Facts you’ll need to Know to turn your Team from a Pretender into a Contender

 

1.Tryout Camp –The winning formula for picking the right players for your
   Team

 

Coaches and Assistant Coaches must evaluate each player‘s hockey talent at

tryout camp by using specific game like drills, scrimmages and exhibition games, then select a combination of Team oriented and skilled players with a winning attitude, good character and who possess some of the following hockey skills.

 

Selecting Your Forwards:

 

(a) Select some Forwards with accurate Shooting and Scoring Skills

(b) Pick some with creative Playmaking and Passing ability

(c) Choose others with Physical Checking/Grinding skills with the ability to
     create turnovers and recover loose pucks in the corners and along the
     boards

(d) Teams need at least 2 balanced scoring lines to succeed, 1 stacked
      scoring line will not do it against the top teams.

(e) Top lines are composed of a gifted goal scorer, a creative playmaker and
      a power forward with tenacious checking skills including body checking
      allowed
(f) Note: if you choose all goal scorers, who is going to pass them the puck
    and who is going to go into the corners to dig out loose pucks or create
     turnovers?

 

Picking Your Defencemen:

 

a) Pick some “D‘ with fast offensive skating, good puck carrying,
     stickhandling accurate and heavy shooting & scoring skills

(b) Choose others with good defensive skills; i.e. preventing goals by
      playing 1 on 1‘s, and 2 on 1‘s correctly, aggressive corner work,
      competent  blanket like coverage in front of your net and shot blocking
      skills.

(c) Pair an offensive rushing defenceman with a stay home defensive
     defenceman to ensure one is always back to defend against any rush.

(d) Defencemen must have lots of courage and are willing to block shots.
     Make sure you take this into consideration when selecting them

(e) If you pick all offensive “D” who’s going to be back to defend against the
      rush?

 

Choosing Your Goaltender:

 

(a) Your goalie is the backbone of your team and your most important player.
      Take your time selecting a goalie and once you do they’ll need instruction
     from you or your Assistant Goalie Coach at all practices and games.

(b) Choose goalies with good puck stopping skills and who can almost always
      stop the first shot. They must understand the theory of cutting the angle
      and setting themselves square or 90 degrees to the shooter and puck in
      order to stop initial shots and control rebounds.

(c) Good goalies have quick hands & feet and can get up or down quickly
     from the butterfly position. They have courage and are not afraid of the
      puck. They keep the game close always giving your team a chance
      to win.

(d) Big and tall goaltenders cover more area of the net than smaller
      goaltenders and if both are equal in puck stopping ability, I suggest
     you pick the bigger.

 

2. Run Organized On-Ice and Off-Ice Practices

 

The purpose of a practice is to teach basic hockey skills, systems & strategies

by using specific, non-complicated, game like drills to prepare for an

upcoming game or to correct errors made in previous games.

Head and Assistant Coaches must run organized, up-tempo, on-ice and
off-ice practices teaching specific skills, systems and strategies to turn
 a losing or underachieving Team into a winning one.

 

Try to keep your players constantly moving, not standing around too long

waiting for their turn in a drill. Divide the ice or floor into sections, then break the team into small groups of 5 and rotate players from station-to-station throughout your practice time period. End every practice with a controlled scrimmage to provide some fun.

 

3. Objectives of Offensive, Defensive and Transitional Hockey

 

During the early weeks of the season, coaches must review with their players

either at a special Team meeting or at a practice the objectives of:

 

Offensive Hockey:

 

The skills used trying to score a goal when your team controls the puck.

This includes carrying the puck, passing and head manning the puck, or

in specific situations shooting it in deep if over the Red Line then either

forechecking to create a turnover or to regain possession of the puck.

If you already have possession in the corner, possibly cycling the puck

behind the net trying to create a 2 on 1 situation and a high percentage

goal scoring opportunity.

 

Defensive Hockey:

 

The skills used trying to prevent a goal when the opposition have the puck.

This includes trying to create a turnover and/or recover loose pucks by

winning the 1 on 1 battles in the offensive zone and corners.

 

It also includes eliminating any odd man rushes by covering the wide winger

and preventing goals against when the opposition controls the puck in the

Neutral and Defensive zone.

 

In your defensive zone never leave an opponent uncovered in front of
your net or the slot area as they’re the prime shooting area where most goals are scored.

 

Transitional Hockey:

 

All players young and old need to understand and play a very fast transitional

game of going from Offensive Hockey to Defensive Hockey quickly with every

change of possession of the puck.

And Vice versa, they should be able to go from Defensive Hockey to Offensive

Hockey by counter attacking as soon as your Team regains possession of the

puck and starts an offensive rush up the ice.

 

Players must also understand at a young age that preventing goals is just as

important as scoring goals and will be a major contributor to winning games.

 

 

4. Specific Playing Rules

 

Many young hockey players do not understand the basic rules of hockey

and they are much too shy to ask their coaches for an explanation.

They just nod their head signifying they understand when really they don‘t.

Coaches must realize this and should explain to their players in simple terms

or by drawing diagrams on a portable rink board (a picture’s worth a 1000

words) so their players understand what causes and what the consequences

are for breaking the following rules:

 

(a) Off-sides, Delayed Off-sides and Intentional Off-sides

(b) Icing and Non Icing of the puck

(c) Penalties, explain and demonstrate what you can do and can’t do to avoid
      taking a 2 minute Minor, a 5 minute Major, a Game ejection Match Penalty
      or a 10-minute Misconduct Penalty.

(d) The new interpretation of the rules by a Referee states, the hockey stick
       must only be used for playing the puck, it is not to be used to impede
      the progress of the puck carrier or you‘ll receive a penalty if caught.

(e) Also, you cannot body check a player without the puck, or check a player
      from behind. This is very dangerous and you will receive a penalty.

 

5. Teaching Basic Hockey Skills

 

When coaching young players, boys or girls 5 to 12 years of age how to

play winning hockey, they‘ll need to be taught by explaining, demonstrating,

then practicing the following specific skills from the 5 basic skill groups:

 

(a) Skating- including forward, backward, stops, starts, turns, crossovers and

180 degree pivots – forward to back and back to forward

(b) Puckhandling, Stickhandling and Deking

(c) Passing and Receiving on your forehand and backhand.  It is imperative to
     teach the 8 basic types of Passes. They should be explained, how they are
     used, demonstrated and practiced.

(d) Shooting and Scoring Skills –explain the 8 basic shots for scoring goals
     and the 5 prime scoring locations on the goalie. Demonstrate several
     scoring plays by: shooting, passing, rebounds etc.

      If Players are taught correctly they will go from single to double-digit
     scorers.

(e) Checking/Grinding Skills - used to create turnovers and recover loose    
      pucks.

 

Demonstrate and practice Stick Checking Skills, then Body Checking Skills

if allowed, by using your hip, shoulder or arms to check (physically knock) the

puck carrier off the puck thus creating a turnover or a loose puck.

 

6. Systems and Strategies - to Outplay your Competition to Win more Games

 

Coaches must explain then practice the following Hockey Systems & Strategies including when and how to use them.

 

(a) Clearing/Breakout Plays –essential to get out of your end zone with the
      puck.

(b) Puck Control or Dump and Chase system, which will you use to enter the
      offensive zone, when and why.

(c) Forechecking Systems – the aggressive 2-1-2 “In Your Face” puck pursuit
     system or the more defensive 1-2-2 “Neutral Zone Trap” system
     - which one  will you use, when and why.

(d) Backchecking Systems – the 2-1-2 prevent odd man rush system
      or the 2-2-1 to cover both Wings system.

(e) How to protect a 1- goal lead late in the game without icing the puck.

 

7. Special Teams – Power Play and Penalty Killing

 

If you could improve the success of your Power Play (PP) or Penalty Killing (PK) by just 5%,10% or 15% it would go a long way towards winning a hockey game.

 

Players need to practice their Power Play by getting into good scoring positions by carrying or passing the puck into a high-percentage open shooting lane in the slot area, on the point, or off to the far side of the net.

 

Penalty Killers need to practice keeping the puck carrier to the outside of the ice by using either an aggressive or passive, flexible box if one man short, or use a rotating triangle formation if two men short.

 

They must be prepared to expand or collapse the box or triangle depending on the pucks location.

 

They also need to block shots, and to use an active stick to intercept or deflect

pucks in the passing lanes and clear any rebounds out of the zone.

 

The rule of thumb is to play “man-to-man” on the puck carrier and a zone defence on the other open players.

 

8. Coaches – Coaching Youth Hockey takes special skills

 

Head Coaches must surround themselves with knowledgeable Assistant Coaches. One person can no longer coach a winning hockey team all by himself/herself.

 

The coaching staff must be on the same page with non-conflicting ideas.

They must be good teachers of hockey skills, positive motivators and must

provide leadership and training for every hockey player under their direction.

 

The Head Coach must be organized and provide structure, establish Team rules and discipline.

 

S/he must develop a sound game plan with input from the Assistants so your team can be competitive and compete in and possibly win their fair share of games.

 

You must also prepare written photocopied practice plans for yourself and your

assistant coaches identifying what skills need to be taught when and where either on the practice ice or on the gymnasium floor.

 

Use a practice agenda with both start and finish times for drills.

Equal ice time is high on the agenda of most parents and is the norm until the

last 2 minutes of a game.

 

And last, but not least, remember the first goal of Minor/Youth Hockey is to ensure your players are having fun.

 

9. Playoff Hockey – It‘s as serious as the coaches and players want to make it

 

Coaches must mentally and physically prepare their players for the pressure,

and emotional stress of Playoff hockey. front of your net

 

Players must crank up their intensity level for the entire game if they want to win.

 

The playoffs are much different than the regular season.

 

There is more forechecking, more hitting, more turnovers, less quality scoring

chances and less goals scored. The star players are checked at every turn.

 

Players must score on their limited scoring chances or possibly lose the game

and be eliminated from further playoff games.

 

In playoff games, quickly getting the puck outside your Blue Line will reduce

your chances of getting scored upon and the more the puck is shot deep

inside the opponent‘s end the greater your chance for victory.

 

I suggest coaches hold a pre-playoff Team meeting to discuss your strategy

and identify the opposing Team‘s strengths, weaknesses and how you intend

to shut down or control the oppositions best players.

 

These above facts, if utilized by coaches and players will help a struggling team improve and win a higher percentage of games.

 

John Shorey

Author- “Hockey Made Easy”