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HOT SHOTS LEOPOLD UNVEILS NEW HOPE RENOVATIONS Buffalo Sabres defenseman Jordan Leopold, product of the Armstrong Youth Hockey Association, helped unveil the massive upgrades and renovations to New Hope Ice Arena last month. The former Hobey Baker winner laced 'em up and participated in the open skate at his old rink, which now has several off-ice improvements, a new roof and two Freon- based ice systems that should decrease environmental impacts and cost. SWEDISH BULLDOG Months after being named the 2012 Hobey Baker Award winner, former UMD Bulldog and Duluth Amateur Hockey Association product Jack Connolly signed a professional contract with Farjestad BK of the Swedish Elite League. It took him 1:56 to score his NEW YEAR, NEW LOOK The Upper Midwest High School Elite Hockey League made national headlines after releasing their new, European-style uniforms for the 2012 season. The new design, produced by Gemini Athletic Wear, incorporates company logos which were sold to increase revenue. "We've been discussing (this) for a few years because in order for us to generate more substantial sponsorship revenue we needed to develop inventory that was going to be attractive to corporate Minnesota," Elite League Marketing Specialist Robert Fallen said. Six teams are sporting corporate sponsors, including Luther Automotive, Muscle Milk, Mpls. St. Paul Magazine, Velocity Hockey Center, TCF Bank and Starkey. first goal and he would add another in the second period to lead Farjestad to a 5-2 season-opening victory. HOCKEY'S LONELY AMERICAN Present-day fans take for granted the IMPROVE YOUR PASSING SKILLS! with HockeyShot.com ADVERTORIAL "YOU CANNOT SKATE AS FAST AS YOU CAN PASS." Coaches say that all the time. And what they mean is, no matter how fast you skate with the puck, the puck travels faster on its own—after a nice, crisp, firm pass. (In fact, it probably moves faster than you can skate after a crummy pass.) Since passing is so key to a team sport like ice hockey, you can't practice making accurate, well-timed passes enough. Fortunately, it's easy to practice your passing off ice. "A good hockey player plays where the puck is. A great hockey player plays where the puck is going to be." —Wayne Gretzky ACCURACY…I want to practice my passing at home, but I don't have anyone to pass to because nobody in my family or neighborhood plays hockey. Any ideas? What you need is a puck rebounder, which is basically a rubber band attached to a 04 Kit, One-Timer Passer, PassMaster, etc.) shooting pad. You have various options, some of which are attached to or come with a shooting pad. You can practice passing over and over— without chasing down pucks or listening to complaints from a pass recipient. Options include: • HockeyShot Extreme Passing Kit: One-Timer Model or Bungee Cord Model • One-Timer Passer or PassMaster AGILITY…How can my daughter practice catching passes— whether hard or soft, accurate MINNESOTAHOCKEYJOURNAL.COM // OCTOBER.2012 or wild—without being at the rink all the time? Ever heard a coach say, "It's your job to make the good pass. It's the other guy's responsibility to catch it"? Obviously, though, you are often that other guy— and you have to catch the pass whether it's a good one or not. So how can you practice everything from that beautiful tape-to-tape pass to the wild thing you need to dive for? Options include: • Try any of the puck rebounders listed above (Extreme Passing POWER…My son's passes are super accurate but not hard enough to make their destination. How can he increase his passing strength? Strong hands are key to passing, stickhandling and shooting—all the essentials of hockey except for skating. (And hey, you need strong hands to tie those skates!) To increase hand strength and make stronger passes, try: • Stick weights such as Complete Shot Stick Weight Training System • Weighted stick such as the PowerBlade • Weighted blade such as the Ultimate Hockey Training Blade • Weighted pucks from 10 oz to 2 pounds For more information on this and other top hockey training aids, visit HockeyShot.com. Minnesotan and American presence in the NHL, but that was far from the case in the days of the storied Original Six. The 1950s marked a low point in the state's and nation's contribution to major league hockey. Once Frank Brimsek retired TAGLINE GOES HERE NEWS + NOTES FROM THE STATE OF HOCKEY