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By Herb Garbutt OAKVILLE BEAVER STAFF The rink was shrouded with a black curtain to keep the curious on-lookers to a minimum. Bright lights lit up the ice while a couple dozen hockey players ran through the Shake, Rattle & Roll, the Battle in the House and Gravy on the Side. They came away with some ideas on how to improve their game. Soon, the rest of the hockey-playing country will get to share in their secrets. For 48 hours last week, a Hockey Night in Canada (HNIC) production crew took over Rink 3 at the Sixteen Mile Sports Complex to film Hyundai Think Hockey. The two days worth of filming will eventually be broken into 30 one-minute segments hosted by local resident Ron MacLean to air during the game broadcasts this season. The 60-second spots will air during HNICs first com- mercial break each Saturday night and highlight a drill that encourages skill devel- opment. Though the early air time means the segments are obviously aimed at kids, MacLean says that everyone from coaches to rec hockey players can benefit from them. They talk about five million people (in Canada) playing, its not all in minor hockey, MacLean said. I play in a beer league at Canlan, my wife plays. None of us can get enough of it. And players of any age can benefit from the pointers dished out during the segments, getting the rare opportunity to get tips from the likes of Luke Schenn, Dale Hawerchuk, Ken Hitchcock, Kevin Weekes and Jennifer Botterill. Thursday afternoon, Schenn was showing players the finer points of shot blocking. Hockey Night in Canada ran a similar skills segment a few years ago and MacLean said he was disappointed when it wasnt renewed. Judging by the players who took part, the drills they took part in were a big hit. The drill where we broke out through the gate was good, said Zach Murray of Oakville. A lot of times in games you have to get back quick and (the drill) helps you keep the gap (between the defender and attacker) nice and tight. The rebound game we did will really help, said Matthew Barth, a goalie with the Oakville Rangers minor midget AE team. It makes you catch the puck more or drive it into the corner so you dont give up as many rebounds. The featured drills were created by Ron Davidson of UltraSkills Hockey. Joel Darling, director of partnerships and programming for CBC, said in addition to teaching skills, the drills are meant to be fun. Some are competitions, so you get points for doing cer- tain things, said Darling, who also resides in Oakville. You can have competitions, forwards against defenceman, and it makes it more interesting. A crew of 23 utilizing three cameras, including one perched on a boom, captured the on-ice action. Cameraman Zac Laszuk, who each year shoots the players as they cele- brate on-ice with the Stanley Cup, followed players with a handheld camera to get ice-level shots during the drills. And players got some insight into what goes into filming a one-minute segment. I thought it would happen a lot quicker, Murray said after he and the other players ran through multiple takes for each drill. You do about a half hour of shooting for 30 seconds, said Jared Chen. Actual filming time ran between 15-20 minutes for each minute but there was down time between takes. Not that the players minded all that much. Its been a lot of fun, Chen said. Theyve pampered us. In addition to the perks of meeting the guest instructors and being on TV, players were also outfitted with equipment from Reebok, CCM, Easton, Brians and Bauer. And once the segments start airing, hockey players will be the ones spoiled as theyll get pointers that can help them with their own game. MacLean said when the segments aired previously, his own team frequently discussed them. It hasnt helped us win any games, he said, but it sure makes for a good conversation at the Thirsty Penguin after the game. d Herb Garbutt can be followe on Twitter at @Herbgarbutt Sports 26 SPORTS EDITOR: JON KUIPERIJ Phone 905-845-3824 (ext. 432) Fax 905-337-5571 email sports@oakvillebeaver.com WEDNESDAY, SEPTEMBER 14, 2011 fLea s blueliner, HNIC host help players think hockey THINKING HOCKEY: Toronto Maple Leafs defenceman Luke Schenn (left) and longtime Hockey Night in Canada host Ron MacLean (right) visited Sixteen Mile Sports Complex last week to film segments for Hyundai Think Hockey spots that will air during HNIC broadcasts this season. Pictured interacting with Schenn and MacLean are Zach Murray (in white jersey) and Jared Chen. ERIC RIEHL / OAKVILLE BEAVER They talk about five million people (in Canada) playing, it's not all about minor hockey. I play in a beer league at Canlan, my wife plays. None of us can get enough of it. Hockey Night in Canada host Ron MacLean Victor Oreskovich will have a chance to help the Vancouver Canucks try to return to the Stanley Cup final. The 25-year-old local resident signed a one-year, two-way con- tract with the Canucks last week. Oreskovich, who was a restricted free agent with no arbitration rights, will make $605,000 if he plays in the National Hockey League next year and $105,000 if he plays in the minors. Oreskovich split last season between the Canucks and the American Hockey Leagues Manitoba Moose. The 6-foot-3, 225-pound forward earned three assists in 16 regular-season games for the Canucks, then suited up in 19 playoff contests as Vancouver reached the Cup final before falling in seven games to the Boston Bruins. Oreskovich back with Canucks