"Let's Pick Him!": Ratings of Skill Level on the Basis of In-Game Playing Behaviour in Bantam League Junior Ice Hockey

Rating a player's skill level is an essential task for coaches to select the players with greatest potential to reach the top and to further be able to adjust the training program to the skill level of the player in order to most optimally facilitate the player's learning and performance. However, limited research exists on how they do this. This study examined the association between in-game playing behaviours and observers' ratings of skill level. Three observers rated 71 junior ice hockey players (House League Level, Bantam Division in Canada). Results revealed that players were more often rated high skilled when they executed a greater numbers of actions, of which relatively more shots and carries compared to passes, and when they were involved in the play more often (p