RHA Hockey Academy
WE BUILD PRO PLAYERS
RHA Hockey skills development system is based on the playing experience of professional players and integrates the fundamental principles of the North American, European, and Russian hockey schools. It is designed specifically to teach players how to apply skills under pressure and to transfer it to the game.
PRO coach — Alex Ivanov
To Become a PRO Work With PRO
Right demonstration is one of the most important factor in skills development. Alex Ivanov is a head instructor, founder of RHA hockey Academy and Drill2Skill off ice skills development App. He brings 12 years of professional hockey experience from the top leagues in Europe and Russia and integrate it in RHA system to help players achieve peak performance.
Read more about Alex Ivanov
Education
• Masters in Physical Education — National University of Physical Education and Sport
• Specialization “Professional and Olympic Athletic Hockey Skill Development”
• Russian Hockey School “Spartak” Moscow
Alex’s Mission
With the benefits of sport education, personal experience and consistent research Alex Ivanov’s High Performance Training provides a two step development system that includes well rounded hockey skills development and teaches players to apply their skills under pressure in game situations. To help young athletes get to the highest level possible and elite athletes to achieve peak performance.
Unique Skills Development Philosophy
Alex’s integrated program focuses on enhancing an athlete’s strengths and correct their weaknesses. Alex Ivanov has dedicated himself to providing the first unique hockey skills developing program that combines North American, European & Russian hockey game styles to exceed a player’s potential by mastering a variety of different skills. Utilizing analysis of skating, puck control, shooting, compete level and hockey IQ provides a highly effective program designed for each player to meet his individual needs. Alex’s primary goal is to educate his students in a manner that will allow them to achieve success in hockey and in their everyday lives. For players with the passion and strong desire to learn, RHA is committed to helping these players reach their full potential.
Teams and Achievements:
1985-1996 Russian Hockey School “Spartak” Moscow
1996-1997 HC “Spartak-2” / MHL Russian Elite League
1997-1998 HC “Spartak” Moscow, MHL Russian Elite League
1998-1999 HC “Nitra”, SVK Junior Elite League / Best Goal Scorer
1999-2000 HC “Nitra”, SVK Elite League
2000-2001 HC “Chicago Steel” and “Bismarck Bobcats”, USA USHL
2001-2002 HC “Litvinov”, CZE Elite League
2002-2003 HC “Metallurg-2” Novokuznetsk, MHL
2002-2003 First Place Russian Championship / Best Goal Scorer
2003-2005 HC “SKA” St.-Petersburg, KHL
2005-2006 HC “Gomel”, Belarus Elite League / Player of the Month, January
2007-2008 HC “Vadeko Flyers” Heerenveen, DEL
2007-2008 “RBK” Player of the Month December, Best Goal Scorer
Coaches:
Yaroslavtsev Victor
Forward
Legend of Hockey Club “Spartak” Moscow
HC “Spartak” Moscow 1961-1973
USSR National Champion 1962, 1967, 1969
USSR National Cup 1970, 1971
USSR National Team 1964-1967
World Champion 1967
European Champion 1967
Pervukhin Vasiliy
Defence
HC “Dynamo” Moscow 1976-1989
USSR National Team 1977-1987
Super Series 1976-1980
Challenge Cup 1979
European Champion 8 times
World Champion 6 times
Olympics Silver 1980
Olympics Gold 1984
Work with organizations:
• Head Coach 2010 Mississauga Senators (GTHL)
• Jiri Fischer — (Detroit Red Wings Development Coach)
• Ken Strong — (Toronto Malboros / Red Bull Austria Development Coach)
• Alex Andjelic — (Toronto Marlies Development Coach)
• Rick Vaive — (Former NHL Player Toronto Maple Leafs)
• Steve Staios — (Player Development Adviser for the Toronto Maple Leafs)
• David Nemirovsky — (Former NHL Player Florida Panthers/ KHL Russia)
• Top Shelf — (NHL Agency)
• BTNL — (Beyond The Next level) Off ice
• Head Skills Coach for Applewood Coyotes Organization
Skills are crucial
Don’t Limit Your Potential
With hockey continually growing as a sport, there is a greater degree of competition among hockey players. Details become more scrutinized by scouts and coaches. Bad technique leads to unnecessary energy loss, limits a player’s performance and potential.
Technical mistakes that limit performance
Proper hockey fundamentals are a key in achieving top performance. Bad technique leads to wasted energy and limits player’s advanced skills development. Also it is very important to build fundamentals in younger players because it is hard to fix bad technique when it has become a habit.
Most common mistakes among young players that limit performance
Technical mistakes
CORRECT IT
Stance:
• hockey stance too high
• knee bend in
• back is arched
• shoulder hunched over
• head is down
Skating:
• half stride — not full extension on a skating stride
• tendency to pop up as come out of the turn
• tendency to pop up after each stride
• no toe-flick at the end of the stride
• narrow strides
• wrong stride mechanic when skating
• weak outside edge control
• cannot execute quick transition from inside to outside edge (slide turns)
Hands and puck control:
• top hand elbow too high
• over stickhandling
• slow puck receiving and handle
• slow shot preparation
Ignored fundamental skills
LEARN IT
• east-west movement to beat opponent
• offensive gap control
• defensive gap control
• stick use and positioning while playing without the puck
• skating and stickhandling coordination
• playing with speed changes
• accelerating after making a move
• transition in one on one battles
• independence of work of hands and legs (coordination & balance)
RHA Development System
Raise Your Game
To become a PRO player you need to achieve a certain skill level to perform in high intensity, pressured and fast games. At RHA we develop players with maximum efficiency using RHA skills development system.
View RHA development system
RHA development system:
• Evaluation skate
• All rounded skills development
• Game styles combination
• Increasingly challenging phases (levels)
• Applying skills under pressure
• Player’s skills level match
• Small groups
• Maximum attention to details
• Personal correction
• Skills development App
• Off ice
RHA training process:
• Theory, Tutorial and Practice
• Demonstration
• Step-by-step detailed explanation of each exercise
• Maximum correction
• Focused attention to performance
• Application to game situations
Evaluation skate
Reveal Weak and Strong Sides
All Players are unique. To reach their full potential, player needs to enhance their strengths and correct their weakness. That is why we always start with evaluation to find out a player’s strong and weak sides and to provide a highly effective program designed for each player to meet his or her individual needs.
Allrounded Focus
Developing All Components
Read more about RHA service
On ice development focus
Hands
Shooting
Passing
Powerskating
Legs
Battles
Game
Hands:
• European Puck Skills Development
• Fakes & Dekes
• Top Hand Stickhandling & Strength
• Stickhandling Stations
• Puck Protection Stickhandling Skills
• Skating & Stickhandling
• Stickhandling Circuit
• Use of Deception of upper and lower body
• Tight Area Stickhandling
• Dexterous, Quickness & Explosiveness
• Under Pressure
Shooting
• Stationary Shooting
• Skating & Shooting
• Shooting in Stride
• Crossover Shot
• Slide Turn Shots
• Quick & Power Shots
• Backhand Shots
• Skating, Deking & Shooting
• Shifting & Shooting
• Reading, Choosing & Scoring
• Shooting Through Screen
• One Timer Slap & Snap Shots
• Positional Scoring
• Timing — Scoring
• Quick Release
• Under Pressure
Powerskating
• Speed Chute
• Resistance & Over Speed
• Multidirectional Explosiveness & Speed
• Quick Feet & Acceleration
• Speed Change
• Explosive Crossovers
• Stride Acceleration
• East-West Acceleration
• Explosive Slide Turns
• Generating Speed in Tight Area
• Outside to Inside Edge Acceleration
Legs
• Skating & Stride Mechanics
• Single Leg Stride
• European Power Skating & Edge Control
• Single Leg Edges
• Inside & Outside Edge Transition
• Forwards & Backwards Crossovers
• Forwards & Backwards Transition
• Single Leg Balance, Agility & Strength
• Coordination & Quick Reaction
• East—West Movement
• Tight Area Movement
• Weight Transfer & Shifting
• Lateral Movement
• Under Pressure
Battles
• Open Ice
• Through Traffic
• O/D Body Position
• Taking The Puck Away
• Proper Stick Work
• Tight Area
• Along The Board
• In The Corners
• Creating Space & Time
• Body Checking
• Driving to The Net
• Under Pressure
Game:
• Combining All Six Skills
• Game Situations
• Taking Away Space & Time
• Reading The Game
• Making Properly Decisions
• Creating Position & Timing
• Making Quick Decisions
• Under Pressure
• Compete
• Skating Ability
• Hockey IQ
Passing & Receiving:
• Skating Passing & Receiving
• Skating & Stretch Passes
• Give and Go Passing & Receiving
• Receiving the Puck of the Skate
• Forehand & Backhand Saucer Passing
• Backhand Passing & Receiving
• Receiving On/Off The Board
• One Touch Passing & Receiving
• Under Pressure
Game style combination
Get advantage on the ice,
take the best from each style
Each hockey style is unique and has its own strength. We combine the best from 3 great hockey game styles to provide players with a hockey program that ensures a well rounded skill development system that will provide players with an advantage on every part of the ice.
Read more about style combination
Game style combinations
When the combination of different game styles are brought together a player’s advantage is born.
Expand Your Horizons
Universal players are valuable in today’s game. Teams looking for players who can play both sides of the puck. Defenders who can join the rush and forwards who play defence. We combine skills and aggressiveness.
Get Advantage
To stand out as an elite hockey player you need to master a variety of skills. This includes perfecting your skating technique, maintaining puck control under pressure, and having a consistent shot. Hockey is both mental and physical; combining speed, aggression and willpower will help you create your own game. Understanding the game helps fit the demands of making a difference on the ice and becoming a great player.
North American
• speed
• ability to play under pressure
• hitting
• puck protection
• consistent shot
European/ Russian
• puck control skills
• skating techniques
• combinations
• east-west hockey
Skills under pressure
Raise Compete Level
To achieve peak performance, player must be able to read the game and make the right decision under pressure. To enhance a player’s compete level and ability to play under pressure, RHA helps to transfer improved skills to game situations through Battles & Puck Protection training sessions. Incorporation of skills in tight area game situation battle drills will boost skill development, hockey IQ and confidence during games.
Increasingly challenging levels
Out of Comfort Zone
To achieve a player’s improvement we always increase practice level. At first players sharpen their skills to execute the correct technique. After the technique is corrected, we raise the speed and build in game situation drills. Third step is to start applying skills under pressure to transfer skills to the game.
Group size and level match
Up Tempo and Competitive
Training efficiency
Small groups maximize the workload for each player and increases practice tempo.
Small groups increase time for personal correction for each player that boosts practice efficiency.
Small groups increases the amount of drill repetition that helps to develop technique.
Off ice skills development App
Don’t Stop Improvement
RHA practice doesn’t stop outside the ice. To further help player improvement, we are building an App that will help players increase their puck control, hands speed, coordination, shot and quick release off the ice.
