Devils sign Reilly Walsh to three-year entry level contract

[NJDevs26]

Haha, if anything I find Jason too optimistic although the guys he doesn't like he really doesn't like.

This is the first real roster news about the Devils in 5 months, so it makes sense that everyone is super-excited for it.

It's not even that, it's that half the board convinced themselves he was really gone or at best going FA.

 

[Brodeur]

a little OT, but I wanna say i've read somewhere that doing that is a very canadian way of playing hockey (as in, right hand dominant players shoot left). is that true? and down here, RH people shoot right?

I think traditionally younger players are taught to use their dominant hand on top, but I think it's one of those things you get used to depending on how you start playing (ie, my left handed friend plays a right handed guitar since his dad didn't know the difference when he bought him his first one).

In most of my beer leagues, there are way more RH shots since most of us in California didn't grow up playing so most folks assumed being right handed meant you were supposed to shoot with a righty stick. In particular, of the 30+ women in my co-ed ball hockey league, all of them shoot RH (and most of them picked up hockey as a rec sport as adults).

Although I think a few of them played field hockey and "lefty" sticks aren't allowed, so it made sense for them. On an unrelated note, the Olympic field hockey training center used to be in San Diego and we had a couple women who played in our ball hockey league. Their hand-eye coordination was insane, definitely gave me greater appreciation for Olympic skill level.

 

[Peter Sidorkiewicz]

Awesome news. The D at Bingo next season has finally got legit NHL potential.

Bahl-Quenneville
Ohotyuk-Walsh
White-Tennyson

Extras: Sissons, Groleau, Jacobs (Free Agent)

All of a sudden we have got a potential numbers problem at AHL level, whereby Jacobs might not be qualified and similarly Claesson and Mermis might not be offered contracts, assuming Fitzgerald makes some moves to improve the D at NHL level (eg signing Dillon or Edmundson, trading for an established D).

 

[glenwo2]

Have to say....

I was NOT expecting this.

There was so much uncertainty as to what he would do and I thought we wouldn't know for months.

Very happy he decided to remain with the Devils.

 

[glenwo2]

But I thought he was for sure going FA once he didn’t sign two weeks ago

That's what I thought.

What of it? huh? HUH?

 

[Nubmer6]

I think traditionally younger players are taught to use their dominant hand on top, but I think it's one of those things you get used to depending on how you start playing (ie, my left handed friend plays a right handed guitar since his dad didn't know the difference when he bought him his first one).

In most of my beer leagues, there are way more RH shots since most of us in California didn't grow up playing so most folks assumed being right handed meant you were supposed to shoot with a righty stick. In particular, of the 30+ women in my co-ed ball hockey league, all of them shoot RH (and most of them picked up hockey as a rec sport as adults).

Although I think a few of them played field hockey and "lefty" sticks aren't allowed, so it made sense for them. On an unrelated note, the Olympic field hockey training center used to be in San Diego and we had a couple women who played in our ball hockey league. Their hand-eye coordination was insane, definitely gave me greater appreciation for Olympic skill level.

I was told it often had to do with whether you swung a baseball bat first or played hockey first.

Either way, handedness, to me, is only really important for defensemen, where you want your strong hand on the top of the stick to poke-check. For forwards, it doesn't really matter. It's just different shooting mechanics.

 

[Forge]

Going to be a very interesting situation in Bingo next year.

 

[Brodeur]

I was told it often had to do with whether you swung a baseball bat first or played hockey first.

Either way, handedness, to me, is only really important for defensemen, where you want your strong hand on the top of the stick to poke-check. For forwards, it doesn't really matter. It's just different shooting mechanics.

For fun, I played a few shifts with a righty stick (I shoot left) and my shot actually wasn't bad but it felt so bizarre to be poke checking with my left hand. For my ball hockey league, there was an idea to have an exhibition game where everybody played with the opposite handed stick but we backed off as we were worried about some accidental high sticks from people who never had great control with their normal sticks to begin with.

 

[beekay414]

I throw/shoot (basketball, not hockey) righty, write/swing (baseball/golf) lefty. I don't really have a dominant hand but, in regards to sports, I'd say it's my right. Something about my strong hand being on the bottom/end of my baseball bat or golf club feels right.

 

[Nubmer6]

I throw/shoot (basketball, not hockey) righty, write/swing (baseball/golf) lefty. I don't really have a dominant hand but, in regards to sports, I'd say it's my right. Something about my strong hand being on the bottom/end of my baseball bat or golf club feels right.

I've had a lefty friend say he has a "strong" hand and a "precision" hand.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

You want your dominant hand to be lower on the stick, it is your power in a shot. I've never heard the opposite. Maybe thats why I don't play hockey for a living.

 

[beekay414]

I've had a lefty friend say he has a "strong" hand and a "precision" hand.

I'm ambidextrous through and through, especially since I broke and tore ligaments in my left hand. I can throw/swing with both pretty accurately but my right hand (throwing) is harder and more accurate while my left handed swing is more powerful/precise.

 

[Nubmer6]

I'm ambidextrous through and through, especially since I broke and tore ligaments in my left hand. I can throw/swing with both pretty accurately but my right hand (throwing) is harder and more accurate while my left handed swing is more powerful/precise.

What about writing?

 

[beekay414]

What about writing?

I can write with both but my left hand is my dominant there.

 

[Devils731]

You want your dominant hand to be lower on the stick, it is your power in a shot. I've never heard the opposite. Maybe thats why I don't play hockey for a living.

For me, you want your dominant hand on the top of the stick because it’s the hand most likely to control the stick by itself. Shot power is coming from so much more than just the hand that I think the hand strength difference would be fairly negligible.

There are more hockey lefties(~62%) even though 90% of the world is right handed.

For most people they’ll naturally want to put their dominant hand on the top of the stick but some people will prefer the opposite.

In the US, it’s about a 50/50 split of right handed to left handed stick usage. My guess is this isn’t due to an inherent difference in the US preference but the higher likelihood that the initial parent or coach doesn’t know any better and when asked what handed stick the kid needs, he says “right handed” and then the kid gets used to it. If you switched the handed names of the sticks then I’m betting the US would line up with the rest of the world.

So I think US hockey initial ignorance actually benefits the US as the country gets the most even split of handedness in the world.

 

[Billdo]

And just because I'm an equipment junky, Walsh is a right shooting but left handed (like many right shot NHLers).

So years ago when I played a coach told me that this happens because your dominant hand is on the top of the stick controlling it. I am right handed but shoot lefty so that made sense to me. Conversely I cannot for the life of me hit a gold ball lefty but right handed I'm decent. Same with a baseball bat.

 

[Billdo]

Awesome news. The D at Bingo next season has finally got legit NHL potential.

Bahl-Quenneville
Ohotyuk-Walsh
White-Tennyson

Extras: Sissons, Groleau, Jacobs (Free Agent)

All of a sudden we have got a potential numbers problem at AHL level, whereby Jacobs might not be qualified and similarly Claesson and Mermis might not be offered contracts, assuming Fitzgerald makes some moves to improve the D at NHL level (eg signing Dillon or Edmundson, trading for an established D).

Mermis is going to be with the big club.

 

[Ripshot 43]

Mermis is going to be with the big club.

I was going to say the same. I want to see more of Mermis and he at the very least has earned a 6th or 7th spot and the chance to keep that role in camp next year.

 

[Brodeur]

So years ago when I played a coach told me that this happens because your dominant hand is on the top of the stick controlling it. I am right handed but shoot lefty so that made sense to me. Conversely I cannot for the life of me hit a gold ball lefty but right handed I'm decent. Same with a baseball bat.

My favorite player as a kid was Chili Davis, so I taught myself how to switch hit. Also found this clip a couple weeks ago of him pitching a couple scoreless innings in a rout which included him plunking Jose Canseco.

.....and apologies, I didn't mean to derail the Walsh signing thread into a 'how to hold your hockey stick' thread. Long offseason continues....

 

[Pitaya]

You want your dominant hand to be lower on the stick, it is your power in a shot. I've never heard the opposite. Maybe thats why I don't play hockey for a living.

It is in fact the opposite

You want your dominant hand at the top of the stick for the most control

Hence most right handed NHLers are lefty - in the US they teach this backwards in most markets

 

[TheUnseenHand]

So years ago when I played a coach told me that this happens because your dominant hand is on the top of the stick controlling it. I am right handed but shoot lefty so that made sense to me. Conversely I cannot for the life of me hit a gold ball lefty but right handed I'm decent. Same with a baseball bat.

I'm definitely right-hand dominant, but shoot, bat and golf lefty. I can't throw worth a damn lefty nor can I write left handed.

 

[Smitty426]

Have to say....

I was NOT expecting this.

There was so much uncertainty as to what he would do and I thought we wouldn't know for months.

Very happy he decided to remain with the Devils.

Makes ya wonder how bad the ncaa thinks this covid thing is gonna continue to be. It had to be part of his decision.

 

[glenwo2]

Makes ya wonder how bad the ncaa thinks this covid thing is gonna continue to be. It had to be part of his decision.

well...sucks for them.

Great for us.

 

[Jason MacIsaac]

It is in fact the opposite

You want your dominant hand at the top of the stick for the most control

Hence most right handed NHLers are lefty - in the US they teach this backwards in most markets

That makes no sense, every motion you do from throwing a baseball right handed translates to shooting right. Weight transfer, loading on the right leg, swinging a golf club, hitting a baseball to shooting a puck, the power is in your right hand which is lower on the club. This comes from someone who plays all those sports.

 

[Nubmer6]

That makes no sense, every motion you do from throwing a baseball right handed translates to shooting right. Weight transfer, loading on the right leg, swinging a golf club, hitting a baseball to shooting a puck, the power is in your right hand which is lower on the club. This comes from someone who plays all those sports.

The way I shoot as a right hand dominant left shot, is to push forward with my left hand while pulling back on the right hand. I have a horrible slapshot, but have a wrist/snap shot that's harder than a lot of people's slapshots. Not sure if that's because I shoot left, or just that I'm not very coordinated.

Again, the big benefit is being able to pokecheck one-handed using my dominant hand.