep tourists of all tastes busy for their entire trip.