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Players who score 0-to-54 per cent are deemed to be Tier 4 players, 55-to-64, the largest category are Tier 3, 65-to-74, second tier, 75-to-84 are top tier and 85-to-100 are deemed to be elite.



The kinds of good defensive plays TruPerformance is looking for are a textbook for great defensive play and include, according to the company website: “Slides to block a shot in the crease to save a goal; Makes a diving play extending his stick to block a backdoor pass to a wide open player: Uses an active stick in the neutral zone to stop a pass and prevent a breakaway; Slides to break up a 3v1; Executes a stand up check in the neutral zone to prevent a 2v1 from developing; Fronts/blocks a puck at the net front with two opposition forwards at the net; Stands up an opposing player in the neutral zone to force a dump.”

As for negative plays by a defenceman? “Leaves his player wide open for a pass at the net front in Defensive Zone Coverage; Makes a line change at a bad time which allows a breakaway; Gets beat 1v1 allowing a breakaway; Allows an easy pass at the net front when defending a 2v1; Steps up in the neutral zone, but misses the puck and the body, allowing a 2v1; Allows an opposing forward access to the net front to screen and tip; Allows an opposing player to use time and space to carry and pass the puck.”

When it comes to negative plays in regards to a d-man, TruPerformance analysts looks for many things, including the following for a d-man with the puck in his own zone: “Carries the puck in front of his own net, where it gets poked off his stick and into his own net; Under pressure, tries a blind pass in front of his own net, where it is one timed by the opposition into the net; Attempts to carry the puck out of the zone as the last man back, gets stripped of the puck, conceding a breakaway to the opposition; Attempts a stretch pass to the far blue line which gets picked off, resulting in a 2v2 against; Has plenty of time and space, rims the puck blindly, turning it over to an opposing forechecker; Takes too long to make a pass to his D partner resulting in his partner getting hit and losing possession of puck.”