- Home
- Sports and Activities
- Hockey
- Coaching and Officiating
- The Hockey Coaching Bible
Featuring the insights, strategies, and experiences of the sport’s top coaches, The Hockey Coaching Bible sets a new standard for those who teach the game, develop the players, and dominate the ice. Whether head coach or assistant, at the youth level or professional, you will find a wealth of information to improve performance and strengthen your program.
You’ll go inside the game with 16 of hockey’s most respected teachers:
• Joe Bertagna
• Bill Cleary
• Tom Anastos
• Guy Gadowsky
• Mike Schafer
• Marty Palma
• Hal Tearse
• Mike Cavanaugh
• Jack Parker
• Rick Comley
• Mark Dennehy
• Ben Smith
• E.J. McGuire
• George Gwozdecky
• Nate Leaman
• Mike Eaves
Every facet of coaching is covered. The book features the most effective drills for developing players at each position and in-game strategies for various game situations, including offensive, defensive, and neutral-zone play and power plays and penalty kills.
In addition to on-ice Xs and Os, you’ll find sage advice for building a program from the ground up, furthering your professional development as a coach, and gaining community and parental support for projecting a positive image and earning the respect of your players and supporters.
Never has there been a more comprehensive coaching resource on the game. With The Hockey Coaching Bible, you’ll build your program into a powerhouse.
Chapter 1 Keeping a Balance
Bill Cleary
Chapter 2 Coaching With Integrity
Tom Anastos
Chapter 3 Communicating a Team Mission
Guy Gadowsky
Chapter 4 Acting as a Professional
Mike Schafer
Chapter 5 Gaining Community and Parent Support
Marty Palma
Chapter 6 Building a High School Program
Hal Tearse
Chapter 7 Planning and Conducting Productive Practices
Mike Cavanaugh
Chapter 8 Skills for Defensemen
Jack Parker
Chapter 9 Skills for Forwards
Rick Comley
Chapter 10 Skills for Goaltenders
Joe Bertagna
Chapter 11 Defensive Zone Play
Mark Dennehy
Chapter 12 Neutral Zone Play
Ben Smith
Chapter 13 Offensive Zone Attack
E.J. McGuire
Chapter 14 Special Teams and Situations
George Gwozdecky and Michael Zucker
Chapter 15 Scouting Opponents
Nate Leaman
Chapter 16 International Play
Mike Eaves
Joe Bertagna has been a collegiate hockey administrator for more than 30 years. Since 1997, he has served as commissioner of Hockey East, the preeminent conference in college hockey, whose member schools have earned seven NCAA championships under his leadership. Before his move to Hockey East, Bertagna served 15 years with the Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC), where he held the positions of tournament director, executive director, and commissioner. Both with ECAC and Hockey East, Bertagna has been a champion of women’s hockey, having initiated ECAC Division I and Division III league play and led the formation of the Women’s Hockey East Association, whose championship trophy is named in Bertagna’s honor.
In addition to his commissionership of Hockey East, Bertagna is executive director of the American Hockey Coaches Association, a position he has held since 1991. He also serves on the board of directors of both USA Hockey and the Hockey Humanitarian Award Foundation. For 40 years Bertagna has operated his own clinics for thousands of goalies of all ages.
Bertagna began his professional coaching career in 1985 with the National Hockey League’s (NHL) Boston Bruins, where he was goaltender coach until 1991, and then again for the 1994-95 season. He also was assistant coach for the U.S. men’s national team at the 1991 Canada Cup, the U.S. Olympic men’s ice hockey team at the 1994 Winter Olympics in Lillehammer, and the International Hockey League’s Milwaukee Admirals from 1994 to 1996.
As a player, Bertagna was a standout goaltender for Harvard University. After graduating in 1973, he played professionally for the Milwaukee Admirals and in Cortina, Italy, where the team won the Italian Ice Hockey Championship in 1975.
Bertagna and his wife, Kathy, reside in Gloucester, Massachusetts, with their three children.
“For those of us who were fortunate to play college hockey, the lessons we learned there, on and off the ice, have never gone away. The Hockey Coaching Bible presents the best of these lessons from an array of coaches, some still active and some retired. The messages collected in this book are sure to help hockey coaches and players at all levels of the game.”
Mike Eruzione-- Captain, 1980 U.S. Olympic Team
“The hockey world is full of colorful, passionate characters. Joe Bertagna has culled some of the best and brightest from this world to collaborate on a range of coaching topics. These guys know the game intimately and deliver insightful perspectives to current or aspiring coaches. Better—and cheaper—than any coaching clinic you can find!”
Mike Milbury-- NBC Sports Network Analyst and Former NHL Player and Coach
“Some of the great coaching minds from college hockey have come together in one place to give young coaches all they need for success. They cover every aspect from building a program to setting an example for honest behavior. This is a must-read for any young hockey coach.”
Bobby Orr-- NHL Hall of Fame Defenseman
“Hockey coaching really is several vocations rolled into one—a process that combines constant teaching, communication, and counseling with full-time study of the sport. Every time a coach runs a practice, coaches a game, or watches a game, he or she sees something new. The Hockey Coaching Bible gathers many of those observations into one volume that is sure to be useful for coaches, players, parents, and fans of our great sport.”
Gary Bettman-- Commissioner National Hockey League
Respect for Rules and Officials
Another area that tests the integrity of coaches, players, and fans is the relationship we have with the rules of the game and those who are there to enforce the rules.
Respect for Rules and Officials
Another area that tests the integrity of coaches, players, and fans is the relationship we have with the rules of the game and those who are there to enforce the rules. As a coach, it is my responsibility to make sure the players know the rules and the consequences for breaking them. At the college level, we have NCAA-established on-ice and off-ice rules, conference rules, and team rules. Respecting rules is a priority that needs to be established early.
One area in which our culture has slipped a little is in respect for officials. How we approach officials and how we react when certain circumstances come up are things I have to anticipate and teach as part of our own team culture.
We have had on-ice situations in which officials have made egregious errors. My players will be affected by how I react in these situations. Having served as a conference commissioner, I am able to understand both sides in these situations. Sure, it's frustrating. I know that the players will take a cue from how I respond. So I want to set an example as to how we - all of us - will react when, quite clearly, we have been victimized by an incorrect call or a rule interpretation.
One approach I've taken is to emphasize that we, as a team, have to get good enough to play through bad breaks or calls that might be incorrect. We take responsibility for how things go. The focus stays on our team and those things we can control. Educated people will know when we have been the victims of something that might not have gone right. You don't need a public show to make you look better.
At the same time, there needs to be a balance. Players want to know that you will stand up for them. You can take steps privately to support your team when you feel victimized. But it does no good to make a public scene with the official in front of the team or, as sometimes happens, with the media in a postgame press conference.
Former University of Vermont head coach Mike Gilligan earned the respect of his peers when, during an NCAA Frozen Four semifinal, his fast-skating team was victimized first by sloppy ice conditions due to a broken pipe below the ice surface and second by a goal in overtime that was due, in part, to an illegal hand pass that was missed by the officials. When asked about the ice, Gilligan noted that both teams had to play under the same conditions, offered up no excuses, and gave praise to the winning team. He made no comments about the factors that led to the winning goal.
I've had some experience with poor ice conditions, once when I was a commissioner and our conference hosted an indoor Frozen Four at Detroit's Ford Field, and once when our team played outside at Comerica Park. In both instances, the ice was not up to normal expectations. I found that all the coaches did a good job acknowledging the conditions but refused to use it as an excuse.
In these instances, when players are asked, I tell them that I don't expect them to lie or make up a story. They can tell the truth about the conditions but should always acknowledge the basic point that those conditions were the same for all participants and not to use them as an excuse.
One additional angle to the participant - official relationship is that I've had officials come to me some time after an incident and acknowledge that they had reviewed a tape and seen they made a mistake. Likewise, I have gone into the locker room between periods, looked at video, and realized what I thought I saw in real time was not the case. In that instance, I made a point to come out at the start of the next period and admit I was wrong to the officials.
Isn't this the way we want people to live their lives? Taking responsibility for their actions? These are teaching moments that coaches need to capitalize on.
Gap Control
No defenseman likes to get beaten one on one. The most embarrassing moment for a defenseman is when a forward skates by him.
Gap Control
No defenseman likes to get beaten one on one. The most embarrassing moment for a defenseman is when a forward skates by him. To compensate for this, defensemen tend to back up into the offensive zone and allow the opposing player time and space with the puck (figure 8.1). All players want time and space to make plays, especially when entering the offensive zone. It is very difficult to be a good defenseman if you don't have good gap control.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521301_ebook_Main.jpg
The defenseman (D) maintains the gap as the forward (F) moves up the ice.
Gap control usually starts when a defenseman leaves the offensive blue line. Often when the puck is in the offensive zone, defensemen will stand near the offensive blue line regardless of what is happening in the zone. The blue line is there for one reason and one reason only - offsides. The only time a defenseman should be standing on the offensive blue line is when his team has complete control of the puck. This will allow more space for the forwards when they have the puck as the defenseman becomes an outlet for them.
The blue line does not determine where gap control begins. A defenseman's gap when leaving the offensive zone should be established by how high the opposing forwards are. The longer the play is in the offensive zone, the deeper the opposing forwards tend to be. It is much easier to establish a good gap leaving the offensive blue line by using the opposing forwards as a measuring point. By establishing a good gap, the defensemen can slow down the opposing team's transition game. When the defense can slow down the opposition leaving their defensive zone, they allow the defensive team to apply back pressure (back pressure is when the defensive team's forwards are able to pursue the puck carrier from behind; see figure 8.2).
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521302_ebook_Main.jpg
Forward on the defenseman's team provides back pressure on the opposing forward who has the puck. The defenseman's ability to slow the forward helps his teammate provide pressure from behind.
The gap established when leaving the offensive blue line is the gap established through the neutral zone and entering the defensive zone. A good gap leaving the offensive blue line allows the defenseman to come through the neutral zone and enter the defensive zone with speed. It is difficult to play a one-on-one attack if the defenseman has to slow down as he enters the defensive zone. While he's slowing down, the opposing forward is usually picking up speed. That is when a defenseman is most susceptible to getting beaten one on one. A good gap allows the defenseman to maintain the same speed as the opposing forward. It also will slow down the forward entering the offensive zone, making him less dangerous. It is difficult for a forward to create offense when a defenseman has established a good gap entering the defensive zone.
Also, if the forward is flying out of the zone, the defenseman might have to get going quickly by first skating forward and then pivoting backward once the proper gap is established. And finally, with regard to vertical gap, the defenseman wants to maintain the good gap from blue line to blue line. This requires that he judge the forward's speed and adjust his own while using good C-cuts, not crossovers.
Sometimes the forward might be skating very fast but in more of a serpentine route. In this situation, his velocity made good (or VMG, a common sailing term) up the ice will not be as fast as it looks. Defensemen must not be fooled. They must judge their opponent's VMG and adjust their speed accordingly.
When talking about gap control, people immediately think of the gap as the space between the forward and the defenseman vertically. What often gets overlooked is the lateral gap. When a defenseman has established a good vertical gap, most forwards will then take the puck to the outside. The mistake most defensemen make is to keep backing up as the forward goes wide. Once the defenseman does this, he loses the advantage he had by establishing a good gap. He's now given the puck-carrying forward time and space to make a play.
Therefore, it is just as important to keep a good lateral gap as it is a vertical gap. The wider the forward goes with the puck, the wider the defenseman should be (figure 8.3). The defenseman should always try to keep his outside shoulder in line with the forward's inside shoulder. This will prevent the forward from cutting back inside and will force him to the outside. There, the defenseman can pivot and take the proper angle at the forward.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521303_ebook_Main.jpg
Maintaining good lateral gap control means the defenseman moves wide with the forward.
Eventually the defenseman will run or angle the forward into the boards. Good gap control by defensemen will cause turnovers inside the defensive blue line and help the defensive team's transition game. Unexpected turnovers are a great way to create offense for a team.
Another way to establish good gap control is following the play up ice. Once the puck is broken out of the defensive zone, the defenseman's responsibilities are to either jump into the play to create an odd-man rush offensively or to follow the play in case a turnover occurs, in which case he needs to create a good gap defensively. The defenseman's job isn't finished once the puck has left the defensive zone. He must always put himself in the best position possible to play defense and establish a good gap. An unexpected turnover in the neutral zone can quickly turn into a scoring chance for the other team. If the puck is turned over in the neutral zone and the defenseman hasn't followed the play up ice, it will be very difficult for a defenseman to establish a good gap because of the amount of space between himself and the forward. The defenseman must always be conscious of creating a good gap. It is one of the most important aspects of playing good defense.
Practicing the Power-Play Breakout
There are several ways to practice the power-play breakout. As discussed earlier, one of the most important aspects of the breakout is timing.
Practicing the Power-Play Breakout
There are several ways to practice the power-play breakout. As discussed earlier, one of the most important aspects of the breakout is timing. Practice and repetition are required to perfect the timing of the breakout. The simplest way to practice the power-play breakout is to have the players break the puck out without any pressure at all from the penalty-kill forecheck. This will enable the members of the power play to familiarize themselves with their positions and their roles without having to initially worry about pressure from the penalty killers.
Team Drill 1: Progressive Penalty Killers
Power-play players start on the far blue line. The coach stands at center ice with the puck. The coach dumps the puck, and the players move to their breakout positions and start the breakout (figure 14.13). The coach can pressure initially. The progression is to add two, three, and then four penalty killers. Once the power play has entered the offensive zone, the coach blows the whistle and throws a new puck back into the breakout zone, and the players do it again. The original puck is dead at this point. Give the first power-play group approximately two or three repetitions before switching to the next group.
If your team has only half ice during practice, power-play players can start on the red line instead of the far blue line for this drill.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521440_ebook_Main.jpg
Team drill 1: progressive penalty killers.
Team Drill 2: Breakout
Players start in their offensive zone setup against the penalty kill. Players move the puck for approximately 10 seconds, and then the coach blows the whistle. Once the whistle sounds, the coach throws a puck into the defensive zone, and the power-play unit has to skate back into the zone into breakout position (figure 14.14). The penalty killers then start their forechecks. The drill should run for 40 seconds total, including the 10 seconds to start the drill in the offensive zone. If the power play breaks the puck out easily and gains zone entry, the coach should blow the whistle and throw a new puck back into the defensive zone for them to start again.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521441_ebook_Main.jpg
Team drill 2: breakout.
Individual Drill 1: Defensemen
This is a defenseman-oriented drill. Defenders collect the puck behind the net, move it to their forehands, and either use the net or counter before passing to a player on the wall (figure 14.15).
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521442_ebook_Main.jpg
Individual drill 1: defensemen.
Individual Drill 2: Four-Dot Chip Drill
The four-dot chip drill will help players get used to supporting the puck and chipping past forecheckers in the neutral zone. For the four dots, you can use players, coaches, or cones (figure 14.16). Two players start at opposite sides on one end of the ice. The far player skates toward the puck carrier on the other side and receives the puck. He makes a chip pass off the boards that is retrieved by her partner. They continue up the ice, chipping the puck off the boards and skating around the dots, until they reach the other end of the ice. The player with the puck finishes by taking a shot at the net.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521443_ebook_Main.jpg
Individual drill 2: four-dot chip drill.
Respect for Rules and Officials
Another area that tests the integrity of coaches, players, and fans is the relationship we have with the rules of the game and those who are there to enforce the rules.
Respect for Rules and Officials
Another area that tests the integrity of coaches, players, and fans is the relationship we have with the rules of the game and those who are there to enforce the rules. As a coach, it is my responsibility to make sure the players know the rules and the consequences for breaking them. At the college level, we have NCAA-established on-ice and off-ice rules, conference rules, and team rules. Respecting rules is a priority that needs to be established early.
One area in which our culture has slipped a little is in respect for officials. How we approach officials and how we react when certain circumstances come up are things I have to anticipate and teach as part of our own team culture.
We have had on-ice situations in which officials have made egregious errors. My players will be affected by how I react in these situations. Having served as a conference commissioner, I am able to understand both sides in these situations. Sure, it's frustrating. I know that the players will take a cue from how I respond. So I want to set an example as to how we - all of us - will react when, quite clearly, we have been victimized by an incorrect call or a rule interpretation.
One approach I've taken is to emphasize that we, as a team, have to get good enough to play through bad breaks or calls that might be incorrect. We take responsibility for how things go. The focus stays on our team and those things we can control. Educated people will know when we have been the victims of something that might not have gone right. You don't need a public show to make you look better.
At the same time, there needs to be a balance. Players want to know that you will stand up for them. You can take steps privately to support your team when you feel victimized. But it does no good to make a public scene with the official in front of the team or, as sometimes happens, with the media in a postgame press conference.
Former University of Vermont head coach Mike Gilligan earned the respect of his peers when, during an NCAA Frozen Four semifinal, his fast-skating team was victimized first by sloppy ice conditions due to a broken pipe below the ice surface and second by a goal in overtime that was due, in part, to an illegal hand pass that was missed by the officials. When asked about the ice, Gilligan noted that both teams had to play under the same conditions, offered up no excuses, and gave praise to the winning team. He made no comments about the factors that led to the winning goal.
I've had some experience with poor ice conditions, once when I was a commissioner and our conference hosted an indoor Frozen Four at Detroit's Ford Field, and once when our team played outside at Comerica Park. In both instances, the ice was not up to normal expectations. I found that all the coaches did a good job acknowledging the conditions but refused to use it as an excuse.
In these instances, when players are asked, I tell them that I don't expect them to lie or make up a story. They can tell the truth about the conditions but should always acknowledge the basic point that those conditions were the same for all participants and not to use them as an excuse.
One additional angle to the participant - official relationship is that I've had officials come to me some time after an incident and acknowledge that they had reviewed a tape and seen they made a mistake. Likewise, I have gone into the locker room between periods, looked at video, and realized what I thought I saw in real time was not the case. In that instance, I made a point to come out at the start of the next period and admit I was wrong to the officials.
Isn't this the way we want people to live their lives? Taking responsibility for their actions? These are teaching moments that coaches need to capitalize on.
Gap Control
No defenseman likes to get beaten one on one. The most embarrassing moment for a defenseman is when a forward skates by him.
Gap Control
No defenseman likes to get beaten one on one. The most embarrassing moment for a defenseman is when a forward skates by him. To compensate for this, defensemen tend to back up into the offensive zone and allow the opposing player time and space with the puck (figure 8.1). All players want time and space to make plays, especially when entering the offensive zone. It is very difficult to be a good defenseman if you don't have good gap control.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521301_ebook_Main.jpg
The defenseman (D) maintains the gap as the forward (F) moves up the ice.
Gap control usually starts when a defenseman leaves the offensive blue line. Often when the puck is in the offensive zone, defensemen will stand near the offensive blue line regardless of what is happening in the zone. The blue line is there for one reason and one reason only - offsides. The only time a defenseman should be standing on the offensive blue line is when his team has complete control of the puck. This will allow more space for the forwards when they have the puck as the defenseman becomes an outlet for them.
The blue line does not determine where gap control begins. A defenseman's gap when leaving the offensive zone should be established by how high the opposing forwards are. The longer the play is in the offensive zone, the deeper the opposing forwards tend to be. It is much easier to establish a good gap leaving the offensive blue line by using the opposing forwards as a measuring point. By establishing a good gap, the defensemen can slow down the opposing team's transition game. When the defense can slow down the opposition leaving their defensive zone, they allow the defensive team to apply back pressure (back pressure is when the defensive team's forwards are able to pursue the puck carrier from behind; see figure 8.2).
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521302_ebook_Main.jpg
Forward on the defenseman's team provides back pressure on the opposing forward who has the puck. The defenseman's ability to slow the forward helps his teammate provide pressure from behind.
The gap established when leaving the offensive blue line is the gap established through the neutral zone and entering the defensive zone. A good gap leaving the offensive blue line allows the defenseman to come through the neutral zone and enter the defensive zone with speed. It is difficult to play a one-on-one attack if the defenseman has to slow down as he enters the defensive zone. While he's slowing down, the opposing forward is usually picking up speed. That is when a defenseman is most susceptible to getting beaten one on one. A good gap allows the defenseman to maintain the same speed as the opposing forward. It also will slow down the forward entering the offensive zone, making him less dangerous. It is difficult for a forward to create offense when a defenseman has established a good gap entering the defensive zone.
Also, if the forward is flying out of the zone, the defenseman might have to get going quickly by first skating forward and then pivoting backward once the proper gap is established. And finally, with regard to vertical gap, the defenseman wants to maintain the good gap from blue line to blue line. This requires that he judge the forward's speed and adjust his own while using good C-cuts, not crossovers.
Sometimes the forward might be skating very fast but in more of a serpentine route. In this situation, his velocity made good (or VMG, a common sailing term) up the ice will not be as fast as it looks. Defensemen must not be fooled. They must judge their opponent's VMG and adjust their speed accordingly.
When talking about gap control, people immediately think of the gap as the space between the forward and the defenseman vertically. What often gets overlooked is the lateral gap. When a defenseman has established a good vertical gap, most forwards will then take the puck to the outside. The mistake most defensemen make is to keep backing up as the forward goes wide. Once the defenseman does this, he loses the advantage he had by establishing a good gap. He's now given the puck-carrying forward time and space to make a play.
Therefore, it is just as important to keep a good lateral gap as it is a vertical gap. The wider the forward goes with the puck, the wider the defenseman should be (figure 8.3). The defenseman should always try to keep his outside shoulder in line with the forward's inside shoulder. This will prevent the forward from cutting back inside and will force him to the outside. There, the defenseman can pivot and take the proper angle at the forward.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521303_ebook_Main.jpg
Maintaining good lateral gap control means the defenseman moves wide with the forward.
Eventually the defenseman will run or angle the forward into the boards. Good gap control by defensemen will cause turnovers inside the defensive blue line and help the defensive team's transition game. Unexpected turnovers are a great way to create offense for a team.
Another way to establish good gap control is following the play up ice. Once the puck is broken out of the defensive zone, the defenseman's responsibilities are to either jump into the play to create an odd-man rush offensively or to follow the play in case a turnover occurs, in which case he needs to create a good gap defensively. The defenseman's job isn't finished once the puck has left the defensive zone. He must always put himself in the best position possible to play defense and establish a good gap. An unexpected turnover in the neutral zone can quickly turn into a scoring chance for the other team. If the puck is turned over in the neutral zone and the defenseman hasn't followed the play up ice, it will be very difficult for a defenseman to establish a good gap because of the amount of space between himself and the forward. The defenseman must always be conscious of creating a good gap. It is one of the most important aspects of playing good defense.
Practicing the Power-Play Breakout
There are several ways to practice the power-play breakout. As discussed earlier, one of the most important aspects of the breakout is timing.
Practicing the Power-Play Breakout
There are several ways to practice the power-play breakout. As discussed earlier, one of the most important aspects of the breakout is timing. Practice and repetition are required to perfect the timing of the breakout. The simplest way to practice the power-play breakout is to have the players break the puck out without any pressure at all from the penalty-kill forecheck. This will enable the members of the power play to familiarize themselves with their positions and their roles without having to initially worry about pressure from the penalty killers.
Team Drill 1: Progressive Penalty Killers
Power-play players start on the far blue line. The coach stands at center ice with the puck. The coach dumps the puck, and the players move to their breakout positions and start the breakout (figure 14.13). The coach can pressure initially. The progression is to add two, three, and then four penalty killers. Once the power play has entered the offensive zone, the coach blows the whistle and throws a new puck back into the breakout zone, and the players do it again. The original puck is dead at this point. Give the first power-play group approximately two or three repetitions before switching to the next group.
If your team has only half ice during practice, power-play players can start on the red line instead of the far blue line for this drill.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521440_ebook_Main.jpg
Team drill 1: progressive penalty killers.
Team Drill 2: Breakout
Players start in their offensive zone setup against the penalty kill. Players move the puck for approximately 10 seconds, and then the coach blows the whistle. Once the whistle sounds, the coach throws a puck into the defensive zone, and the power-play unit has to skate back into the zone into breakout position (figure 14.14). The penalty killers then start their forechecks. The drill should run for 40 seconds total, including the 10 seconds to start the drill in the offensive zone. If the power play breaks the puck out easily and gains zone entry, the coach should blow the whistle and throw a new puck back into the defensive zone for them to start again.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521441_ebook_Main.jpg
Team drill 2: breakout.
Individual Drill 1: Defensemen
This is a defenseman-oriented drill. Defenders collect the puck behind the net, move it to their forehands, and either use the net or counter before passing to a player on the wall (figure 14.15).
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521442_ebook_Main.jpg
Individual drill 1: defensemen.
Individual Drill 2: Four-Dot Chip Drill
The four-dot chip drill will help players get used to supporting the puck and chipping past forecheckers in the neutral zone. For the four dots, you can use players, coaches, or cones (figure 14.16). Two players start at opposite sides on one end of the ice. The far player skates toward the puck carrier on the other side and receives the puck. He makes a chip pass off the boards that is retrieved by her partner. They continue up the ice, chipping the puck off the boards and skating around the dots, until they reach the other end of the ice. The player with the puck finishes by taking a shot at the net.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521443_ebook_Main.jpg
Individual drill 2: four-dot chip drill.
Respect for Rules and Officials
Another area that tests the integrity of coaches, players, and fans is the relationship we have with the rules of the game and those who are there to enforce the rules.
Respect for Rules and Officials
Another area that tests the integrity of coaches, players, and fans is the relationship we have with the rules of the game and those who are there to enforce the rules. As a coach, it is my responsibility to make sure the players know the rules and the consequences for breaking them. At the college level, we have NCAA-established on-ice and off-ice rules, conference rules, and team rules. Respecting rules is a priority that needs to be established early.
One area in which our culture has slipped a little is in respect for officials. How we approach officials and how we react when certain circumstances come up are things I have to anticipate and teach as part of our own team culture.
We have had on-ice situations in which officials have made egregious errors. My players will be affected by how I react in these situations. Having served as a conference commissioner, I am able to understand both sides in these situations. Sure, it's frustrating. I know that the players will take a cue from how I respond. So I want to set an example as to how we - all of us - will react when, quite clearly, we have been victimized by an incorrect call or a rule interpretation.
One approach I've taken is to emphasize that we, as a team, have to get good enough to play through bad breaks or calls that might be incorrect. We take responsibility for how things go. The focus stays on our team and those things we can control. Educated people will know when we have been the victims of something that might not have gone right. You don't need a public show to make you look better.
At the same time, there needs to be a balance. Players want to know that you will stand up for them. You can take steps privately to support your team when you feel victimized. But it does no good to make a public scene with the official in front of the team or, as sometimes happens, with the media in a postgame press conference.
Former University of Vermont head coach Mike Gilligan earned the respect of his peers when, during an NCAA Frozen Four semifinal, his fast-skating team was victimized first by sloppy ice conditions due to a broken pipe below the ice surface and second by a goal in overtime that was due, in part, to an illegal hand pass that was missed by the officials. When asked about the ice, Gilligan noted that both teams had to play under the same conditions, offered up no excuses, and gave praise to the winning team. He made no comments about the factors that led to the winning goal.
I've had some experience with poor ice conditions, once when I was a commissioner and our conference hosted an indoor Frozen Four at Detroit's Ford Field, and once when our team played outside at Comerica Park. In both instances, the ice was not up to normal expectations. I found that all the coaches did a good job acknowledging the conditions but refused to use it as an excuse.
In these instances, when players are asked, I tell them that I don't expect them to lie or make up a story. They can tell the truth about the conditions but should always acknowledge the basic point that those conditions were the same for all participants and not to use them as an excuse.
One additional angle to the participant - official relationship is that I've had officials come to me some time after an incident and acknowledge that they had reviewed a tape and seen they made a mistake. Likewise, I have gone into the locker room between periods, looked at video, and realized what I thought I saw in real time was not the case. In that instance, I made a point to come out at the start of the next period and admit I was wrong to the officials.
Isn't this the way we want people to live their lives? Taking responsibility for their actions? These are teaching moments that coaches need to capitalize on.
Gap Control
No defenseman likes to get beaten one on one. The most embarrassing moment for a defenseman is when a forward skates by him.
Gap Control
No defenseman likes to get beaten one on one. The most embarrassing moment for a defenseman is when a forward skates by him. To compensate for this, defensemen tend to back up into the offensive zone and allow the opposing player time and space with the puck (figure 8.1). All players want time and space to make plays, especially when entering the offensive zone. It is very difficult to be a good defenseman if you don't have good gap control.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521301_ebook_Main.jpg
The defenseman (D) maintains the gap as the forward (F) moves up the ice.
Gap control usually starts when a defenseman leaves the offensive blue line. Often when the puck is in the offensive zone, defensemen will stand near the offensive blue line regardless of what is happening in the zone. The blue line is there for one reason and one reason only - offsides. The only time a defenseman should be standing on the offensive blue line is when his team has complete control of the puck. This will allow more space for the forwards when they have the puck as the defenseman becomes an outlet for them.
The blue line does not determine where gap control begins. A defenseman's gap when leaving the offensive zone should be established by how high the opposing forwards are. The longer the play is in the offensive zone, the deeper the opposing forwards tend to be. It is much easier to establish a good gap leaving the offensive blue line by using the opposing forwards as a measuring point. By establishing a good gap, the defensemen can slow down the opposing team's transition game. When the defense can slow down the opposition leaving their defensive zone, they allow the defensive team to apply back pressure (back pressure is when the defensive team's forwards are able to pursue the puck carrier from behind; see figure 8.2).
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521302_ebook_Main.jpg
Forward on the defenseman's team provides back pressure on the opposing forward who has the puck. The defenseman's ability to slow the forward helps his teammate provide pressure from behind.
The gap established when leaving the offensive blue line is the gap established through the neutral zone and entering the defensive zone. A good gap leaving the offensive blue line allows the defenseman to come through the neutral zone and enter the defensive zone with speed. It is difficult to play a one-on-one attack if the defenseman has to slow down as he enters the defensive zone. While he's slowing down, the opposing forward is usually picking up speed. That is when a defenseman is most susceptible to getting beaten one on one. A good gap allows the defenseman to maintain the same speed as the opposing forward. It also will slow down the forward entering the offensive zone, making him less dangerous. It is difficult for a forward to create offense when a defenseman has established a good gap entering the defensive zone.
Also, if the forward is flying out of the zone, the defenseman might have to get going quickly by first skating forward and then pivoting backward once the proper gap is established. And finally, with regard to vertical gap, the defenseman wants to maintain the good gap from blue line to blue line. This requires that he judge the forward's speed and adjust his own while using good C-cuts, not crossovers.
Sometimes the forward might be skating very fast but in more of a serpentine route. In this situation, his velocity made good (or VMG, a common sailing term) up the ice will not be as fast as it looks. Defensemen must not be fooled. They must judge their opponent's VMG and adjust their speed accordingly.
When talking about gap control, people immediately think of the gap as the space between the forward and the defenseman vertically. What often gets overlooked is the lateral gap. When a defenseman has established a good vertical gap, most forwards will then take the puck to the outside. The mistake most defensemen make is to keep backing up as the forward goes wide. Once the defenseman does this, he loses the advantage he had by establishing a good gap. He's now given the puck-carrying forward time and space to make a play.
Therefore, it is just as important to keep a good lateral gap as it is a vertical gap. The wider the forward goes with the puck, the wider the defenseman should be (figure 8.3). The defenseman should always try to keep his outside shoulder in line with the forward's inside shoulder. This will prevent the forward from cutting back inside and will force him to the outside. There, the defenseman can pivot and take the proper angle at the forward.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521303_ebook_Main.jpg
Maintaining good lateral gap control means the defenseman moves wide with the forward.
Eventually the defenseman will run or angle the forward into the boards. Good gap control by defensemen will cause turnovers inside the defensive blue line and help the defensive team's transition game. Unexpected turnovers are a great way to create offense for a team.
Another way to establish good gap control is following the play up ice. Once the puck is broken out of the defensive zone, the defenseman's responsibilities are to either jump into the play to create an odd-man rush offensively or to follow the play in case a turnover occurs, in which case he needs to create a good gap defensively. The defenseman's job isn't finished once the puck has left the defensive zone. He must always put himself in the best position possible to play defense and establish a good gap. An unexpected turnover in the neutral zone can quickly turn into a scoring chance for the other team. If the puck is turned over in the neutral zone and the defenseman hasn't followed the play up ice, it will be very difficult for a defenseman to establish a good gap because of the amount of space between himself and the forward. The defenseman must always be conscious of creating a good gap. It is one of the most important aspects of playing good defense.
Practicing the Power-Play Breakout
There are several ways to practice the power-play breakout. As discussed earlier, one of the most important aspects of the breakout is timing.
Practicing the Power-Play Breakout
There are several ways to practice the power-play breakout. As discussed earlier, one of the most important aspects of the breakout is timing. Practice and repetition are required to perfect the timing of the breakout. The simplest way to practice the power-play breakout is to have the players break the puck out without any pressure at all from the penalty-kill forecheck. This will enable the members of the power play to familiarize themselves with their positions and their roles without having to initially worry about pressure from the penalty killers.
Team Drill 1: Progressive Penalty Killers
Power-play players start on the far blue line. The coach stands at center ice with the puck. The coach dumps the puck, and the players move to their breakout positions and start the breakout (figure 14.13). The coach can pressure initially. The progression is to add two, three, and then four penalty killers. Once the power play has entered the offensive zone, the coach blows the whistle and throws a new puck back into the breakout zone, and the players do it again. The original puck is dead at this point. Give the first power-play group approximately two or three repetitions before switching to the next group.
If your team has only half ice during practice, power-play players can start on the red line instead of the far blue line for this drill.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521440_ebook_Main.jpg
Team drill 1: progressive penalty killers.
Team Drill 2: Breakout
Players start in their offensive zone setup against the penalty kill. Players move the puck for approximately 10 seconds, and then the coach blows the whistle. Once the whistle sounds, the coach throws a puck into the defensive zone, and the power-play unit has to skate back into the zone into breakout position (figure 14.14). The penalty killers then start their forechecks. The drill should run for 40 seconds total, including the 10 seconds to start the drill in the offensive zone. If the power play breaks the puck out easily and gains zone entry, the coach should blow the whistle and throw a new puck back into the defensive zone for them to start again.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521441_ebook_Main.jpg
Team drill 2: breakout.
Individual Drill 1: Defensemen
This is a defenseman-oriented drill. Defenders collect the puck behind the net, move it to their forehands, and either use the net or counter before passing to a player on the wall (figure 14.15).
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521442_ebook_Main.jpg
Individual drill 1: defensemen.
Individual Drill 2: Four-Dot Chip Drill
The four-dot chip drill will help players get used to supporting the puck and chipping past forecheckers in the neutral zone. For the four dots, you can use players, coaches, or cones (figure 14.16). Two players start at opposite sides on one end of the ice. The far player skates toward the puck carrier on the other side and receives the puck. He makes a chip pass off the boards that is retrieved by her partner. They continue up the ice, chipping the puck off the boards and skating around the dots, until they reach the other end of the ice. The player with the puck finishes by taking a shot at the net.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521443_ebook_Main.jpg
Individual drill 2: four-dot chip drill.
Respect for Rules and Officials
Another area that tests the integrity of coaches, players, and fans is the relationship we have with the rules of the game and those who are there to enforce the rules.
Respect for Rules and Officials
Another area that tests the integrity of coaches, players, and fans is the relationship we have with the rules of the game and those who are there to enforce the rules. As a coach, it is my responsibility to make sure the players know the rules and the consequences for breaking them. At the college level, we have NCAA-established on-ice and off-ice rules, conference rules, and team rules. Respecting rules is a priority that needs to be established early.
One area in which our culture has slipped a little is in respect for officials. How we approach officials and how we react when certain circumstances come up are things I have to anticipate and teach as part of our own team culture.
We have had on-ice situations in which officials have made egregious errors. My players will be affected by how I react in these situations. Having served as a conference commissioner, I am able to understand both sides in these situations. Sure, it's frustrating. I know that the players will take a cue from how I respond. So I want to set an example as to how we - all of us - will react when, quite clearly, we have been victimized by an incorrect call or a rule interpretation.
One approach I've taken is to emphasize that we, as a team, have to get good enough to play through bad breaks or calls that might be incorrect. We take responsibility for how things go. The focus stays on our team and those things we can control. Educated people will know when we have been the victims of something that might not have gone right. You don't need a public show to make you look better.
At the same time, there needs to be a balance. Players want to know that you will stand up for them. You can take steps privately to support your team when you feel victimized. But it does no good to make a public scene with the official in front of the team or, as sometimes happens, with the media in a postgame press conference.
Former University of Vermont head coach Mike Gilligan earned the respect of his peers when, during an NCAA Frozen Four semifinal, his fast-skating team was victimized first by sloppy ice conditions due to a broken pipe below the ice surface and second by a goal in overtime that was due, in part, to an illegal hand pass that was missed by the officials. When asked about the ice, Gilligan noted that both teams had to play under the same conditions, offered up no excuses, and gave praise to the winning team. He made no comments about the factors that led to the winning goal.
I've had some experience with poor ice conditions, once when I was a commissioner and our conference hosted an indoor Frozen Four at Detroit's Ford Field, and once when our team played outside at Comerica Park. In both instances, the ice was not up to normal expectations. I found that all the coaches did a good job acknowledging the conditions but refused to use it as an excuse.
In these instances, when players are asked, I tell them that I don't expect them to lie or make up a story. They can tell the truth about the conditions but should always acknowledge the basic point that those conditions were the same for all participants and not to use them as an excuse.
One additional angle to the participant - official relationship is that I've had officials come to me some time after an incident and acknowledge that they had reviewed a tape and seen they made a mistake. Likewise, I have gone into the locker room between periods, looked at video, and realized what I thought I saw in real time was not the case. In that instance, I made a point to come out at the start of the next period and admit I was wrong to the officials.
Isn't this the way we want people to live their lives? Taking responsibility for their actions? These are teaching moments that coaches need to capitalize on.
Gap Control
No defenseman likes to get beaten one on one. The most embarrassing moment for a defenseman is when a forward skates by him.
Gap Control
No defenseman likes to get beaten one on one. The most embarrassing moment for a defenseman is when a forward skates by him. To compensate for this, defensemen tend to back up into the offensive zone and allow the opposing player time and space with the puck (figure 8.1). All players want time and space to make plays, especially when entering the offensive zone. It is very difficult to be a good defenseman if you don't have good gap control.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521301_ebook_Main.jpg
The defenseman (D) maintains the gap as the forward (F) moves up the ice.
Gap control usually starts when a defenseman leaves the offensive blue line. Often when the puck is in the offensive zone, defensemen will stand near the offensive blue line regardless of what is happening in the zone. The blue line is there for one reason and one reason only - offsides. The only time a defenseman should be standing on the offensive blue line is when his team has complete control of the puck. This will allow more space for the forwards when they have the puck as the defenseman becomes an outlet for them.
The blue line does not determine where gap control begins. A defenseman's gap when leaving the offensive zone should be established by how high the opposing forwards are. The longer the play is in the offensive zone, the deeper the opposing forwards tend to be. It is much easier to establish a good gap leaving the offensive blue line by using the opposing forwards as a measuring point. By establishing a good gap, the defensemen can slow down the opposing team's transition game. When the defense can slow down the opposition leaving their defensive zone, they allow the defensive team to apply back pressure (back pressure is when the defensive team's forwards are able to pursue the puck carrier from behind; see figure 8.2).
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521302_ebook_Main.jpg
Forward on the defenseman's team provides back pressure on the opposing forward who has the puck. The defenseman's ability to slow the forward helps his teammate provide pressure from behind.
The gap established when leaving the offensive blue line is the gap established through the neutral zone and entering the defensive zone. A good gap leaving the offensive blue line allows the defenseman to come through the neutral zone and enter the defensive zone with speed. It is difficult to play a one-on-one attack if the defenseman has to slow down as he enters the defensive zone. While he's slowing down, the opposing forward is usually picking up speed. That is when a defenseman is most susceptible to getting beaten one on one. A good gap allows the defenseman to maintain the same speed as the opposing forward. It also will slow down the forward entering the offensive zone, making him less dangerous. It is difficult for a forward to create offense when a defenseman has established a good gap entering the defensive zone.
Also, if the forward is flying out of the zone, the defenseman might have to get going quickly by first skating forward and then pivoting backward once the proper gap is established. And finally, with regard to vertical gap, the defenseman wants to maintain the good gap from blue line to blue line. This requires that he judge the forward's speed and adjust his own while using good C-cuts, not crossovers.
Sometimes the forward might be skating very fast but in more of a serpentine route. In this situation, his velocity made good (or VMG, a common sailing term) up the ice will not be as fast as it looks. Defensemen must not be fooled. They must judge their opponent's VMG and adjust their speed accordingly.
When talking about gap control, people immediately think of the gap as the space between the forward and the defenseman vertically. What often gets overlooked is the lateral gap. When a defenseman has established a good vertical gap, most forwards will then take the puck to the outside. The mistake most defensemen make is to keep backing up as the forward goes wide. Once the defenseman does this, he loses the advantage he had by establishing a good gap. He's now given the puck-carrying forward time and space to make a play.
Therefore, it is just as important to keep a good lateral gap as it is a vertical gap. The wider the forward goes with the puck, the wider the defenseman should be (figure 8.3). The defenseman should always try to keep his outside shoulder in line with the forward's inside shoulder. This will prevent the forward from cutting back inside and will force him to the outside. There, the defenseman can pivot and take the proper angle at the forward.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521303_ebook_Main.jpg
Maintaining good lateral gap control means the defenseman moves wide with the forward.
Eventually the defenseman will run or angle the forward into the boards. Good gap control by defensemen will cause turnovers inside the defensive blue line and help the defensive team's transition game. Unexpected turnovers are a great way to create offense for a team.
Another way to establish good gap control is following the play up ice. Once the puck is broken out of the defensive zone, the defenseman's responsibilities are to either jump into the play to create an odd-man rush offensively or to follow the play in case a turnover occurs, in which case he needs to create a good gap defensively. The defenseman's job isn't finished once the puck has left the defensive zone. He must always put himself in the best position possible to play defense and establish a good gap. An unexpected turnover in the neutral zone can quickly turn into a scoring chance for the other team. If the puck is turned over in the neutral zone and the defenseman hasn't followed the play up ice, it will be very difficult for a defenseman to establish a good gap because of the amount of space between himself and the forward. The defenseman must always be conscious of creating a good gap. It is one of the most important aspects of playing good defense.
Practicing the Power-Play Breakout
There are several ways to practice the power-play breakout. As discussed earlier, one of the most important aspects of the breakout is timing.
Practicing the Power-Play Breakout
There are several ways to practice the power-play breakout. As discussed earlier, one of the most important aspects of the breakout is timing. Practice and repetition are required to perfect the timing of the breakout. The simplest way to practice the power-play breakout is to have the players break the puck out without any pressure at all from the penalty-kill forecheck. This will enable the members of the power play to familiarize themselves with their positions and their roles without having to initially worry about pressure from the penalty killers.
Team Drill 1: Progressive Penalty Killers
Power-play players start on the far blue line. The coach stands at center ice with the puck. The coach dumps the puck, and the players move to their breakout positions and start the breakout (figure 14.13). The coach can pressure initially. The progression is to add two, three, and then four penalty killers. Once the power play has entered the offensive zone, the coach blows the whistle and throws a new puck back into the breakout zone, and the players do it again. The original puck is dead at this point. Give the first power-play group approximately two or three repetitions before switching to the next group.
If your team has only half ice during practice, power-play players can start on the red line instead of the far blue line for this drill.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521440_ebook_Main.jpg
Team drill 1: progressive penalty killers.
Team Drill 2: Breakout
Players start in their offensive zone setup against the penalty kill. Players move the puck for approximately 10 seconds, and then the coach blows the whistle. Once the whistle sounds, the coach throws a puck into the defensive zone, and the power-play unit has to skate back into the zone into breakout position (figure 14.14). The penalty killers then start their forechecks. The drill should run for 40 seconds total, including the 10 seconds to start the drill in the offensive zone. If the power play breaks the puck out easily and gains zone entry, the coach should blow the whistle and throw a new puck back into the defensive zone for them to start again.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521441_ebook_Main.jpg
Team drill 2: breakout.
Individual Drill 1: Defensemen
This is a defenseman-oriented drill. Defenders collect the puck behind the net, move it to their forehands, and either use the net or counter before passing to a player on the wall (figure 14.15).
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521442_ebook_Main.jpg
Individual drill 1: defensemen.
Individual Drill 2: Four-Dot Chip Drill
The four-dot chip drill will help players get used to supporting the puck and chipping past forecheckers in the neutral zone. For the four dots, you can use players, coaches, or cones (figure 14.16). Two players start at opposite sides on one end of the ice. The far player skates toward the puck carrier on the other side and receives the puck. He makes a chip pass off the boards that is retrieved by her partner. They continue up the ice, chipping the puck off the boards and skating around the dots, until they reach the other end of the ice. The player with the puck finishes by taking a shot at the net.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521443_ebook_Main.jpg
Individual drill 2: four-dot chip drill.
Respect for Rules and Officials
Another area that tests the integrity of coaches, players, and fans is the relationship we have with the rules of the game and those who are there to enforce the rules.
Respect for Rules and Officials
Another area that tests the integrity of coaches, players, and fans is the relationship we have with the rules of the game and those who are there to enforce the rules. As a coach, it is my responsibility to make sure the players know the rules and the consequences for breaking them. At the college level, we have NCAA-established on-ice and off-ice rules, conference rules, and team rules. Respecting rules is a priority that needs to be established early.
One area in which our culture has slipped a little is in respect for officials. How we approach officials and how we react when certain circumstances come up are things I have to anticipate and teach as part of our own team culture.
We have had on-ice situations in which officials have made egregious errors. My players will be affected by how I react in these situations. Having served as a conference commissioner, I am able to understand both sides in these situations. Sure, it's frustrating. I know that the players will take a cue from how I respond. So I want to set an example as to how we - all of us - will react when, quite clearly, we have been victimized by an incorrect call or a rule interpretation.
One approach I've taken is to emphasize that we, as a team, have to get good enough to play through bad breaks or calls that might be incorrect. We take responsibility for how things go. The focus stays on our team and those things we can control. Educated people will know when we have been the victims of something that might not have gone right. You don't need a public show to make you look better.
At the same time, there needs to be a balance. Players want to know that you will stand up for them. You can take steps privately to support your team when you feel victimized. But it does no good to make a public scene with the official in front of the team or, as sometimes happens, with the media in a postgame press conference.
Former University of Vermont head coach Mike Gilligan earned the respect of his peers when, during an NCAA Frozen Four semifinal, his fast-skating team was victimized first by sloppy ice conditions due to a broken pipe below the ice surface and second by a goal in overtime that was due, in part, to an illegal hand pass that was missed by the officials. When asked about the ice, Gilligan noted that both teams had to play under the same conditions, offered up no excuses, and gave praise to the winning team. He made no comments about the factors that led to the winning goal.
I've had some experience with poor ice conditions, once when I was a commissioner and our conference hosted an indoor Frozen Four at Detroit's Ford Field, and once when our team played outside at Comerica Park. In both instances, the ice was not up to normal expectations. I found that all the coaches did a good job acknowledging the conditions but refused to use it as an excuse.
In these instances, when players are asked, I tell them that I don't expect them to lie or make up a story. They can tell the truth about the conditions but should always acknowledge the basic point that those conditions were the same for all participants and not to use them as an excuse.
One additional angle to the participant - official relationship is that I've had officials come to me some time after an incident and acknowledge that they had reviewed a tape and seen they made a mistake. Likewise, I have gone into the locker room between periods, looked at video, and realized what I thought I saw in real time was not the case. In that instance, I made a point to come out at the start of the next period and admit I was wrong to the officials.
Isn't this the way we want people to live their lives? Taking responsibility for their actions? These are teaching moments that coaches need to capitalize on.
Gap Control
No defenseman likes to get beaten one on one. The most embarrassing moment for a defenseman is when a forward skates by him.
Gap Control
No defenseman likes to get beaten one on one. The most embarrassing moment for a defenseman is when a forward skates by him. To compensate for this, defensemen tend to back up into the offensive zone and allow the opposing player time and space with the puck (figure 8.1). All players want time and space to make plays, especially when entering the offensive zone. It is very difficult to be a good defenseman if you don't have good gap control.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521301_ebook_Main.jpg
The defenseman (D) maintains the gap as the forward (F) moves up the ice.
Gap control usually starts when a defenseman leaves the offensive blue line. Often when the puck is in the offensive zone, defensemen will stand near the offensive blue line regardless of what is happening in the zone. The blue line is there for one reason and one reason only - offsides. The only time a defenseman should be standing on the offensive blue line is when his team has complete control of the puck. This will allow more space for the forwards when they have the puck as the defenseman becomes an outlet for them.
The blue line does not determine where gap control begins. A defenseman's gap when leaving the offensive zone should be established by how high the opposing forwards are. The longer the play is in the offensive zone, the deeper the opposing forwards tend to be. It is much easier to establish a good gap leaving the offensive blue line by using the opposing forwards as a measuring point. By establishing a good gap, the defensemen can slow down the opposing team's transition game. When the defense can slow down the opposition leaving their defensive zone, they allow the defensive team to apply back pressure (back pressure is when the defensive team's forwards are able to pursue the puck carrier from behind; see figure 8.2).
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521302_ebook_Main.jpg
Forward on the defenseman's team provides back pressure on the opposing forward who has the puck. The defenseman's ability to slow the forward helps his teammate provide pressure from behind.
The gap established when leaving the offensive blue line is the gap established through the neutral zone and entering the defensive zone. A good gap leaving the offensive blue line allows the defenseman to come through the neutral zone and enter the defensive zone with speed. It is difficult to play a one-on-one attack if the defenseman has to slow down as he enters the defensive zone. While he's slowing down, the opposing forward is usually picking up speed. That is when a defenseman is most susceptible to getting beaten one on one. A good gap allows the defenseman to maintain the same speed as the opposing forward. It also will slow down the forward entering the offensive zone, making him less dangerous. It is difficult for a forward to create offense when a defenseman has established a good gap entering the defensive zone.
Also, if the forward is flying out of the zone, the defenseman might have to get going quickly by first skating forward and then pivoting backward once the proper gap is established. And finally, with regard to vertical gap, the defenseman wants to maintain the good gap from blue line to blue line. This requires that he judge the forward's speed and adjust his own while using good C-cuts, not crossovers.
Sometimes the forward might be skating very fast but in more of a serpentine route. In this situation, his velocity made good (or VMG, a common sailing term) up the ice will not be as fast as it looks. Defensemen must not be fooled. They must judge their opponent's VMG and adjust their speed accordingly.
When talking about gap control, people immediately think of the gap as the space between the forward and the defenseman vertically. What often gets overlooked is the lateral gap. When a defenseman has established a good vertical gap, most forwards will then take the puck to the outside. The mistake most defensemen make is to keep backing up as the forward goes wide. Once the defenseman does this, he loses the advantage he had by establishing a good gap. He's now given the puck-carrying forward time and space to make a play.
Therefore, it is just as important to keep a good lateral gap as it is a vertical gap. The wider the forward goes with the puck, the wider the defenseman should be (figure 8.3). The defenseman should always try to keep his outside shoulder in line with the forward's inside shoulder. This will prevent the forward from cutting back inside and will force him to the outside. There, the defenseman can pivot and take the proper angle at the forward.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521303_ebook_Main.jpg
Maintaining good lateral gap control means the defenseman moves wide with the forward.
Eventually the defenseman will run or angle the forward into the boards. Good gap control by defensemen will cause turnovers inside the defensive blue line and help the defensive team's transition game. Unexpected turnovers are a great way to create offense for a team.
Another way to establish good gap control is following the play up ice. Once the puck is broken out of the defensive zone, the defenseman's responsibilities are to either jump into the play to create an odd-man rush offensively or to follow the play in case a turnover occurs, in which case he needs to create a good gap defensively. The defenseman's job isn't finished once the puck has left the defensive zone. He must always put himself in the best position possible to play defense and establish a good gap. An unexpected turnover in the neutral zone can quickly turn into a scoring chance for the other team. If the puck is turned over in the neutral zone and the defenseman hasn't followed the play up ice, it will be very difficult for a defenseman to establish a good gap because of the amount of space between himself and the forward. The defenseman must always be conscious of creating a good gap. It is one of the most important aspects of playing good defense.
Practicing the Power-Play Breakout
There are several ways to practice the power-play breakout. As discussed earlier, one of the most important aspects of the breakout is timing.
Practicing the Power-Play Breakout
There are several ways to practice the power-play breakout. As discussed earlier, one of the most important aspects of the breakout is timing. Practice and repetition are required to perfect the timing of the breakout. The simplest way to practice the power-play breakout is to have the players break the puck out without any pressure at all from the penalty-kill forecheck. This will enable the members of the power play to familiarize themselves with their positions and their roles without having to initially worry about pressure from the penalty killers.
Team Drill 1: Progressive Penalty Killers
Power-play players start on the far blue line. The coach stands at center ice with the puck. The coach dumps the puck, and the players move to their breakout positions and start the breakout (figure 14.13). The coach can pressure initially. The progression is to add two, three, and then four penalty killers. Once the power play has entered the offensive zone, the coach blows the whistle and throws a new puck back into the breakout zone, and the players do it again. The original puck is dead at this point. Give the first power-play group approximately two or three repetitions before switching to the next group.
If your team has only half ice during practice, power-play players can start on the red line instead of the far blue line for this drill.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521440_ebook_Main.jpg
Team drill 1: progressive penalty killers.
Team Drill 2: Breakout
Players start in their offensive zone setup against the penalty kill. Players move the puck for approximately 10 seconds, and then the coach blows the whistle. Once the whistle sounds, the coach throws a puck into the defensive zone, and the power-play unit has to skate back into the zone into breakout position (figure 14.14). The penalty killers then start their forechecks. The drill should run for 40 seconds total, including the 10 seconds to start the drill in the offensive zone. If the power play breaks the puck out easily and gains zone entry, the coach should blow the whistle and throw a new puck back into the defensive zone for them to start again.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521441_ebook_Main.jpg
Team drill 2: breakout.
Individual Drill 1: Defensemen
This is a defenseman-oriented drill. Defenders collect the puck behind the net, move it to their forehands, and either use the net or counter before passing to a player on the wall (figure 14.15).
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521442_ebook_Main.jpg
Individual drill 1: defensemen.
Individual Drill 2: Four-Dot Chip Drill
The four-dot chip drill will help players get used to supporting the puck and chipping past forecheckers in the neutral zone. For the four dots, you can use players, coaches, or cones (figure 14.16). Two players start at opposite sides on one end of the ice. The far player skates toward the puck carrier on the other side and receives the puck. He makes a chip pass off the boards that is retrieved by her partner. They continue up the ice, chipping the puck off the boards and skating around the dots, until they reach the other end of the ice. The player with the puck finishes by taking a shot at the net.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521443_ebook_Main.jpg
Individual drill 2: four-dot chip drill.
Respect for Rules and Officials
Another area that tests the integrity of coaches, players, and fans is the relationship we have with the rules of the game and those who are there to enforce the rules.
Respect for Rules and Officials
Another area that tests the integrity of coaches, players, and fans is the relationship we have with the rules of the game and those who are there to enforce the rules. As a coach, it is my responsibility to make sure the players know the rules and the consequences for breaking them. At the college level, we have NCAA-established on-ice and off-ice rules, conference rules, and team rules. Respecting rules is a priority that needs to be established early.
One area in which our culture has slipped a little is in respect for officials. How we approach officials and how we react when certain circumstances come up are things I have to anticipate and teach as part of our own team culture.
We have had on-ice situations in which officials have made egregious errors. My players will be affected by how I react in these situations. Having served as a conference commissioner, I am able to understand both sides in these situations. Sure, it's frustrating. I know that the players will take a cue from how I respond. So I want to set an example as to how we - all of us - will react when, quite clearly, we have been victimized by an incorrect call or a rule interpretation.
One approach I've taken is to emphasize that we, as a team, have to get good enough to play through bad breaks or calls that might be incorrect. We take responsibility for how things go. The focus stays on our team and those things we can control. Educated people will know when we have been the victims of something that might not have gone right. You don't need a public show to make you look better.
At the same time, there needs to be a balance. Players want to know that you will stand up for them. You can take steps privately to support your team when you feel victimized. But it does no good to make a public scene with the official in front of the team or, as sometimes happens, with the media in a postgame press conference.
Former University of Vermont head coach Mike Gilligan earned the respect of his peers when, during an NCAA Frozen Four semifinal, his fast-skating team was victimized first by sloppy ice conditions due to a broken pipe below the ice surface and second by a goal in overtime that was due, in part, to an illegal hand pass that was missed by the officials. When asked about the ice, Gilligan noted that both teams had to play under the same conditions, offered up no excuses, and gave praise to the winning team. He made no comments about the factors that led to the winning goal.
I've had some experience with poor ice conditions, once when I was a commissioner and our conference hosted an indoor Frozen Four at Detroit's Ford Field, and once when our team played outside at Comerica Park. In both instances, the ice was not up to normal expectations. I found that all the coaches did a good job acknowledging the conditions but refused to use it as an excuse.
In these instances, when players are asked, I tell them that I don't expect them to lie or make up a story. They can tell the truth about the conditions but should always acknowledge the basic point that those conditions were the same for all participants and not to use them as an excuse.
One additional angle to the participant - official relationship is that I've had officials come to me some time after an incident and acknowledge that they had reviewed a tape and seen they made a mistake. Likewise, I have gone into the locker room between periods, looked at video, and realized what I thought I saw in real time was not the case. In that instance, I made a point to come out at the start of the next period and admit I was wrong to the officials.
Isn't this the way we want people to live their lives? Taking responsibility for their actions? These are teaching moments that coaches need to capitalize on.
Gap Control
No defenseman likes to get beaten one on one. The most embarrassing moment for a defenseman is when a forward skates by him.
Gap Control
No defenseman likes to get beaten one on one. The most embarrassing moment for a defenseman is when a forward skates by him. To compensate for this, defensemen tend to back up into the offensive zone and allow the opposing player time and space with the puck (figure 8.1). All players want time and space to make plays, especially when entering the offensive zone. It is very difficult to be a good defenseman if you don't have good gap control.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521301_ebook_Main.jpg
The defenseman (D) maintains the gap as the forward (F) moves up the ice.
Gap control usually starts when a defenseman leaves the offensive blue line. Often when the puck is in the offensive zone, defensemen will stand near the offensive blue line regardless of what is happening in the zone. The blue line is there for one reason and one reason only - offsides. The only time a defenseman should be standing on the offensive blue line is when his team has complete control of the puck. This will allow more space for the forwards when they have the puck as the defenseman becomes an outlet for them.
The blue line does not determine where gap control begins. A defenseman's gap when leaving the offensive zone should be established by how high the opposing forwards are. The longer the play is in the offensive zone, the deeper the opposing forwards tend to be. It is much easier to establish a good gap leaving the offensive blue line by using the opposing forwards as a measuring point. By establishing a good gap, the defensemen can slow down the opposing team's transition game. When the defense can slow down the opposition leaving their defensive zone, they allow the defensive team to apply back pressure (back pressure is when the defensive team's forwards are able to pursue the puck carrier from behind; see figure 8.2).
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521302_ebook_Main.jpg
Forward on the defenseman's team provides back pressure on the opposing forward who has the puck. The defenseman's ability to slow the forward helps his teammate provide pressure from behind.
The gap established when leaving the offensive blue line is the gap established through the neutral zone and entering the defensive zone. A good gap leaving the offensive blue line allows the defenseman to come through the neutral zone and enter the defensive zone with speed. It is difficult to play a one-on-one attack if the defenseman has to slow down as he enters the defensive zone. While he's slowing down, the opposing forward is usually picking up speed. That is when a defenseman is most susceptible to getting beaten one on one. A good gap allows the defenseman to maintain the same speed as the opposing forward. It also will slow down the forward entering the offensive zone, making him less dangerous. It is difficult for a forward to create offense when a defenseman has established a good gap entering the defensive zone.
Also, if the forward is flying out of the zone, the defenseman might have to get going quickly by first skating forward and then pivoting backward once the proper gap is established. And finally, with regard to vertical gap, the defenseman wants to maintain the good gap from blue line to blue line. This requires that he judge the forward's speed and adjust his own while using good C-cuts, not crossovers.
Sometimes the forward might be skating very fast but in more of a serpentine route. In this situation, his velocity made good (or VMG, a common sailing term) up the ice will not be as fast as it looks. Defensemen must not be fooled. They must judge their opponent's VMG and adjust their speed accordingly.
When talking about gap control, people immediately think of the gap as the space between the forward and the defenseman vertically. What often gets overlooked is the lateral gap. When a defenseman has established a good vertical gap, most forwards will then take the puck to the outside. The mistake most defensemen make is to keep backing up as the forward goes wide. Once the defenseman does this, he loses the advantage he had by establishing a good gap. He's now given the puck-carrying forward time and space to make a play.
Therefore, it is just as important to keep a good lateral gap as it is a vertical gap. The wider the forward goes with the puck, the wider the defenseman should be (figure 8.3). The defenseman should always try to keep his outside shoulder in line with the forward's inside shoulder. This will prevent the forward from cutting back inside and will force him to the outside. There, the defenseman can pivot and take the proper angle at the forward.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521303_ebook_Main.jpg
Maintaining good lateral gap control means the defenseman moves wide with the forward.
Eventually the defenseman will run or angle the forward into the boards. Good gap control by defensemen will cause turnovers inside the defensive blue line and help the defensive team's transition game. Unexpected turnovers are a great way to create offense for a team.
Another way to establish good gap control is following the play up ice. Once the puck is broken out of the defensive zone, the defenseman's responsibilities are to either jump into the play to create an odd-man rush offensively or to follow the play in case a turnover occurs, in which case he needs to create a good gap defensively. The defenseman's job isn't finished once the puck has left the defensive zone. He must always put himself in the best position possible to play defense and establish a good gap. An unexpected turnover in the neutral zone can quickly turn into a scoring chance for the other team. If the puck is turned over in the neutral zone and the defenseman hasn't followed the play up ice, it will be very difficult for a defenseman to establish a good gap because of the amount of space between himself and the forward. The defenseman must always be conscious of creating a good gap. It is one of the most important aspects of playing good defense.
Practicing the Power-Play Breakout
There are several ways to practice the power-play breakout. As discussed earlier, one of the most important aspects of the breakout is timing.
Practicing the Power-Play Breakout
There are several ways to practice the power-play breakout. As discussed earlier, one of the most important aspects of the breakout is timing. Practice and repetition are required to perfect the timing of the breakout. The simplest way to practice the power-play breakout is to have the players break the puck out without any pressure at all from the penalty-kill forecheck. This will enable the members of the power play to familiarize themselves with their positions and their roles without having to initially worry about pressure from the penalty killers.
Team Drill 1: Progressive Penalty Killers
Power-play players start on the far blue line. The coach stands at center ice with the puck. The coach dumps the puck, and the players move to their breakout positions and start the breakout (figure 14.13). The coach can pressure initially. The progression is to add two, three, and then four penalty killers. Once the power play has entered the offensive zone, the coach blows the whistle and throws a new puck back into the breakout zone, and the players do it again. The original puck is dead at this point. Give the first power-play group approximately two or three repetitions before switching to the next group.
If your team has only half ice during practice, power-play players can start on the red line instead of the far blue line for this drill.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521440_ebook_Main.jpg
Team drill 1: progressive penalty killers.
Team Drill 2: Breakout
Players start in their offensive zone setup against the penalty kill. Players move the puck for approximately 10 seconds, and then the coach blows the whistle. Once the whistle sounds, the coach throws a puck into the defensive zone, and the power-play unit has to skate back into the zone into breakout position (figure 14.14). The penalty killers then start their forechecks. The drill should run for 40 seconds total, including the 10 seconds to start the drill in the offensive zone. If the power play breaks the puck out easily and gains zone entry, the coach should blow the whistle and throw a new puck back into the defensive zone for them to start again.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521441_ebook_Main.jpg
Team drill 2: breakout.
Individual Drill 1: Defensemen
This is a defenseman-oriented drill. Defenders collect the puck behind the net, move it to their forehands, and either use the net or counter before passing to a player on the wall (figure 14.15).
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521442_ebook_Main.jpg
Individual drill 1: defensemen.
Individual Drill 2: Four-Dot Chip Drill
The four-dot chip drill will help players get used to supporting the puck and chipping past forecheckers in the neutral zone. For the four dots, you can use players, coaches, or cones (figure 14.16). Two players start at opposite sides on one end of the ice. The far player skates toward the puck carrier on the other side and receives the puck. He makes a chip pass off the boards that is retrieved by her partner. They continue up the ice, chipping the puck off the boards and skating around the dots, until they reach the other end of the ice. The player with the puck finishes by taking a shot at the net.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521443_ebook_Main.jpg
Individual drill 2: four-dot chip drill.
Respect for Rules and Officials
Another area that tests the integrity of coaches, players, and fans is the relationship we have with the rules of the game and those who are there to enforce the rules.
Respect for Rules and Officials
Another area that tests the integrity of coaches, players, and fans is the relationship we have with the rules of the game and those who are there to enforce the rules. As a coach, it is my responsibility to make sure the players know the rules and the consequences for breaking them. At the college level, we have NCAA-established on-ice and off-ice rules, conference rules, and team rules. Respecting rules is a priority that needs to be established early.
One area in which our culture has slipped a little is in respect for officials. How we approach officials and how we react when certain circumstances come up are things I have to anticipate and teach as part of our own team culture.
We have had on-ice situations in which officials have made egregious errors. My players will be affected by how I react in these situations. Having served as a conference commissioner, I am able to understand both sides in these situations. Sure, it's frustrating. I know that the players will take a cue from how I respond. So I want to set an example as to how we - all of us - will react when, quite clearly, we have been victimized by an incorrect call or a rule interpretation.
One approach I've taken is to emphasize that we, as a team, have to get good enough to play through bad breaks or calls that might be incorrect. We take responsibility for how things go. The focus stays on our team and those things we can control. Educated people will know when we have been the victims of something that might not have gone right. You don't need a public show to make you look better.
At the same time, there needs to be a balance. Players want to know that you will stand up for them. You can take steps privately to support your team when you feel victimized. But it does no good to make a public scene with the official in front of the team or, as sometimes happens, with the media in a postgame press conference.
Former University of Vermont head coach Mike Gilligan earned the respect of his peers when, during an NCAA Frozen Four semifinal, his fast-skating team was victimized first by sloppy ice conditions due to a broken pipe below the ice surface and second by a goal in overtime that was due, in part, to an illegal hand pass that was missed by the officials. When asked about the ice, Gilligan noted that both teams had to play under the same conditions, offered up no excuses, and gave praise to the winning team. He made no comments about the factors that led to the winning goal.
I've had some experience with poor ice conditions, once when I was a commissioner and our conference hosted an indoor Frozen Four at Detroit's Ford Field, and once when our team played outside at Comerica Park. In both instances, the ice was not up to normal expectations. I found that all the coaches did a good job acknowledging the conditions but refused to use it as an excuse.
In these instances, when players are asked, I tell them that I don't expect them to lie or make up a story. They can tell the truth about the conditions but should always acknowledge the basic point that those conditions were the same for all participants and not to use them as an excuse.
One additional angle to the participant - official relationship is that I've had officials come to me some time after an incident and acknowledge that they had reviewed a tape and seen they made a mistake. Likewise, I have gone into the locker room between periods, looked at video, and realized what I thought I saw in real time was not the case. In that instance, I made a point to come out at the start of the next period and admit I was wrong to the officials.
Isn't this the way we want people to live their lives? Taking responsibility for their actions? These are teaching moments that coaches need to capitalize on.
Gap Control
No defenseman likes to get beaten one on one. The most embarrassing moment for a defenseman is when a forward skates by him.
Gap Control
No defenseman likes to get beaten one on one. The most embarrassing moment for a defenseman is when a forward skates by him. To compensate for this, defensemen tend to back up into the offensive zone and allow the opposing player time and space with the puck (figure 8.1). All players want time and space to make plays, especially when entering the offensive zone. It is very difficult to be a good defenseman if you don't have good gap control.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521301_ebook_Main.jpg
The defenseman (D) maintains the gap as the forward (F) moves up the ice.
Gap control usually starts when a defenseman leaves the offensive blue line. Often when the puck is in the offensive zone, defensemen will stand near the offensive blue line regardless of what is happening in the zone. The blue line is there for one reason and one reason only - offsides. The only time a defenseman should be standing on the offensive blue line is when his team has complete control of the puck. This will allow more space for the forwards when they have the puck as the defenseman becomes an outlet for them.
The blue line does not determine where gap control begins. A defenseman's gap when leaving the offensive zone should be established by how high the opposing forwards are. The longer the play is in the offensive zone, the deeper the opposing forwards tend to be. It is much easier to establish a good gap leaving the offensive blue line by using the opposing forwards as a measuring point. By establishing a good gap, the defensemen can slow down the opposing team's transition game. When the defense can slow down the opposition leaving their defensive zone, they allow the defensive team to apply back pressure (back pressure is when the defensive team's forwards are able to pursue the puck carrier from behind; see figure 8.2).
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521302_ebook_Main.jpg
Forward on the defenseman's team provides back pressure on the opposing forward who has the puck. The defenseman's ability to slow the forward helps his teammate provide pressure from behind.
The gap established when leaving the offensive blue line is the gap established through the neutral zone and entering the defensive zone. A good gap leaving the offensive blue line allows the defenseman to come through the neutral zone and enter the defensive zone with speed. It is difficult to play a one-on-one attack if the defenseman has to slow down as he enters the defensive zone. While he's slowing down, the opposing forward is usually picking up speed. That is when a defenseman is most susceptible to getting beaten one on one. A good gap allows the defenseman to maintain the same speed as the opposing forward. It also will slow down the forward entering the offensive zone, making him less dangerous. It is difficult for a forward to create offense when a defenseman has established a good gap entering the defensive zone.
Also, if the forward is flying out of the zone, the defenseman might have to get going quickly by first skating forward and then pivoting backward once the proper gap is established. And finally, with regard to vertical gap, the defenseman wants to maintain the good gap from blue line to blue line. This requires that he judge the forward's speed and adjust his own while using good C-cuts, not crossovers.
Sometimes the forward might be skating very fast but in more of a serpentine route. In this situation, his velocity made good (or VMG, a common sailing term) up the ice will not be as fast as it looks. Defensemen must not be fooled. They must judge their opponent's VMG and adjust their speed accordingly.
When talking about gap control, people immediately think of the gap as the space between the forward and the defenseman vertically. What often gets overlooked is the lateral gap. When a defenseman has established a good vertical gap, most forwards will then take the puck to the outside. The mistake most defensemen make is to keep backing up as the forward goes wide. Once the defenseman does this, he loses the advantage he had by establishing a good gap. He's now given the puck-carrying forward time and space to make a play.
Therefore, it is just as important to keep a good lateral gap as it is a vertical gap. The wider the forward goes with the puck, the wider the defenseman should be (figure 8.3). The defenseman should always try to keep his outside shoulder in line with the forward's inside shoulder. This will prevent the forward from cutting back inside and will force him to the outside. There, the defenseman can pivot and take the proper angle at the forward.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521303_ebook_Main.jpg
Maintaining good lateral gap control means the defenseman moves wide with the forward.
Eventually the defenseman will run or angle the forward into the boards. Good gap control by defensemen will cause turnovers inside the defensive blue line and help the defensive team's transition game. Unexpected turnovers are a great way to create offense for a team.
Another way to establish good gap control is following the play up ice. Once the puck is broken out of the defensive zone, the defenseman's responsibilities are to either jump into the play to create an odd-man rush offensively or to follow the play in case a turnover occurs, in which case he needs to create a good gap defensively. The defenseman's job isn't finished once the puck has left the defensive zone. He must always put himself in the best position possible to play defense and establish a good gap. An unexpected turnover in the neutral zone can quickly turn into a scoring chance for the other team. If the puck is turned over in the neutral zone and the defenseman hasn't followed the play up ice, it will be very difficult for a defenseman to establish a good gap because of the amount of space between himself and the forward. The defenseman must always be conscious of creating a good gap. It is one of the most important aspects of playing good defense.
Practicing the Power-Play Breakout
There are several ways to practice the power-play breakout. As discussed earlier, one of the most important aspects of the breakout is timing.
Practicing the Power-Play Breakout
There are several ways to practice the power-play breakout. As discussed earlier, one of the most important aspects of the breakout is timing. Practice and repetition are required to perfect the timing of the breakout. The simplest way to practice the power-play breakout is to have the players break the puck out without any pressure at all from the penalty-kill forecheck. This will enable the members of the power play to familiarize themselves with their positions and their roles without having to initially worry about pressure from the penalty killers.
Team Drill 1: Progressive Penalty Killers
Power-play players start on the far blue line. The coach stands at center ice with the puck. The coach dumps the puck, and the players move to their breakout positions and start the breakout (figure 14.13). The coach can pressure initially. The progression is to add two, three, and then four penalty killers. Once the power play has entered the offensive zone, the coach blows the whistle and throws a new puck back into the breakout zone, and the players do it again. The original puck is dead at this point. Give the first power-play group approximately two or three repetitions before switching to the next group.
If your team has only half ice during practice, power-play players can start on the red line instead of the far blue line for this drill.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521440_ebook_Main.jpg
Team drill 1: progressive penalty killers.
Team Drill 2: Breakout
Players start in their offensive zone setup against the penalty kill. Players move the puck for approximately 10 seconds, and then the coach blows the whistle. Once the whistle sounds, the coach throws a puck into the defensive zone, and the power-play unit has to skate back into the zone into breakout position (figure 14.14). The penalty killers then start their forechecks. The drill should run for 40 seconds total, including the 10 seconds to start the drill in the offensive zone. If the power play breaks the puck out easily and gains zone entry, the coach should blow the whistle and throw a new puck back into the defensive zone for them to start again.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521441_ebook_Main.jpg
Team drill 2: breakout.
Individual Drill 1: Defensemen
This is a defenseman-oriented drill. Defenders collect the puck behind the net, move it to their forehands, and either use the net or counter before passing to a player on the wall (figure 14.15).
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521442_ebook_Main.jpg
Individual drill 1: defensemen.
Individual Drill 2: Four-Dot Chip Drill
The four-dot chip drill will help players get used to supporting the puck and chipping past forecheckers in the neutral zone. For the four dots, you can use players, coaches, or cones (figure 14.16). Two players start at opposite sides on one end of the ice. The far player skates toward the puck carrier on the other side and receives the puck. He makes a chip pass off the boards that is retrieved by her partner. They continue up the ice, chipping the puck off the boards and skating around the dots, until they reach the other end of the ice. The player with the puck finishes by taking a shot at the net.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521443_ebook_Main.jpg
Individual drill 2: four-dot chip drill.
Respect for Rules and Officials
Another area that tests the integrity of coaches, players, and fans is the relationship we have with the rules of the game and those who are there to enforce the rules.
Respect for Rules and Officials
Another area that tests the integrity of coaches, players, and fans is the relationship we have with the rules of the game and those who are there to enforce the rules. As a coach, it is my responsibility to make sure the players know the rules and the consequences for breaking them. At the college level, we have NCAA-established on-ice and off-ice rules, conference rules, and team rules. Respecting rules is a priority that needs to be established early.
One area in which our culture has slipped a little is in respect for officials. How we approach officials and how we react when certain circumstances come up are things I have to anticipate and teach as part of our own team culture.
We have had on-ice situations in which officials have made egregious errors. My players will be affected by how I react in these situations. Having served as a conference commissioner, I am able to understand both sides in these situations. Sure, it's frustrating. I know that the players will take a cue from how I respond. So I want to set an example as to how we - all of us - will react when, quite clearly, we have been victimized by an incorrect call or a rule interpretation.
One approach I've taken is to emphasize that we, as a team, have to get good enough to play through bad breaks or calls that might be incorrect. We take responsibility for how things go. The focus stays on our team and those things we can control. Educated people will know when we have been the victims of something that might not have gone right. You don't need a public show to make you look better.
At the same time, there needs to be a balance. Players want to know that you will stand up for them. You can take steps privately to support your team when you feel victimized. But it does no good to make a public scene with the official in front of the team or, as sometimes happens, with the media in a postgame press conference.
Former University of Vermont head coach Mike Gilligan earned the respect of his peers when, during an NCAA Frozen Four semifinal, his fast-skating team was victimized first by sloppy ice conditions due to a broken pipe below the ice surface and second by a goal in overtime that was due, in part, to an illegal hand pass that was missed by the officials. When asked about the ice, Gilligan noted that both teams had to play under the same conditions, offered up no excuses, and gave praise to the winning team. He made no comments about the factors that led to the winning goal.
I've had some experience with poor ice conditions, once when I was a commissioner and our conference hosted an indoor Frozen Four at Detroit's Ford Field, and once when our team played outside at Comerica Park. In both instances, the ice was not up to normal expectations. I found that all the coaches did a good job acknowledging the conditions but refused to use it as an excuse.
In these instances, when players are asked, I tell them that I don't expect them to lie or make up a story. They can tell the truth about the conditions but should always acknowledge the basic point that those conditions were the same for all participants and not to use them as an excuse.
One additional angle to the participant - official relationship is that I've had officials come to me some time after an incident and acknowledge that they had reviewed a tape and seen they made a mistake. Likewise, I have gone into the locker room between periods, looked at video, and realized what I thought I saw in real time was not the case. In that instance, I made a point to come out at the start of the next period and admit I was wrong to the officials.
Isn't this the way we want people to live their lives? Taking responsibility for their actions? These are teaching moments that coaches need to capitalize on.
Gap Control
No defenseman likes to get beaten one on one. The most embarrassing moment for a defenseman is when a forward skates by him.
Gap Control
No defenseman likes to get beaten one on one. The most embarrassing moment for a defenseman is when a forward skates by him. To compensate for this, defensemen tend to back up into the offensive zone and allow the opposing player time and space with the puck (figure 8.1). All players want time and space to make plays, especially when entering the offensive zone. It is very difficult to be a good defenseman if you don't have good gap control.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521301_ebook_Main.jpg
The defenseman (D) maintains the gap as the forward (F) moves up the ice.
Gap control usually starts when a defenseman leaves the offensive blue line. Often when the puck is in the offensive zone, defensemen will stand near the offensive blue line regardless of what is happening in the zone. The blue line is there for one reason and one reason only - offsides. The only time a defenseman should be standing on the offensive blue line is when his team has complete control of the puck. This will allow more space for the forwards when they have the puck as the defenseman becomes an outlet for them.
The blue line does not determine where gap control begins. A defenseman's gap when leaving the offensive zone should be established by how high the opposing forwards are. The longer the play is in the offensive zone, the deeper the opposing forwards tend to be. It is much easier to establish a good gap leaving the offensive blue line by using the opposing forwards as a measuring point. By establishing a good gap, the defensemen can slow down the opposing team's transition game. When the defense can slow down the opposition leaving their defensive zone, they allow the defensive team to apply back pressure (back pressure is when the defensive team's forwards are able to pursue the puck carrier from behind; see figure 8.2).
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521302_ebook_Main.jpg
Forward on the defenseman's team provides back pressure on the opposing forward who has the puck. The defenseman's ability to slow the forward helps his teammate provide pressure from behind.
The gap established when leaving the offensive blue line is the gap established through the neutral zone and entering the defensive zone. A good gap leaving the offensive blue line allows the defenseman to come through the neutral zone and enter the defensive zone with speed. It is difficult to play a one-on-one attack if the defenseman has to slow down as he enters the defensive zone. While he's slowing down, the opposing forward is usually picking up speed. That is when a defenseman is most susceptible to getting beaten one on one. A good gap allows the defenseman to maintain the same speed as the opposing forward. It also will slow down the forward entering the offensive zone, making him less dangerous. It is difficult for a forward to create offense when a defenseman has established a good gap entering the defensive zone.
Also, if the forward is flying out of the zone, the defenseman might have to get going quickly by first skating forward and then pivoting backward once the proper gap is established. And finally, with regard to vertical gap, the defenseman wants to maintain the good gap from blue line to blue line. This requires that he judge the forward's speed and adjust his own while using good C-cuts, not crossovers.
Sometimes the forward might be skating very fast but in more of a serpentine route. In this situation, his velocity made good (or VMG, a common sailing term) up the ice will not be as fast as it looks. Defensemen must not be fooled. They must judge their opponent's VMG and adjust their speed accordingly.
When talking about gap control, people immediately think of the gap as the space between the forward and the defenseman vertically. What often gets overlooked is the lateral gap. When a defenseman has established a good vertical gap, most forwards will then take the puck to the outside. The mistake most defensemen make is to keep backing up as the forward goes wide. Once the defenseman does this, he loses the advantage he had by establishing a good gap. He's now given the puck-carrying forward time and space to make a play.
Therefore, it is just as important to keep a good lateral gap as it is a vertical gap. The wider the forward goes with the puck, the wider the defenseman should be (figure 8.3). The defenseman should always try to keep his outside shoulder in line with the forward's inside shoulder. This will prevent the forward from cutting back inside and will force him to the outside. There, the defenseman can pivot and take the proper angle at the forward.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521303_ebook_Main.jpg
Maintaining good lateral gap control means the defenseman moves wide with the forward.
Eventually the defenseman will run or angle the forward into the boards. Good gap control by defensemen will cause turnovers inside the defensive blue line and help the defensive team's transition game. Unexpected turnovers are a great way to create offense for a team.
Another way to establish good gap control is following the play up ice. Once the puck is broken out of the defensive zone, the defenseman's responsibilities are to either jump into the play to create an odd-man rush offensively or to follow the play in case a turnover occurs, in which case he needs to create a good gap defensively. The defenseman's job isn't finished once the puck has left the defensive zone. He must always put himself in the best position possible to play defense and establish a good gap. An unexpected turnover in the neutral zone can quickly turn into a scoring chance for the other team. If the puck is turned over in the neutral zone and the defenseman hasn't followed the play up ice, it will be very difficult for a defenseman to establish a good gap because of the amount of space between himself and the forward. The defenseman must always be conscious of creating a good gap. It is one of the most important aspects of playing good defense.
Practicing the Power-Play Breakout
There are several ways to practice the power-play breakout. As discussed earlier, one of the most important aspects of the breakout is timing.
Practicing the Power-Play Breakout
There are several ways to practice the power-play breakout. As discussed earlier, one of the most important aspects of the breakout is timing. Practice and repetition are required to perfect the timing of the breakout. The simplest way to practice the power-play breakout is to have the players break the puck out without any pressure at all from the penalty-kill forecheck. This will enable the members of the power play to familiarize themselves with their positions and their roles without having to initially worry about pressure from the penalty killers.
Team Drill 1: Progressive Penalty Killers
Power-play players start on the far blue line. The coach stands at center ice with the puck. The coach dumps the puck, and the players move to their breakout positions and start the breakout (figure 14.13). The coach can pressure initially. The progression is to add two, three, and then four penalty killers. Once the power play has entered the offensive zone, the coach blows the whistle and throws a new puck back into the breakout zone, and the players do it again. The original puck is dead at this point. Give the first power-play group approximately two or three repetitions before switching to the next group.
If your team has only half ice during practice, power-play players can start on the red line instead of the far blue line for this drill.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521440_ebook_Main.jpg
Team drill 1: progressive penalty killers.
Team Drill 2: Breakout
Players start in their offensive zone setup against the penalty kill. Players move the puck for approximately 10 seconds, and then the coach blows the whistle. Once the whistle sounds, the coach throws a puck into the defensive zone, and the power-play unit has to skate back into the zone into breakout position (figure 14.14). The penalty killers then start their forechecks. The drill should run for 40 seconds total, including the 10 seconds to start the drill in the offensive zone. If the power play breaks the puck out easily and gains zone entry, the coach should blow the whistle and throw a new puck back into the defensive zone for them to start again.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521441_ebook_Main.jpg
Team drill 2: breakout.
Individual Drill 1: Defensemen
This is a defenseman-oriented drill. Defenders collect the puck behind the net, move it to their forehands, and either use the net or counter before passing to a player on the wall (figure 14.15).
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521442_ebook_Main.jpg
Individual drill 1: defensemen.
Individual Drill 2: Four-Dot Chip Drill
The four-dot chip drill will help players get used to supporting the puck and chipping past forecheckers in the neutral zone. For the four dots, you can use players, coaches, or cones (figure 14.16). Two players start at opposite sides on one end of the ice. The far player skates toward the puck carrier on the other side and receives the puck. He makes a chip pass off the boards that is retrieved by her partner. They continue up the ice, chipping the puck off the boards and skating around the dots, until they reach the other end of the ice. The player with the puck finishes by taking a shot at the net.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521443_ebook_Main.jpg
Individual drill 2: four-dot chip drill.
Respect for Rules and Officials
Another area that tests the integrity of coaches, players, and fans is the relationship we have with the rules of the game and those who are there to enforce the rules.
Respect for Rules and Officials
Another area that tests the integrity of coaches, players, and fans is the relationship we have with the rules of the game and those who are there to enforce the rules. As a coach, it is my responsibility to make sure the players know the rules and the consequences for breaking them. At the college level, we have NCAA-established on-ice and off-ice rules, conference rules, and team rules. Respecting rules is a priority that needs to be established early.
One area in which our culture has slipped a little is in respect for officials. How we approach officials and how we react when certain circumstances come up are things I have to anticipate and teach as part of our own team culture.
We have had on-ice situations in which officials have made egregious errors. My players will be affected by how I react in these situations. Having served as a conference commissioner, I am able to understand both sides in these situations. Sure, it's frustrating. I know that the players will take a cue from how I respond. So I want to set an example as to how we - all of us - will react when, quite clearly, we have been victimized by an incorrect call or a rule interpretation.
One approach I've taken is to emphasize that we, as a team, have to get good enough to play through bad breaks or calls that might be incorrect. We take responsibility for how things go. The focus stays on our team and those things we can control. Educated people will know when we have been the victims of something that might not have gone right. You don't need a public show to make you look better.
At the same time, there needs to be a balance. Players want to know that you will stand up for them. You can take steps privately to support your team when you feel victimized. But it does no good to make a public scene with the official in front of the team or, as sometimes happens, with the media in a postgame press conference.
Former University of Vermont head coach Mike Gilligan earned the respect of his peers when, during an NCAA Frozen Four semifinal, his fast-skating team was victimized first by sloppy ice conditions due to a broken pipe below the ice surface and second by a goal in overtime that was due, in part, to an illegal hand pass that was missed by the officials. When asked about the ice, Gilligan noted that both teams had to play under the same conditions, offered up no excuses, and gave praise to the winning team. He made no comments about the factors that led to the winning goal.
I've had some experience with poor ice conditions, once when I was a commissioner and our conference hosted an indoor Frozen Four at Detroit's Ford Field, and once when our team played outside at Comerica Park. In both instances, the ice was not up to normal expectations. I found that all the coaches did a good job acknowledging the conditions but refused to use it as an excuse.
In these instances, when players are asked, I tell them that I don't expect them to lie or make up a story. They can tell the truth about the conditions but should always acknowledge the basic point that those conditions were the same for all participants and not to use them as an excuse.
One additional angle to the participant - official relationship is that I've had officials come to me some time after an incident and acknowledge that they had reviewed a tape and seen they made a mistake. Likewise, I have gone into the locker room between periods, looked at video, and realized what I thought I saw in real time was not the case. In that instance, I made a point to come out at the start of the next period and admit I was wrong to the officials.
Isn't this the way we want people to live their lives? Taking responsibility for their actions? These are teaching moments that coaches need to capitalize on.
Gap Control
No defenseman likes to get beaten one on one. The most embarrassing moment for a defenseman is when a forward skates by him.
Gap Control
No defenseman likes to get beaten one on one. The most embarrassing moment for a defenseman is when a forward skates by him. To compensate for this, defensemen tend to back up into the offensive zone and allow the opposing player time and space with the puck (figure 8.1). All players want time and space to make plays, especially when entering the offensive zone. It is very difficult to be a good defenseman if you don't have good gap control.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521301_ebook_Main.jpg
The defenseman (D) maintains the gap as the forward (F) moves up the ice.
Gap control usually starts when a defenseman leaves the offensive blue line. Often when the puck is in the offensive zone, defensemen will stand near the offensive blue line regardless of what is happening in the zone. The blue line is there for one reason and one reason only - offsides. The only time a defenseman should be standing on the offensive blue line is when his team has complete control of the puck. This will allow more space for the forwards when they have the puck as the defenseman becomes an outlet for them.
The blue line does not determine where gap control begins. A defenseman's gap when leaving the offensive zone should be established by how high the opposing forwards are. The longer the play is in the offensive zone, the deeper the opposing forwards tend to be. It is much easier to establish a good gap leaving the offensive blue line by using the opposing forwards as a measuring point. By establishing a good gap, the defensemen can slow down the opposing team's transition game. When the defense can slow down the opposition leaving their defensive zone, they allow the defensive team to apply back pressure (back pressure is when the defensive team's forwards are able to pursue the puck carrier from behind; see figure 8.2).
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521302_ebook_Main.jpg
Forward on the defenseman's team provides back pressure on the opposing forward who has the puck. The defenseman's ability to slow the forward helps his teammate provide pressure from behind.
The gap established when leaving the offensive blue line is the gap established through the neutral zone and entering the defensive zone. A good gap leaving the offensive blue line allows the defenseman to come through the neutral zone and enter the defensive zone with speed. It is difficult to play a one-on-one attack if the defenseman has to slow down as he enters the defensive zone. While he's slowing down, the opposing forward is usually picking up speed. That is when a defenseman is most susceptible to getting beaten one on one. A good gap allows the defenseman to maintain the same speed as the opposing forward. It also will slow down the forward entering the offensive zone, making him less dangerous. It is difficult for a forward to create offense when a defenseman has established a good gap entering the defensive zone.
Also, if the forward is flying out of the zone, the defenseman might have to get going quickly by first skating forward and then pivoting backward once the proper gap is established. And finally, with regard to vertical gap, the defenseman wants to maintain the good gap from blue line to blue line. This requires that he judge the forward's speed and adjust his own while using good C-cuts, not crossovers.
Sometimes the forward might be skating very fast but in more of a serpentine route. In this situation, his velocity made good (or VMG, a common sailing term) up the ice will not be as fast as it looks. Defensemen must not be fooled. They must judge their opponent's VMG and adjust their speed accordingly.
When talking about gap control, people immediately think of the gap as the space between the forward and the defenseman vertically. What often gets overlooked is the lateral gap. When a defenseman has established a good vertical gap, most forwards will then take the puck to the outside. The mistake most defensemen make is to keep backing up as the forward goes wide. Once the defenseman does this, he loses the advantage he had by establishing a good gap. He's now given the puck-carrying forward time and space to make a play.
Therefore, it is just as important to keep a good lateral gap as it is a vertical gap. The wider the forward goes with the puck, the wider the defenseman should be (figure 8.3). The defenseman should always try to keep his outside shoulder in line with the forward's inside shoulder. This will prevent the forward from cutting back inside and will force him to the outside. There, the defenseman can pivot and take the proper angle at the forward.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521303_ebook_Main.jpg
Maintaining good lateral gap control means the defenseman moves wide with the forward.
Eventually the defenseman will run or angle the forward into the boards. Good gap control by defensemen will cause turnovers inside the defensive blue line and help the defensive team's transition game. Unexpected turnovers are a great way to create offense for a team.
Another way to establish good gap control is following the play up ice. Once the puck is broken out of the defensive zone, the defenseman's responsibilities are to either jump into the play to create an odd-man rush offensively or to follow the play in case a turnover occurs, in which case he needs to create a good gap defensively. The defenseman's job isn't finished once the puck has left the defensive zone. He must always put himself in the best position possible to play defense and establish a good gap. An unexpected turnover in the neutral zone can quickly turn into a scoring chance for the other team. If the puck is turned over in the neutral zone and the defenseman hasn't followed the play up ice, it will be very difficult for a defenseman to establish a good gap because of the amount of space between himself and the forward. The defenseman must always be conscious of creating a good gap. It is one of the most important aspects of playing good defense.
Practicing the Power-Play Breakout
There are several ways to practice the power-play breakout. As discussed earlier, one of the most important aspects of the breakout is timing.
Practicing the Power-Play Breakout
There are several ways to practice the power-play breakout. As discussed earlier, one of the most important aspects of the breakout is timing. Practice and repetition are required to perfect the timing of the breakout. The simplest way to practice the power-play breakout is to have the players break the puck out without any pressure at all from the penalty-kill forecheck. This will enable the members of the power play to familiarize themselves with their positions and their roles without having to initially worry about pressure from the penalty killers.
Team Drill 1: Progressive Penalty Killers
Power-play players start on the far blue line. The coach stands at center ice with the puck. The coach dumps the puck, and the players move to their breakout positions and start the breakout (figure 14.13). The coach can pressure initially. The progression is to add two, three, and then four penalty killers. Once the power play has entered the offensive zone, the coach blows the whistle and throws a new puck back into the breakout zone, and the players do it again. The original puck is dead at this point. Give the first power-play group approximately two or three repetitions before switching to the next group.
If your team has only half ice during practice, power-play players can start on the red line instead of the far blue line for this drill.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521440_ebook_Main.jpg
Team drill 1: progressive penalty killers.
Team Drill 2: Breakout
Players start in their offensive zone setup against the penalty kill. Players move the puck for approximately 10 seconds, and then the coach blows the whistle. Once the whistle sounds, the coach throws a puck into the defensive zone, and the power-play unit has to skate back into the zone into breakout position (figure 14.14). The penalty killers then start their forechecks. The drill should run for 40 seconds total, including the 10 seconds to start the drill in the offensive zone. If the power play breaks the puck out easily and gains zone entry, the coach should blow the whistle and throw a new puck back into the defensive zone for them to start again.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521441_ebook_Main.jpg
Team drill 2: breakout.
Individual Drill 1: Defensemen
This is a defenseman-oriented drill. Defenders collect the puck behind the net, move it to their forehands, and either use the net or counter before passing to a player on the wall (figure 14.15).
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521442_ebook_Main.jpg
Individual drill 1: defensemen.
Individual Drill 2: Four-Dot Chip Drill
The four-dot chip drill will help players get used to supporting the puck and chipping past forecheckers in the neutral zone. For the four dots, you can use players, coaches, or cones (figure 14.16). Two players start at opposite sides on one end of the ice. The far player skates toward the puck carrier on the other side and receives the puck. He makes a chip pass off the boards that is retrieved by her partner. They continue up the ice, chipping the puck off the boards and skating around the dots, until they reach the other end of the ice. The player with the puck finishes by taking a shot at the net.
http://www.humankinetics.com/AcuCustom/Sitename/DAM/143/E3569_521443_ebook_Main.jpg
Individual drill 2: four-dot chip drill.
Related Books
