WHO WE ARE
Adam Oates is widely regarded as having one of the sharpest hockey minds in the world. The foundation of Adam’s Hall of Fame career was an inner feel of the details, flow and lanes within the game coupled with a burning desire to always get better. He carried these attributes into his career as an NHL coach, during which time he studied team systems and player tendencies and gained an even deeper understanding of the details within the game.
As a result of his incredible journey as a player, coach and student of the game, Adam’s eye is able to identify the nuances within a player’s movements, skill set and thought process that are holding that player back from reaching the next level. Adam and his team then get to work on the ice and through video analysis, correct those flaws and improve the player’s movements, skills and thought process on the ice. The objective is to create a player who will be safer on the ice, be able to execute more plays and have an advanced “Hockey IQ”.
OUR TEAM
"Safety is my biggest concern in a player's game. When I first speak with a player, I ask him to send me some game tapes. The first thing I’m looking for is does he ever put himself at risk and, if so, why? From there I form a plan based on what the player is doing well and what needs to be worked on. I then speak with the player and we discuss a plan of attack that's not a band-aid, it’s real improvement. So do we work on skills, YES! But I prefer to say that we’re improving your IQ and making you an all-round better player".
- Adam Oates
WHAT WE DO
At Oates Sports Group, we have one mission: to make our players better.Once you become a member of our team, you become part of the family and we do whatever we can to help you improve and navigate your way through the challenging and sometimes irrational world of high-level hockey.
DEVELOPMENT PROGRAM
We currently operate in the off-season in many major hockey markets across North America, including Chicago, New York, Minneapolis, Vancouver, Calgary and Winnipeg, and currently offer in-season programs for local players in the Toronto, Boston, and Minneapolis areas. These programs have been designed by Adam and will be administered by our coaches who have been extensively trained by Adam and have his full trust and confidence. In these sessions players will be learning to see the game through Adam’s eyes while doing the same drills and techniques he uses to coach the world’s foremost players.
Our development programs in Toronto, Boston, and Minneapolis include the following:
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The player will receive Adam’s regular teaching videos that he shares with all of his pro players throughout the course of the season;
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The player will skate in small groups with our coaches where he or she will work on Adam’s drills (which involve the precise movements and skills that are critical for proper execution in all situations);
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Our coaches will review video footage of the player’s games on a regular basis, provide advice and corrections through video and meet with the player and his or her parents to provide feedback regarding the player’s ongoing development;
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Our coaches will provide ongoing mentorship between ice times and video sessions and will be available to speak with parents and players about issues that arise over the course of the season.
For families who do not reside in the Toronto, Boston, and Minneapolis areas, our coaches are able to provide video coaching and mentorship, with the possibility of participating in our ice sessions during the off-season if the player lives or is able to travel to one of the markets in which we operate.
All of our teaching is real; we connect it to game situations and back it up with extensive video so our players understand why certain things happen in hockey. In other words, we “teach hockey”.
PLAYER ASSESSMENT
We offer an initial consultation with Adam which includes Adam reviewing some of your game footage and providing preliminary advice to you about your strengths and weaknesses and the areas that you should focus on to improve your game. This can be combined with a two or three day session with Adam or a member of his team.
GROUP SESSIONS/SEMINARS
Adam and his team will work with your small group or team to improve individual skills or team systems. This can be done on the ice, in the classroom or a combination of the two. Regardless of what level your team is at, there's always room for improvement!
TRAINING CLIENTS
Oates Sports Group trains some of the game’s best current players, and works to enhance the skills and development of aspiring pros.
Below is a list of just some of the athletes we train and make better:
PAVEL BUCHNEVICH
CAL CLUTTERBUCK
ANDREW COPP
RASMUS DAHLIN
MAX DOMI
MATT DUCHENE
JACK EICHEL
CONOR GARLAND
ERIK GUDBRANSON
BO HORVAT
NIKITA KUCHEROV
OLLI MAATTA
NATHAN MACKINNON
CONNOR MCDAVID
JOSH MORRISSEY
DARNELL NURSE
ALEXANDER ROMANOV
MARK SCHEIFELE
BRAYDEN SCHENN
LUKE SCHENN
TYLER SEGUIN
JEFF SKINNER
STEVEN STAMKOS
RYAN STROME
NICK SUZUKI
SHEA THEODORE
ROBERT THOMAS
MATTHEW TKACHUK
JAMES VAN RIEMSDYK
TREVOR ZEGRAS
IN THE PRESS
EXCITEMENT AT THE RINK 7/2018
Graydon is far left, second row in a black jersey.
Adam Oates showed up at the rink with some NHLers you might be familiar with to work on their summer conditioning. The NHLers were kind enough to pose for some pictures with the kids and sign autographs.
PRIVATE SEMINARS
Adam has designed a program for players in Ontario that is based on the same concepts and methods that we use with our NHL players. The program includes teaching videos, on-ice development, game review, and mentorship by our coaching staff. If you have interest in participating in our program, please provide us with information about your son/daughter, your location, and your contact details