question regarding positions.

[Orthodox Caveman]

i just finished the first season in my adult league. i led the team in scoring playing right wing, and my linemates finished with similiar numbers and we had great chemistry together.

what does it mean when people say someone is a natural center? i know the areas that a center is responsible for but our player/coach has been switching us around to see how we play in different positions for next season.

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[JLHockeyKnight]

I believe natural center means he just downright plays best there. Can't play nearly as well on the wing or defense, and that he plays so well at center it seems like its a natural thing for him and it doesn't require much effort.

 

[technophile]

It means he's a puck hog who can't figure out how to play a position, so he just chases the puck all over the ice.

I kid, I kid. JL is correct; it's someone who is best playing at center, whose natural inclinations fit best with that role. You can apply "natural" to the other positions as well; for example, I'm a natural defenseman; I can play wing, or even center if I had to, but my natural inclination is to play defensive hockey, and that's the way my skills tend.

 

[RSBPC]

It means he's a puck hog who can't figure out how to play a position, so he just chases the puck all over the ice.

I kid, I kid. JL is correct; it's someone who is best playing at center, whose natural inclinations fit best with that role. You can apply "natural" to the other positions as well; for example, I'm a natural defenseman; I can play wing, or even center if I had to, but my natural inclination is to play defensive hockey, and that's the way my skills tend.

Jeez, come play for my team, wll ya? I'm thoroughly convinced that not a sinlge player on my team even knows the definition of the word 'defense'.

 

[JLHockeyKnight]

It means he's a puck hog who can't figure out how to play a position, so he just chases the puck all over the ice.

I kid, I kid. JL is correct; it's someone who is best playing at center, whose natural inclinations fit best with that role. You can apply "natural" to the other positions as well; for example, I'm a natural defenseman; I can play wing, or even center if I had to, but my natural inclination is to play defensive hockey, and that's the way my skills tend.

Natural defensemen are nice because even if you put them on offense, they still do something that a lot of people don't do, and that's BACKCHECK like a mofo.

 

[Missionhockey]

Good defensemen are hard to find. I personally think you have to be a different kind of human to be a defenseman. They take so much punishment from opposing forwards its no wonder that most people play forward. Plus they have to be good positionally, they have to deter opposing forwards from the front of the net and they have to have crisp outlet passes. No thanks, I perfer LW.

 

[technophile]

Natural defensemen are nice because even if you put them on offense, they still do something that a lot of people don't do, and that's BACKCHECK like a mofo.

I'm lucky; we not only have a great goalie who can absolutely save my ass if I give up a breakaway, but we have a couple of centers who are awesome backcheckers, and my wingers do a good job getting down to the half-boards to give me outlets.

 

[technophile]

Good defensemen are hard to find. I personally think you have to be a different kind of human to be a defenseman. They take so much punishment from opposing forwards its no wonder that most people play forward. Plus they have to be good positionally, they have to deter opposing forwards from the front of the net and they have to have crisp outlet passes. No thanks, I perfer LW.

Yeah, last night I took one shot off the left side of my chest, another off my foot just below where my shinpad ends, and one of the other D on my team thinks he cracked some ribs in a collision. It's definitely not a job for the timid.

That said, it's a heck of a thrill to break up a two- or three-on-one (did that last night, actually), and I actually get excited about killing penalties. Last night I was on the ice to kill two full minutes of 5-on-3 (two of our 4 D were in the box at the same time), and had a blast doing it. Maybe I am a little weird at that.

Not that I'm god's gift to goalies, or anything; it's just a C rec league, but it's a lot of fun and I've learned a lot in the last two years. And I do love putting the puck in the back of the net, it's just that that has to come second.

 

[Doctor Hook]

Good defensemen are hard to find. I personally think you have to be a different kind of human to be a defenseman. They take so much punishment from opposing forwards its no wonder that most people play forward. Plus they have to be good positionally, they have to deter opposing forwards from the front of the net and they have to have crisp outlet passes. No thanks, I perfer LW.

I actually think forwards take a bit more punishment from all the hacks they take. But you're right, it takes a special breed to man the blueline and do it well. I've played hockey for 20+ years, from mites through HS and now beer league, and I absolutely love playing D. I prefer preventing goals than scoring them!

 

[Whiplash27]

Natural defensemen are nice because even if you put them on offense, they still do something that a lot of people don't do, and that's BACKCHECK like a mofo.

haha that's me. I'm not the best backskater in the world so I tend to play LW or RW (usually left though) instead of D. However, I tend to love playing defensively and once the puck goes the otherway, unless I'm completely dead I skate back as hard as I can to help on D. It's fun.


I usually find that most teams just put their fastest players on D. Lots of teams like to put their best players on D because they are the first ones to get the puck, so they'll just take the puck and go around everyone. That said, my adult league (and probably most) is non-checking and i'm not in a higher skill league, so it probably has some weighing.

 

[technophile]

I usually find that most teams just put their fastest players on D. Lots of teams like to put their best players on D because they are the first ones to get the puck, so they'll just take the puck and go around everyone. That said, my adult league (and probably most) is non-checking and i'm not in a higher skill league, so it probably has some weighing.

I know in my rec league, if a B-level player subs in a C game (or plays a season in C) they'll generally play defense, just because it's kind of rude to have a more skilled player taking shots on a C-league goalie.

 

[EmptyNetter]

what does it mean when people say someone is a natural center? i know the areas that a center is responsible for but our player/coach has been switching us around to see how we play in different positions for next season.

Qualities I'd associate with a natural center:

Thinks "pass first, shoot second".
Has good vision, knows where his teammates are.
Is usually the first man back when the puck comes out of the offensive zone.
Any time I see a wing who over-passes the puck when he should take the shot I wonder if he'd play better as a center.

 

[McNasty]

I would think a Natural Center is someone who plays better in the middle of the ice then on the wings. Centers have to be able to send and recieve passes to the left and right, and usually does a lot of dirty work behind the net and near the crease.

 

[ck26]

The difference between centers and wingers usually boils down to backchecking, passing and winning faceoffs.