Music: {allcanada} SKATING COACH: RESURGENCE COMING FOR CANUCKS' BOOTH

Wednesday, December 4, 2013

{allcanada} SKATING COACH: RESURGENCE COMING FOR CANUCKS' BOOTH

Mattel delivers play every day - Shop online at Mattel Shop!

Intriguing insights via The Vancouver Province from highly-respected local power-skating coach Barb Aidelbaum, who, at the request of David Booth, was brought in to help the struggling Canucks winger.

Aidelbaum: "With the skills comes comfort, and with comfort comes confidence, and it works directly in that order. If the skating is sharp, the mind is sharp and they feel they can conquer the world.

"Because of his injuries, David was in a protective stance. When you've had groin issues, you don't want a wide stance or your knee over your toes, and we focused on that. It wasn't like we were starting from scratch; he needed to be placed in the right position again.

"He will surpass the top level he had before and it will happen very quickly. He's very dedicated. There are not a lot of players I know — and I've coached hundreds of NHL players over the years — who will stand up to a coach and say: 'This is what I really need.' Some will just go with the flow, and it's a pretty gutsy thing for David to do.

"He and Tortorella had a long talk. David felt his skating was off, and it's like a high-level tennis player: if the running is off, he can't hit the ball. For him, he felt the skating was off and he was struggling. Things weren't firing sequentially anymore.

"And because he's a good communicator and listener — and with that coach — there's a solution."

A Mary Christmas - Mary J. Blige