The Final Five
Some coaches literally can’t wait to see it. Some coaches count down to that moment. Some coaches endlessly plan for it. Some coaches study for it like a final exam. Some coaches try everything to keep the “right players” fresh until it’s time.
Minor hockey coaches love the “final five” of the game, that’s when they can “really” coach the way they want to…………….right?
Trust me, if you have coached, we have all been there. The final five provides some freedom and leeway to coaches to run their bench their way. Some associations allow the “final five” of every period while others just focus in on the waning moments of the game. We have all been there. We have all tried to load up our lines, pairings and units to ensure a victory in a tight game or to try to mount an epic late comeback.
The final five reveals a lot about the coach and the players. Now this might go against some thought processes out there, but the final five minutes isn’t where you will see the best coaching or “the coach” at their best. The best coaching comes well before the final five, when the coach prepares their team for anything and everything. The best coaching comes when the coach practices end of game tactics weeks before and gives every player in their group a chance to experience those scenarios.
That’s where you see the best coaching, not in the final five of a period or game. You might see the best players excel or you might see some players struggle in those instances. You might see some dejected players on the bench because they know full well, they won’t see any ice in the final five. You’re guaranteed to see pissed off parents either way.
The final five reveals a lot.
Don’t get me wrong the final five is exciting and very intriguing. The entire rink becomes electric in a tight game, the emotions are running high, at times the yelling and screaming hockey parents get even louder and more obnoxious. There’s nothing like the final five to raise even more questions about coaching decisions, player development, minor hockey itself and its culture.
Why did the coach choose the players they did for their final five? Do they always choose the same players no matter what type of game a player is having? Do they put forwards on the backend for the final five?
Do all of the players pass the puck in the final five? How does the group handle the pressure of the final five? How does the coach handle the pressure of the final five? What’s the bench like? Is it chaos down there or does it run like normal? How does the coach communicate to the group and individual players during the final five? Does the coach work on certain aspects or perhaps mistakes that were made in the final five at the next practice?
There’s nothing quite like a tight minor hockey game entering the final five, the entire rink and benches come alive. The final five reveals a lot about minor hockey, coaches, players and hockey culture in general, but I’m still not sold on the fact that there’s where the best coaching occurs. What does your final five look like?
