Wednesday Drill of the Week: 3v3 on Rim

May 15, 2013 Leave a comment

3v3 on Rim

 

This drill is a simple 3v3 Drill using one end of the ice. Everyone starts stationary. Offensive team starts with two forwards on the goal line and one in the high slot. Defensive team starts with two defensemen on top of the crease, one forward in the mid slot. The drill starts with a coach rimming a puck to either forward, and then plays out 3v3 from that point.

Why do 3v3 this way? It isolates position specific skills for teaching. First, it allows the forwards to retrieve the puck first, forcing them to work on playing the puck off the runner and working with a defender on their back. Second, it helps forwards to understand spacing, support options and release points when the puck is below the goal line. One the defensive side, it helps defenders work on closing down on attackers, taking away time and space, and anticipating the offensive play. As a team, the quicker you can anticipate what the offensive team will do, the quicker you can shut it down.

As a coach, you can work on individual skills this way, as well as basic down low defensive zone and offensive zone play.

Filed under Hockey, Coaching, Position Play, Individual Skills, Drills Tagged with , , , ,

The Three H’s of Goaltending

April 23, 2013 2 Comments

One of the backbones of my goaltending philosophy is the three H’s. When goaltenders move, they should follow the progression of Head, Hands, Hips.

First, a goaltender should track the puck with their eyes (head). The head snaps to the puck and allows the goaltender to see the play and react accordingly. Your body will always go where your eyes and head are going, so this should be the first reaction to any change in play.

Immediately following the head snapping to the puck should be a goaltender’s hands moving to the new position. It is imperative that the hands get there first. I have two reasons for this: 1. The hands will guide the body into the new position. 2. If the body is late, the hands will still have an opportunity to get there first and are the most reactionary/mobile part of the player to attempt to make a desperate save.

Finally, the hips need to open and move to the new position on the ice that the play dictates. The goaltenders lead hip should open and adjust to the new angle with a strong push coming from the trailing foot/leg to propel the goalie to the new position on the ice.

This progression is a critical habit for goaltenders and should happen almost instantaneously. It is taught slowly, but in game situations should happen instantly. Goaltenders need to be able to immediately get their Head on the puck, put their Hands in a position to get to the puck and use their Hips to propel their body to the new position on the ice.

Filed under Coaching, Hockey, Individual Skills, Position Play Tagged with , , , ,

Paradox of the Product Goal

April 22, 2013 Leave a comment

This is from an article by Jason Selk on Forbes.com:

Strategy number two is to help the CEO identify with the process, not the result.  Think about a baseball player in the batter’s box. If all he’s thinking about is, “I gotta get a hit,” he won’t. It’s what’s called the “paradox of the product goal.” What the batter needs to think about are the actions that will get him a hit – tracking the ball, the short swing, and the follow-through.

The same truths apply to CEOs. Instead of dwelling on meeting their numbers, they need to think about the process that will ensure that success. All they need to do is focus on the three most important tasks to get them to their goal. Science tells us that focusing on process is what brings results.

How many players get caught up in the paradox of the product goal? They think “I have to score” or “I have to make a play” and get so focused on doing that one thing that they forget the details that allow them to do that in the first place. They forget about moving their feet, seeing their options, skating hard, making the smart plays and instead try to force things and do it all themselves. Focusing on the process will ultimately lead to a successful result. Doing the little things right leads to big success.

Filed under Coaching, Hockey, Individual Skills, Motivation, Position Play Tagged with , ,

Wednesday Drill of the Week: Jam/Stuff

April 17, 2013 2 Comments

This week I am featuring a drill that I do with my goaltenders at Colby. I call it the Jam/Stuff drill.

Jam Stuff

 

This drill works on a goaltender’s ability to play pucks along the goal line, behind the net, and in tight on the crease. It starts with a player attacking the net along the goal line. There is a second player positioned at the far post, right on top of the blue paint. The player with the puck attacks the net and then has a choice of whether to jam it tight to the near post, pass it across the crease for a re-direct, or go behind the net and again, jam it tight or pass across the crease (other player moves far post). In the event of a cross ice pass, the player should attempt to redirect the puck on net and try to keep it low, not handle it or catch and shoot.

This drill will test a goaltenders ability to read the play, play pucks beneath the goal line and seal the ice. Goalies should focus on playing tight to the near post (this is where I would advocate for the use of the Vertical/Horizontal save), having  an active stick to play passes, and sealing the ice with their pads. Hands should be active and out in front at all times. Understanding a player’s options as he moves behind the net is critical. Read the player moving behind the cage, understand when he is looking to wrap vs when he is looking to pass (depth is a good guide – players looking to wrap stay tight while those looking to pass tend to create space for themselves). Goalies will also have the opportunity to play second chance pucks in tight after the jam or in tight shot. Battling and competing for pucks is critical here.

Filed under Coaching, Hockey, Individual Skills, Position Play Tagged with , , , , ,

Wednesday Drill of the Week: Double Rim

April 10, 2013 Leave a comment

This week is a Defensemen pinch/shooting drill.

Double Rim

 

This drill starts with two D in position on the strong side of the blue line. Coach will move a puck up the wall (either through a hard rim up the runner, a chip off the glass, a hard play off the dasher, etc – test your defensemen and their ability to pinch pucks in on the wall), the D will stop it, control it, move it D-D who will then take a shot. Once the shot is taken, coach will hard rim a puck the other direction, the D need to move to the other side of the ice, stop the puck, control it, move it D-D for a shot. D need to focus on stopping pucks on the wall, controlling them, and making good hard passes to their partner. The partner in the middle of the ice should focus on keeping their feet pointed up ice, presenting a good target, and keeping their eyes up when they shoot.

Filed under Coaching, Hockey, Individual Skills, Position Play Tagged with , , ,

Stick on Puck

February 5, 2013 Leave a comment

Defensive hockey is all about two things, stick position and body position. How you position yourself and your stick will dictate what your opponent can and cannot do. The single biggest teaching point when coaching defensive hockey (whether forwards or defense) is stick on puck.

Bringing your stick to the puck applies pressure on the offensive player. It takes away his or her immediate options. It eliminates any passing lanes that may have been available. It forces the puck carrier into a puck protection situation or creates a turnover. It allows you to position your body to hit/pin the offensive player. Stick on puck effectively shuts down the puck carrier.

The timing of stick on puck is critical. One on One situations call for stick on puck. A defenseman playing a rush should not use stick on puck. A forechecker finishing his check should look to come in stick on puck. A forechecker looking to cut the ice in half should not.

Stick to puck needs to be strong and firm, it should not be a sweep. The player should attack with his/her stick out and a strong wrist. A sweep to the puck will open lanes and options as the stick moves. With the right timing and pressure, stick on puck is the most effective defensive technique for shutting down an opponent.

Filed under Hockey, Individual Skills, Position Play Tagged with , , , , ,

Explosive Power

October 23, 2012 1 Comment

Explosive power is a critical part of the game of hockey. The ability to quickly accelerate in one direction or another is often pivotal to the way the game is played. Both forwards and defensemen need this first step burst to try to gain an edge on their opponent.

This power can be built up both in the weight room and on the ice. Explosive power in the weight room easily translates to the ice. When lifting, be sure to control the weight and try to generate as much thrust as possible when doing any type of explosive leg lifts. This will help to train your legs and build the explosive power. On the ice, quick acceleration drills will help to improve footwork and skating skills – both critical parts of a skating burst in any direction. Drills requiring stops and starts, a quick start from a standstill, or anything that pushes the limits of your speed and acceleration will be beneficial.

Hockey has become a game of quick transition and seizing opportunity. Players and teams that are able to harness their explosive power and skate effectively to take advantage in transition are going to generate more chances. Push yourself beyond your limits in the weight room and in practice and you will be better prepared when the opportunity presents itself in a game.

Filed under Hockey, Individual Skills, Position Play Tagged with , , ,

Wednesday Drill of the Week (Late Again!)

July 26, 2012 Leave a comment

Here it is, this week’s (and last’s) drill of the week:

It is a continuous flow drill, going 1 on 0 into 2 on 1 into 3 on 2. Great for situational play, skating, and line rushes.

The drill starts with forwards in either corner and defensemen on the red line. The first forward goes down on the far net 1 on 0. After shooting, the forward peels off towards the corner, receives a pass from that line, and attacks with support from the forward who passed the puck. A defenseman has stepped out, gapped up and now plays a 2 on 1 rush back. Once this rush plays out, the two forwards swing into the corner, receive a pass from the next person in line and then attack 3 on 2. Two new defensemen have stepped out to play the rush. When this rush hits the far blue line, the next forward goes from the next corner, starting the drill over again 1 on 0.

Keys to this drill for forwards are understanding the ice available to them, attacking open space, reading the defensemen and generating a quality scoring opportunity. Defensemen should focus on gap control, stick position, body position, and understanding the rush that is coming at them. Forwards should be trying to get to the net, while the D should be trying to keep the forward to the outside.

 

Filed under Drills, Hockey, Position Play Tagged with , , , , , ,

Wednesday Drill of the Week #4

May 30, 2012 Leave a comment

Up this week: a Goalie Drill. This drill I call the Push-Set Drill. It was a favorite of one of the goalies I worked with at Amherst College this year, Jonathan LaRose. It is a drill that forces the goalie to move from one set position to another, simulating a shot and a rebound.

The goalie sets up on one post, pushing out to the center of the ice. The shooter in the middle takes a shot that is low to the ice on the side the goalie just pushed off from (back towards the original post). The goalie makes the save, then recovers (off the ice aka on their feet) to the second shooter near the dot. This shooter goes low to start and then can progress to shots up high. The goalie alternates posts, getting both sides of the ice. As the drill progresses, the goalie can also recover on the ice using a butterfly slide or butterfly push. The drill is shown inside-out but it can also be done outside-in, where the goalie pushes out to the shooter on the dot and recovers to the middle.

This drill is intended to simulate a game situation of one save, followed by a quick rebound opportunity. Goalies must work on their footwork and their lateral speed, as well as their body control and rebound control. It is imperative that the shooters have proper shot placement, forcing the goalie to move and react to the shots.

Filed under Hockey, Individual Skills, Position Play Tagged with , , ,

The Fourth Line

April 11, 2012 Leave a comment

In my opinion, there is no more important part of a successful team than a strong and confident fourth line. Take a look at the best teams in college hockey over the past few years – they all have fourth lines that make an impact. The players in these positions may not be the most glamorous or well known, but I believe that they are often the most vital to winning championships.

Every team in hockey is going to have a first line. The high end skill players that can make an impact on the scoresheet. The most talented offensive players that can be relied upon to help score goals on a regular basis. What every team doesn’t have and that often sets the best apart from the rest is a good fourth line.

What constitutes a good fourth line? A good fourth line is a line that can play smart, responsible hockey in both ends of the rink. These players have a physical presence and an engine that never quits. They are flexible, adaptable and always ready to give their all for the team. Fourth lines take care of their roles and responsibilities first and are able to contribute to the scoresheet whenever possible. A valuable fourth line is a coach’s dream, as coaches can use these players in a variety of scenarios – from the first line out after special teams to valuable  minutes against any group.

This season at Amherst College, we had a fourth line that score 12% of our goals on the season. They were also relied upon to play important minutes after special teams situations and trusted to play at any point during the game. One player said about his teammates, “They were a major reason for our success – they gave us important shifts throughout the season and helped my line by giving us the rest we needed to be successful.” Our team was often referred to as “relentless” by opposing coaches. Being able to put out four lines that would give 100% and push the other team every shift was a major part of that “relentlessness”.

The best teams in hockey are complete teams. They rely on each other at different points throughout the season to be successful. Complete teams win championships.

Filed under Hockey, Position Play, Strategy Tagged with , ,

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