Garland's focus on skating and playing against older competition helped the Vancouver Canucks forward develop into the player he is today.
Garland's focus on skating and playing against older competition helped the Vancouver Canucks forward develop into the player he is today.
Conor Garland does not fit the mold of most NHL players. At 5'10" and 165 lbs, he is considered undersized by most hockey metrics, yet he has carved out a successful career. While the way Garland developed his skill at a young age may be seen as unconventional, it is hard to argue with the results as the Vancouver Canucks forward is projected to play his 400th career NHL game later this season.
Since Garland was a kid, he has prioritized skating and edge work. That includes working with former Olympic figure skater Michael Botticelli, who taught the Canucks forward skating techniques, including how to change directions in tight spaces. As Garland details, these battles would get so intense that his coach occasionally suffered injuries.
"When I would train, it would be with my skating coach, and it would just be on edges and balance," said Garland. "He would pretty much wrestle me in the corner. He had his finger pop out once; he had a shoulder pop out once, battling like just grabbing me, holding me, and just making sure you never go down. His saying was, you have to be able to go in any direction anytime at any speed, and that's kind of how we trained."
As he was developing, Garland opted to participate in games rather than spend hours in skills training. This allowed him to play against older and bigger competition while learning the speed of the game. While it is unconventional, it is hard to argue against this form of training based on the results of his career so far.
"I did a lot of figure skating exercises as a young kid, and I think that's really important for your edges. Obviously, you have to be able to play the game, think the game and see the game. I think my training my whole life was either working on my skating or playing shinny. I never did drills; I never went to camps. When I got to 13, I started renting ice on my own and just playing games and playing in men's leagues."
One way Garland utilizes his size is by getting low and avoiding hits. While he makes it look easy, gaining that skill requires understanding how leverage works and players' position when they throw hits. This is another skill Garland associates with playing against older competition, as it allowed him to learn how to operate in tight spaces.
"That's just understanding leverage. That's from playing. I think that's the most important thing. I think that's probably what kids don't do enough now is play. Play street hockey, play games, play shinny, play men's leagues, find ice. You learn how to play in tight spaces. You learn how to play against bigger guys at a younger age, and you understand leverage, where guy's hands are and how to get under their hands. When you get under guy's hands, doesn't matter how big they are, strong they are, you control that space, and that's your space. So that's a very important part of the game.
Battling in front of the net is also a skill that Garland has worked on throughout his career. Overall, trying to create havoc in front of the opposition's goaltender is not as easy as it looks, as it requires good balance and timing. As Garland explains, while it is difficult and sometimes painful, it is all worth it when his work leads to a goal.
"It's different as a smaller guy. It's more technique; it's more timing. It's all trial and error. That's going against guys and not getting there and then finding what works and what doesn't work. Plus, part of that is you got to have the will to get there. It's not fun. Nobody likes getting cross-checked in the back and getting hit with the puck when you can't see it at full speed. I've got hit plenty of times in the face, but I mean, that's where you score, and you have to go there. It's just about learning how to get there, and when to be there for the right time."
At this point in his career, Garland has developed into a versatile player who can play up and down the lineup. A consistent contributor at five-on-five, he is the type of player who can impact a game even if he doesn't end up on the scoresheet. One of the players head coach Rick Tocchet has relied on heavily throughout the regular season, his relentlessness and escapability will be massive for Vancouver come playoff time.
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