Interestingly, Dr. Greenshpan himself has never played the game, and he lives in a country that he says has only one ice surface. But no matter – he knows what can make all hockey players better, and at the same time help protect them from injury: Train them like Israeli fighter pilots.

Dr. Greenshpan is the brains behind Hockey IntelliGym, a computer software training tool that is finding increasing acceptance in hockey circles, from USA Hockey’s successful development program to several Canadian major junior teams, including the Ottawa 67s.

“Hockey sense is always said to be something players either do have or don’t have,” says 67s coach Chris Byrne. “What they are saying is that through simulation you can improve your reaction.”

The rest of MacGregor's article is nothing less than fascinating, but many of Hockey IntelliGym's promises are so vast in scope that it's hard to believe.