HOCKEY IS MORE THAN GOALS AND WINS. IT FORGES CHARACTER. IT BUILDS LEADERS.
For Coach Yevhenii Pastukh, hockey is a school of character. His method, Skate. Think. Lead., grew from 16 years of pro hockey and 10+ years of coaching. The approach blends European technical precision, North American pace and compete, and a clear psychological framework so athletes grow on and off the ice.
ABOUT THE COACH
USA HOCKEY COACHING CERTIFICATION — LEVEL 3
COACHING: YOUTH PROGRAMS THE USA (ROCKETS SPORTS GROUP, NJ)
Yevhenii Pastukh is a former Ukrainian National Team forward, an eight-time Ukrainian champion, and a 1998 NHL Draft pick (St. Louis Blues).
After a career-ending injury, he moved behind the bench with a mission: build players who skate with purpose, think faster, and lead with character.
A GREAT COACH DOESN’T JUST BUILD PLAYERS.
SKATE
TECHNIQUE • COORDINATION • CONTROL
Players master posture, balance, edge control, rhythm — then add speed.
THINK
DECISION-MAKING • REACTION • HOCKEY IQ
Train anticipation, scanning, and spatial awareness so choices are fast and confident.
LEAD
TEAM SPIRIT • ACCOUNTABILITY • MENTAL RESILIENCE
Standards, communication, and poise under pressure. Leaders elevate everyone.
CORE FRAMEWORKS
G.A.M.E. MODEL - THE
4-STAGE SKILL FORMULA
• Every skill progresses from clean mechanics to full-speed execution under pressure.
• Small-Area Games (SAGs) and decision constraints make skills transfer to real shifts.
• “Train every skill until it becomes GAME-ready, not just practice-ready.” — Yevhenii Pastukh
G ➤ A ➤ M ➤ E
GROOVE THE SKILL
ADD MOVEMENT
MAKE DECISIONS
EXECUTE AT SPEED
THE SHIFT MODEL — PRACTICE ARCHITECTURE
A repeatable session flow that links activation, technical reps, decision-making, competitive battles, and quick debrief to lock in learning.
S ➤ H ➤ I ➤ F ➤ T
START THE ENGINE
HONE THE SKILL
IQ & DECISIONS
FIGHT TO WIN
TRANSLATE & TEACH
ACHIEVEMENTS
Under Coach Pastukh, Rockets Sports Group (NJ) teams have posted consistent results:
