Diary of a Season 2017-18
Some coaches like me to do a diary each year and post our practice plans which are based on the ABC philosophy. This year I am coaching a U18 Midget Elite Girl's AA team that plays in the Alberta Provincial league consisting of 12 teams.
The purpose of this site is to continually update the coaching manual and add ABC coded practice activities.
The code key:
A - Individual skills and skating.
B - Partner and team skills with no opponents.
C - Game situation drills where you are trying to score vs. opponents.
D - Games to teach the game.
DT - Transition games where the C drills are practiced as continuous games with no whistles.
E - Shootouts and contests.
F - Fitness skating.
G - Goaltending.
O - Off-ice training.
T - Coach directed training.
T1- Individual offensive skills.
T2 - Team offensive skills.
T3 - Individual defensive skills.
T4 - Team defensive skills.
The coding also tells where the drills are done on the ice and can be combined. This makes it easy to find practice ideas.
I will post the practice plans as the year progresses.
We started with a conditioning camp and I did two evenings with three groups per night.
Fire Conditioning Camp Practice Plan One
Date: 8-26-17 Time: 2 5:45 and 7:15 Great Plains
Practice 9-9-17
8:45 Parents and players meet coaches in the lobby.
Fire White Practice Plan Date: 9-11-17 [/b][/color]
Fire White Practice Plan 9-13-17
I have attached the pdf. with youtube video of most of the drills up to the start of drill section 15. The playlists have the new drills. YouTube video hockey drill and game playlists by country and level of hockey.
https://www.youtube.com/channel/UC7QFP0bQPIsH88rmxb3ZEjg/playlists
Fire Practices 9-16/17-17
Fire White Practices 9-18/20-17
We had a pre-season tournament to finish choosing our team. Played 4 games and won all 4. Lethbridge, 4-2, Team from Northern Alberta 9-1, Okanagan Hockey Academy 3-1 and Edmonton 2-1. We had to go from 7 to 6 D and 13 F to 11 F. Not fun for anyone but we cut down to the required numbers and now have our team. The players not chosen are our affiliates.
The games showed us what we need to focus on in practice and let us get to know the players better. Great group.
Fire White Practice Plans 9-26/28-17
Watch for the forecheck principles.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=S9IJatAFY-Q Hitchcock on aggressive hockey.
Pro's practicing the same concepts: https://1drv.ms/f/s!AukXg5gWoW-98SPqAba_8IFxZM_f
Fire White Plans 9-29/30-17
Fire White Practice Plans 10-1/3/5-17
Fire White Practice Plans 10-6/8-17
Fire White Practice Plan Date: 10-6-17 Time: 20:30-21:45 Venue: Henry Viney
Fire White Practice Plans 10-9/11-17
Fire White Practice Plan Date: 10-9-17 Time: 20:30-21:45 Arena: ECTAS
Fire White Practice Plan 10/18 - 17
Fire White Practice Plan 10-12-17 Time: 16:00-17:30 Arena: Henry Viney
T4 - Team Play Review
This is a review of Team Play using table top hockey players with magnets for skates and a metal rink about the size of a kitchen table. I got the board at a Hockey Canada coaching symposium in Toronto in 1996. The company doesn't make them anymore but it is a great 3D way to go over team play.
http://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/mediagallery/media.php?f=0&sort=0&s=20171018181259925
https://youtu.be/KmAt-vRfWzw
Fire White Practice Plans 10 - 19/22 - 17
Fire White Practice Plan 10-19-17 Time: 16:00-17:30 Arena: Henry Viney
Fire White Practice Plans 10 - 24/25/26 - 17
AAA/AA Special Teams Scrimmage - Oct. 24, 2017
Format of scrimmage: It was a 75' ice time. 10' warm-up, 10' 5-4, 10' 4-5, 10' 5-3, 10'-5-3, 10' 6-5, 10' 5-6. After each segment the clock is reset and the players come to the bench for a 3' review with the coach and then play for 7'. Straight time.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i02cdqlBbpQ&feature=youtu.be
Key to success: Special teams are “Special” teams within a team.
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Fire White Practice Plans Date: 10-25/26-17
'The Fire Alarm 2-3 Forecheck'
T4 – 2-3 Forecheck Review
Pressure the puck carrier. Pinch on the weak side.
https://youtu.be/LzD9THRBIqA
Fire White Practice Plans 11 - 1/2 - 17
Fire White Practice Plans 11 - 5/-8 - 17
Fire White Practice Plans 11 - 9/15 - 17
Fire White Practice Plans 11 - 16 - 17
Lots of skill work then Wally Kozak did a lot of work on defensive zone coverage using the Bob Murdoch sequence starting with a tight 2-1-2 with two strides and stop then progressed to aggressive dzone.
Fire White Practice Plan 11 - 22 - 17
Power Play Review and focus on the slap shot as a fundamental skill for the one timer.
Fire White Practice 11 - 23 - 17
Review defensive zone coverage, skating edges and balance with Randy Cave, 5-0 breakouts, 3 games on two nets at goal line.
Link to the diagrams, pdf's and videos on my One Drive for the hockey drills and games.[/color]
https://1drv.ms/f/s!AukXg5gWoW-9cspHwFuhEHXkUOk
Fire White Practice 11-30 and 12-4 - 17
Fire White Practices 12-5-7-17
We also practiced Dec. 6 but I was sick and stayed home and my assitant coaches ran a practice where they focused on puck handling, passing, power play and quick puck support.
Dec. 7 Wally Kozak did a great breakout sequence again for the players who missed it last week. We have six injuries and some are coming back. I will put it together when I get a chance but it is very workthwhile.
Played an away game Friday night. Won 1-0 with only one goal on 30 shots. Shots were 30-18 and we didn't put in most of our chances. So Saturday's practice 12-9-17 had a lot of focus on scoring and attacking with speed.
Fire White Practices 12-9/12-17
Dec. 8 lots of passing and going to the net, shooting and scoring.
Dec. 12 the focus was on the breakout with introducing a great breakout sequence with lots of reps. Learning to skate to the big ice between the dots and create a 2-1 by taking the ice behind. Lots of 2-2 situations.
Fire White Practices 12-13/14-17
December 13 - Lots of passing, breakouts, power play game, cross ice games of Jokers behind the net must shoot. 3-2-1 pucks, backchecking, pass to Jokers on the sides. 2-1's, 2-2, 3-3.
December 14 - puck handling, defesne one timers, neutral zone 2-2 with regroups, Batchko, defensive zone coverage,
1-1, 2-1, transition game 2-1 to 3-3. Shootout game 2-0 x 2.
Fire White Practices 12-18/20-17
Fire White Practices 12-18-17
December 18 - Passing, scoring and shooting at full speed with a quick move then release. Batchko one zone, 2" game 2/3 ice, shootout, multiple passes.
Fire White Practices 12-20-17
Game situations, passing, angling, loose puck battles, transition 1-1 to 2-2 and 2-1 to 3-3, Game sequence of 3-0, 3-1, 3-2, Batchko 2/3 ice.
Fire White Practices 12-21-17
Lots of passing, one timers, defensive skating technique and backward striding, 1-1, 2-1, two one zone games, one with the 2" rule and the next Batchko, Perry Pearn 3-3.
We have finished the first half of our 26 game schedule. We were 3-3 our first 6 games and won 6 of 7 after so we are 9-4 going into the Christmas break. It took a while for the players to adapt to a new way of playing and at the start of December we introduced the 'offensive swarm' where we outnumber the opponents on loose puck battles. This adjustment has improved our scoring by about a goal a game and now we usually get the critical 3 goals it takes to win consistantly. Our defense is very good but we lost some 1-0, 2-1 games and scoring 3 makes a huge difference in the final score.
The simplest way to explain the 'offensive swarm' is to play like you are on a power play during loose puck battles. If they have one player battling we have two, them two then we have three. We play our aggressive forecheck with pinching on the weak side until a loose puck battle starts.
Fire White Practices 12-28-17, 1-5-18
Assistant coaches ran the practices 1-5/6-18 while I was in Jasper doing a camp for their hockey association. They focused on lots of passing and skating skills to get the players back after the Christmas break.
The Dec. 28 practice was the only one that week. Some players were on Christmas vacation and two players who used to play for me asked to practice because their teams had no ice time.
January 1 was a team play review practice with breakouts at the start and defensive zone coverage then forecheck and backcheck review. So the 5-5 was covered.
Next day we did the 8 hour bus ride to Grande Prairie which took most of Saturday. We stayed over night and the team went bowling and watched the second period of the Flames-Ducks game in my room. We played Sunday and it was 1-1 and we lost in the shootout. 38 shots for and only one goal.
Fire White Practices 01-10/11-18
Fire White Practices 01-17/18-18
It is final exam week so many players are missing. The 17th had 12 skaters and 2 goalies. Twelve players is enough to do most things. We did skating and puck handling while Mel worked with the goalies and then had a tournament where we played various games and kept score. 2 pts. for a win and 1 pt. for a tie. The losers picked up the pucks at the end..
We are getting better as the season progresses. We started at 3 W 3 L our first six games and now are 11 W 4 L 2 T with nine league games left. So things are heading in the right direction as the players improve their skill and game understanding.
Lots of game situations in both practices. No games this weekend because of final exams.
Fire White Practices 01-19/24-18
A 75 minute practice on Friday after school.
Gaston Schaeffer came to instruct skating for the fourth time this season. I broke the team into two smaller groups of 8 forwards and 7 defense with two forwards who play both F/D.
We did skating edges to start, then 25' of skaiting and a cross ice game then switched. Gaston took everyone again the last ten minutes. Very good session for some individual skating instruction while I interjected some good playing habits during the games.
Jan. 24 - 90 min.
We did lots of passing, playing with speed, transition, 1-1's, 3-0, 3-1, 3-2. Fast paced practice with lots of reps.
Practice 01-25-18
Focus on puck handling, passing, transition, breakouts. Wally Kozak did defensive skating attacking with speed and 1-1, 2-1, 2-2, 3-2 in a random drill.
Practice 01-31-18
Lots of passing and focus was on the D joining the rush and scoring. Transition with D joining attack and F backchecking.
Practice 02-01/05-18
A 90' practice with one goalie. We did lots of skating, passing, puck handling skills and goalie instruction, played two one zone transition games and then had a King's Court tournament with 4 nets. Started with 20' of 1-1 and finished with 20' of 2-2.
Practice 02-05-18
We warmed up with edges while carrying a puck. I had them fake a shot and push out on the forehand or out then across skating backward before shooting so they change the angle on the goalie. In the 3-3 game we practiced one attacker take the eyes away by screening the goalie, strong side give the point an outlet and be available for a shot pass, weak side available for one timer or shot pass. Everyone crash for rebounds. We also reviewed full ice angling and played the same tournament because we haven't played in ten days.
We fly to a tournament in Langley BC which is near Vancouver on Thursday and will play 4 or 5 games on the weekend.
We have a team play practice with the Fire AAA tonight and a 90' practice Wed. night before leaving.
Here are the results of all our games so far.
Fire White AA 2017-18
Tournaments
Pre-season
4-2. Lethbridge
9-1. Northern Alberta
3-1. OHA
2-1. Edmonton
Wickfest Tournament
1-1. Pilot Mound
2-1. Kamloops
2-1. Edmonton
1-4. Fire Red
Exhibition
0-3. Banff
5-3. Airdrie
GP 10 W 7 L. 2. T 1
League
4-2. Lloydminster
1-7. Sherwood Park
0-1. Edmonton
3-2. Airdrie
5-2. Okotoks
2-3. Red
3-1. Leduc
3-3. 4-3 SO. W Fire Red
1-2. Airdrie
1-0. Red Deer
4-2. Red Deer
3-2. Lethbridge
3-0. Airdrie
1-1. 1-2 Grande Prairie. SO Loss
2-2. 2-3 Fire Red SO Loss.
6-0. Lethbridge
3-2. Airdrie
3-0. Okotoks
1-0. Okotoks OT Win
GP 19 W. 13. L4. T. 2
49 GF. GA. 32
Fire White Practice 02-14/15-18
Lots of skills, game situation and transition in these practices.
Fire White Practice 02-21/22-18
Feb. 21
Slap shots, goaltending, transition, puck support, power play.
Feb. 22
Defense escape moves, breakout options, 1-1, 2-1, 3-2, shootout, puck protection, driving to the next, transition.
This is the full ice 1-1, 2-1, 2-2 from our Thursday practice.
https://youtu.be/zLVJzTU6l8E
Fire White vs St Albert 02-24-18
https://youtu.be/Aqi7832zL1g
Fire White Practices 02-26/28-18
Fire White Practices 02-26-18
Lots of skill work and everyone defender 1-1, 2-1, 3-1, 3-2 situations. 2/3 ice game with modified rules.
Fire White Practices 02-28-18
Terry Johnson worked with the defense on beating the first forechecker and making the outlet pass. We did drills and transition games to reinforce this.
Fire White Practices 03-07/8-18
We are in our bye week. Finished first in our division with a 20-4-2 record and will play the winner of 4th vs. 5th March 17-18.
Lots of reps and game situations. Teaching getting to the 'big ice' between the dots when you get the puck.
Fire White Practices 03-11/13-18
Fire White Practices 03-11-18
This practice had goalie training, lots of passing and keepaway, power play and penalty killing, two thirds ice game with modified rules and a change on the go shootout.
Fire White Practices 03-13-18
Lots of 1-1 stressing the attack.
Fire White Practices 03-14/20-18
Lots of passing and game situations. Full, one zone and cross ice transition games.
Play a two game total goal playoff this weekend. We host so are in but Red Deer must beat us to go to the Provincial Championships. So it should be intense.
We lost the first game 1-2 and outshot them 27-26 and won the second 4-2 and got outshot 30-31. So won the series 5-4 and eliminated Red Deer who are defending champs. Playoffs are a different animal as we beat them in a tournament and 4 league games earlier in the season. We now have another weekend off before Provincials March 29-April 1.
Things like the Easter weekend don't mean anything in youth sports anymore and we will play vs. the two top teams in Northern Alberta and three teams from the Southern Division. We had a bye but won our way in so the next highest finishing team in our division plays in the Provincial tournament.
It is a ound robin where we play everyone once, so four games, then the top two play for Gold and 3-4 play for Silver.
Should be fun.
We will try to keep up conditioning, review team play, practice all the skills at high speed and hopefully we will be ready. We practice this Thursday, Saturday, next Tuesday and the tournament starts Thursday.
Team Play Review
Below are a few emails I sent to my players and their parents about how we play. We are in the Provincial Championships in a week.
Hi Team,
Please look at the six minute video we made together in Lloyminster about our forecheck. It covers the initial pressure. Remember that when we are in a loose puck battle we swarm and if they have one then we have two, them two us three. We back pressure the puck carrier and everyone backtrack to our house and defend out from there.
We will review this tonight.
Fire Alarm Forecheck
T4 - Forecheck Review
Pressure the puck carrier. Pinch on the weak side.
https://youtu.be/LzD9THRBIqA
Team Play Review
Team this is the entire Team Play breakfast meeting we had in Lloydminster. Yesterday I sent the first 6 minutes. Today it is the entire 31 minutes. Fast forward 6' to the neutral zone.
At last nights practice we reviewed the forecheck and the offensive swarm as well as the power play.
This video doesn't have the defensive swarm that we use in loose puck battles in our end. We were 3 W 3 L until we started using both the offensive and defensive swarm. We will go over defensive swarm in practice.
There are many effective ways to play the game and 1-2-3-4-5 is how 'We Play'. We want everyone involved in the offense and the defense and in our practices both the F and D Practice all offensive and defensive situations.
This style requires the ability to read where you are on the ice in relation to the puck and your net and to know where your and the other teams player are. It takes fitness, skill awareness and commitment. It is both hard and fun to play if you love to compete and it is a very difficult style to play against because there is no time or space to do anything. The NHL team that we model our game after is Nashville.
Parents, I have included you in the email so you understand how we play in various situations. Once the puck drops there are no positions. You start in your home position and read the game from there. It is the way the game has evolved, especially over the last ten years.
Fire White Team Play https://youtu.be/KmAt-vRfWzw
Take care,
Coach Tom
==========================================
Subject: Creating Offense
I meet every Thursday morning with coaches from the women's pro Inferno, U of Calgary, Wally Kozak and some others who join in some weeks for a coaches hotstove.
Tim Bothwell, who I coached with at the U of C men's team until he went to be an asst. in the NHL condensed a 75' presentation by Nashville coach Peter Laviolette to 11' of offensive zone play. This is the kind of decision making we are striving towards and is very worthwhile for the players to watch.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Tmtx9_UL2hA
Take care,
Coach Tom
Fire White Practices 03-22/24-18
Fire White Practices 03-22-18
Worked on doing things at top speed. Power Play and forecheck review, agility skating, goalie technique, rebound.
Fire White Practices 03-24-18
Breakouts with goalies passing, 1-1, 2-1, 3-1 rush recongnition, Terry Johnson defenseman technique, puck protection, passing and timing, shots. agility skating, shootout.
Fire White Practice 03-27-18
The last practice before the Provincial Championship Tournament. Five teams play a round robin with 4 games in three days and then the top two play for Gold and 3-4 for Bronze. The top four teams finshed within a game of each other. St. Albert and Sherwood Park from the northern division and the two Calgary teams, White and Red from the south and Airdrie was in third place and gets a bye since we qualified in the playoffs and are hosting.
One of the parents took a video of the last practice with 2=3 minutes of each drill and team play review. Battery ran out so he didn't get the shootout. The players made huge skill improvements the last 7 months. The video clips are on my One Drive with the link below.
Great group of players and parents to work with this season.
https://1drv.ms/f/s!AukXg5gWoW-9hJ9mE6gGdoURA4OJNA
PROVINCIAL TOURNAMENT
It was pretty gruelling with 5 games in 4 days.
Game 1 - 5-3 win over Fire Red
Game 2 - 2-2 then OT loss 2-3 to Sherwood Park
Game 3 - 2-2 then OT win 3-2 vs. Airdrie
Game 4 - 6-1 win over St. Albert
Game 5 - 2-0 win over St. Albert in the final.
Provincial Champion 2017-18
Really nice compliment as we were just named 'Coaching Staff of the Year' in our 12 team league.
Hi Tom,
It has a while since I've posted here.
Here we are at the start of a new season. After a few seasons with U20 U16 and U18 I'm stated as a head coach with U13 team this week. Even it is our first week together and I should not rush my self, there is some work to do for me to adjust to the development level that they are at.
I’m going to coach this same team now for three seasons so it’s really interesting opportunity to follow the players development and my coaching.
I’ve really tried to dig in to the world of CLA (constraints led approach) in skills development and mixing it with a SAGs and transition games (well, with Tom’s game is the best teacher philosophy).
I’ll put some links to stuff I’ve been trying to study.
I’m looking forward to see you in Denmark Tom.
Kai
The Talent Equation podcast (link to youtube)
Athletic skills model (book)
Non-linear-pedagogy in skill acquisition (book)
-----------------
Kai, that is great to get a team for 3 years. I had my son's team for 4 seasons in a row and it really gave a chance to develop skills and game understanding.
Thanks for the book recommendations. I look forward to seeing you next month in Copenhagen.
I just read 'The Culture Code' by Daniel Coyle for the second time. It is great.
Tom
Hockey Coaching ABCs - Forum
https://www.hockeycoachingabcs.com/forum/viewtopic.php?showtopic=7996