IHM Academy
Game Management Lesson 38: When the Best Adjustment Is No Adjustment
Series: Game Management & Bench Intelligence
Coach Answer
Sometimes the right adjustment is none. If the process is still sound and the problem was one bounce, one isolated mistake, or a missed finish, changing the bench can create a problem that was not there.
Why This Matters in a Real Game
When the Best Adjustment Is No Adjustment matters because bench decisions change player exposure, recovery, matchup quality, and the difficulty of the next shift. The crowd may remember goals and saves, but coaches often win or lose control through smaller decisions made before those visible moments happen.
What the Coach Is Reading
- Score and time
- Puck possession
- Shift length
- Opponent personnel
- Bench readiness
The Decision Rule
Do not change a sound process because of one bad outcome.
How It Plays Out
Your team gives up a goal after a defender loses an edge, but the previous six shifts were controlled and the matchup has been favourable. The coach keeps the same deployment. One bad outcome does not erase a good process.
What Changes the Decision?
- Score and time remaining
- Player fatigue and recent workload
- Opponent personnel
- Puck location or next faceoff
- Whether the problem is repeating
Common Bench Mistake
Reacting to one outcome with a large change before confirming that the underlying problem is actually repeating.
Edge Case
The normal rule can change when injury, penalty history, extreme fatigue, score pressure, or a unique personnel problem removes the usual option. Keep the principle, change the method.
Mark Lehtonen Insight
The bench cannot control every bounce, but it can control how many important situations are left to accident. Read the game early, make the smallest useful adjustment, and preserve the quality of the next shift.
Quick Q&A
What is the main idea behind when the best adjustment is no adjustment?
Sometimes the right adjustment is none. If the process is still sound and the problem was one bounce, one isolated mistake, or a missed finish, changing the bench can create a problem that was not there.
What should the coach read first?
Start with score and time, then check whether the same problem is appearing across more than one shift.
What is the decision rule?
Do not change a sound process because of one bad outcome.
Should one bad shift force a change?
Usually no. One bad shift is information; a repeated pattern is a stronger reason to change deployment.
Does this replace team tactics?
No. Game management decides when, where, and with whom the team's existing hockey structure should be used.
Key Takeaways
- Sometimes the right adjustment is none. If the process is still sound and the problem was one bounce, one isolated mistake, or a missed finish, changing the bench can create a problem that was not there.
- Do not change a sound process because of one bad outcome.
- Do not confuse one bad outcome with a repeated game-management problem.
- Protect the quality of the next shift, not just the names of the players on it.
- Simple bench decisions are strongest when players understand them immediately.