Young hockey players pick up finer points from Daryl Evans
BURBANK — A large throng of aspiring hockey players sat on the boards in front of the bench at Pickwick Ice Arena in their full equipment.
Some in the group tapped their wooden sticks against the boards while the white Zamboni completed its final lap around the resurfaced ice. Once the machine left, many of the 25-30 participants attending the week-long Los Angeles Kings Hockey School Sniper Camp jumped on to the ice for a few minutes of stretching before they were greeted by former Kings player Daryl Evans for an in-depth shooting clinic.
Then the action began to unfold in front of the net with Evans, who played for Los Angeles, the Washington Capitals and Toronto Maple Leafs, diligently providing demonstrations on the proper way to stick handle and shoot. Evans, now a radio commentator for the Kings, took several slap and wrist shots before the campers took their turn completing the drill.
The participants, ages 8-13, got in on the act with some of the shots striking the posts or hitting the back of the net.
“We get them going with some aerobics drills off the ice, so they come on to the ice coordinated,” said Evans, who was drafted by Los Angeles in 1980 and scored the winning goal in overtime to complete “The Miracle on Manchester” during the third game of a best-of-five first-round playoff series against the Wayne Gretzky-led Edmonton Oilers in 1982. “They come on to the ice focused and ready to work on stick handling, passing and shooting.
“There’s a little bit more of an emphasis on the wrist shot, which is very important. There’s a different skill set for each person, but they pick up on things quickly. It’s got a lot to do with repetitions.”
The 5-foot-8 Evans, 55, collected 22 goals and 30 assists for 52 points in 113 career games between 1981-87. Evans received assistance from former NHL player Kyle Calder, who registered 294 points while playing for the Chicago Blackhawks, Philadelphia Flyers, Detroit Red Wings, Los Angeles and the Anaheim Ducks between 1999-2010, and several other instructors.
Following a water break, the campers skated on one of the blue lines around several traffic cones before breaking to the net and launching shots on goal.
“We explain to them the first day what we’ll be covering,” said Evans, a native of Toronto. “By the end of the week, if they can take just one thing that we’ve gone over, then it’s like winning the lottery. They’ll become that much more confident.”
The clinic, which attracted participants from across the Los Angeles area, began Monday and concluded Friday.
Caithness McLean, 8, said learning from Evans was a boon.
“He’s excellent and showing us the right way to do things and he wants you to do well,” said McLean, a resident of Valencia. “He’s talked about how you have to work hard.
“Right now, I’m trying to develop my shot more. There are different things you can do better. I’m trying to work on my wrist shot.”
Aaron Karns of Beverly Hills attended the camp for the second time to brush up in several areas.
“It’s really cool to be able to go out there and keep learning something each day,” Karns, 8, said. “If you can do the drills right, then you are doing a good job. I’m always trying to find ways to get better.”
The camp also touched on offensive-zone passing drills, rebounds and skill competitions. Similar camps have been held throughout the year by Evans in Los Angeles, Palm Springs, Simi Valley and other locations.
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Charles Rich, charles.rich@latimes.com
Twitter: @TCNCharlesRich
