Hockey East Games Tonight/Camp News/New Programming

Congratulations Team USA, 2021 World Junior Champions

It is so hard to win a championship. From Mites to the NHL, I always say it. It takes a very special team of players, coaches, trainers, parents, families, video and tech support, office support, equipment support, and every volunteer and person behind the scenes. Every cog in the wheel goes into that championship win.

Many years of sacrifice go into that championship win. Many missed playdates, parties, vacations, time spent with friends and family. Many early morning and late night practices, travel to far away tournaments, disappointments, highs, lows, private lessons, skill sessions, camps, practices, tryouts, showcases, hours of practice on your own, financial commitments from family, ups and downs in your hockey path, twists and turns in your hockey path, great memories, great friends, great teammates, great mentors, great coaches, time spent on the bench, time spent on the ice in those clutch last few seconds of a game, unselfish play, playing through injuries, playing through illness, watching and analyzing games, mental toughness, grit, determination, and heart.

And to represent your country. Makes it even more special and prideful. That flag on your chest means something. Every player on that roster carried the weight of everyone who came before them and everyone back home watching. Loved watching you guys sing the national anthem arm in arm. Awesome. Congratulations Team USA 2021 IIHF World Junior Champions!

That kind of team chemistry does not happen by accident. It is built over years of shared work, shared struggle, and shared commitment to something bigger than any one player. When you watch a team like that celebrate, understand what you are really seeing. You are seeing the product of a thousand quiet decisions to keep going when it would have been easier to stop.

New Small Group Programming at Boch Arena

What This Program Is

We are launching new small group programming at Boch Arena on Sunday mornings at 7:30 am. Coach Marc Concannon will be running these sessions on the small sheet, with a maximum of seven players per group. This is a four-session program with a very specific focus: stick handling.

Not just stick handling in a general sense. This curriculum is about finite, precise stick handling skills that require real muscle memory built through repetition. We are training both micro and macro muscles. That means the small stabilizing muscles in your hands and wrists, not just the big movements you see on the surface. Most players never train at that level of detail. That is exactly why most players plateau.

How the Training Works

The concept here is simple. You go slow to master the skill correctly, then you add speed. This is the same principle behind how elite athletes in every sport develop precision skills. If you are rushing through reps with bad mechanics, you are just practicing mistakes. Slow it down, lock in the correct movement pattern, and then build the speed on top of a real foundation.

This program is also designed to push you outside your comfort zone. That is not a cliche. It means you will be asked to do things that feel awkward and difficult before they feel natural. That discomfort is the whole point. That is where real skill development lives.

Who This Program Is For

Think of this like a golf lesson. You are working individually against yourself. A Mite could be training on the small sheet right next to a player with professional experience, working through the same curriculum. The skill level does not matter as much as the attention to detail and the willingness to slow down and do the work correctly.

There is no contact in these sessions. The focus is entirely on you, your hands, your mechanics, and your repetitions.

Sessions run Sunday mornings from 7:30 to 8:30 am on the small sheet at Boch Arena. Seven players max. When those spots are gone, they are gone.

[View All Pro Ambitions Camps and Programs]

Frequently Asked Questions

Who is the small group stick handling program designed for?

This program is open to players of all skill levels and ages. The curriculum focuses on individual skill development, so a younger player and an experienced player can work through the same progressions side by side. What matters is your focus and your willingness to slow down and build the skill the right way. If you show up ready to work, this program will challenge you regardless of where you are in your development.

Why is the group size limited to seven players?

Seven players is the maximum because this is not a group skate. It is a precision skill session. Coach Concannon needs to be able to observe each player individually and make real-time corrections. When you pack too many players into a session like this, the coaching quality drops and players stop getting the individual attention that makes this type of training effective. Small groups are intentional.

What does training micro and macro muscles actually mean for stick handling?

Most players train the obvious movements. The big sweeps, the wide dekes, the full arm motion. Those are the macro movements. Micro muscle training focuses on the smaller stabilizing muscles in your hands, fingers, and wrists that control the fine details of puck control. When those smaller muscles are developed and coordinated with the larger ones, your hands become significantly quicker and more precise under pressure. It is the difference between just moving the puck and actually controlling it.

How is this different from a regular stick handling clinic?

A regular clinic gives you drills to run through at game speed. This program strips that back entirely. You are going slow, isolating movements, correcting mechanics, and building real muscle memory before speed is ever introduced. That process takes patience, but it produces a different level of skill than drilling at full speed with sloppy technique. If you want quick reps, there are plenty of options out there. If you want to actually change how your hands work, this is the program.