Our Mission - Developing Elite Players and Building Winning Teams
Photo Tobi-Lynne P. Payne
Unlike the North American model that focuses on selecting already high-performing athletes, we believe in the potential of every player. We support young athletes from the very beginning to develop complete hockey players, fully prepared to reach their long-term goals.
BZ Hockey Club is not limited to individual development. Building strong teams capable of competing and excelling in various North American leagues is also a core part of our mission.
Professional Player Development Methodology
Our method:
- Is based on over 30 seasons of observation and analysis of hockey at all levels and age groups.
- Develops all aspects of the player’s performance in an integrated way.
- Guarantees 100% results for any athlete with average or above-average abilities, good health, and a commitment to giving 100% effort and motivation.
- Represents a synergistic synthesis of American, Canadian, and Soviet hockey schools.
Foundations of our methodological approach:
- Analysis and breakdown of the game into fundamental components .
- Biomechanical analysis of basic movements .
- Selection of the most effective exercises from various hockey schools to develop technical skills and movement patterns, with modern updates and adjustments based on a systematic and analytical approach .
- Practical application of these exercises with ongoing monitoring of their effectiveness in real-game situations .
- Performance tracking based on the athlete’s progression, with adaptations according to age and stage of development .
Some of the key drills from our training method
Exercise: “Ladder + Tennis Ball”
This exercise, among many others offered in our program, serves multiple purposes:
- Repeated foot movements on the ladder placed on the ground help develop motor skills—specifically, the coordination between the intended movement and its actual execution by the body.
- The leg movements stimulate comprehensive muscle engagement, which is necessary to automate essential player movements. This improves precision and speed when skating on the ice.
- Simultaneously with the leg work, arm movements train the brain to manage two processes at once. In a game situation, this could translate to handling the puck while making a tactical decision, or overcoming an obstacle while preparing for a shot on goal. This “separates” mental processes, improving the quality and speed of decision-making, and enhances the effectiveness of actions.
- Working with a fast-moving tennis ball develops focus on rapidly moving objects and helps increase the duration of peak concentration.
- It also improves eye mobility and the speed at which visual information is processed by the brain.
Every exercise we offer has stood the test of time. They are designed to be both effective and multitasking.
Drill: "Advanced Figure Eight"
This is one of the most effective drills for developing performance in tactical game situations (for example, net-front play).
The advanced figure eight helps to:
- Improve puck control by relying on the feel of the puck’s weight on the blade, without constant visual tracking.
- Develop agility and edge work in tight spaces.
- Train the brain to quickly and precisely manage two complex tasks at once: puck handling and skating.
- Build aerobic endurance during high-intensity, high-focus movement.
- Combine all of the above into one highly efficient drill that helps shape a complete and successful hockey player.
Personalized On-Ice Training
Off-ice training services
How was the "BZ hockey" program developed?
- 2008-2009: Work in Europe, gaining an understanding of the Eastern European approach to developing hockey players.
- 2010: The year our club was founded.
- 2010-2012: The search for knowledge in the Canadian approach to athlete development through training with renowned coaches - Anna Shcherbatova, Bobby Dollas, Igor Chinyaev, Daniel Morua, Turkott, and practices with Hockey Quebec.
- 2012-2015: Building our own comprehensive strategic approach that combines European and high-tech Canadian-American approaches to training hockey players, both forwards and goaltenders.
- 2015-2025: Successful use of the BZ hockey program for developing successful young hockey players.
