My $0.02 worth. Current coach of a high school girls team, but I applied the same philosophies when coaching Bantam boys and I think the same could apply to a competitive Pee Wee team
Points:
-Try to break out on weak (non-puck) side. This requires weak side D to recognize when partner has puck and make him/herself available for d-to-d pass
-C should not get ahead of breakout wing. C needs to stay low, this aligns with my defensive strategy of C supporting the puck.
-Weakside W needs to get over to side they're breaking out on to stretch the ice as well as provide support for an off-the glass breakout
When the D has the puck they have options (in no particular order):
1) Pass to wing along boards
2) Center breakout
3) Skate it (preferably up the dots)
4) off-the-glass
If pass to wing along boards, options (again no particular order) include:
1) Skate, if time and space permit
2) pass to C, who has speed
3) Pass back to D (trailing play in support position)
4) Pass to weak side W at middle of blue line
5) pass off glass to weak side wing (again, reason why it's so important weak side comes over to support)
I emphasize the number of options we create in this alignment and do drills that practice each option. Some are position specific and others are just basic breakouts forcing team to using any of the 5 options above.
Hope this helps and good luck to you all!!
Hello fellow coaches,
I would like to thank everyone for responding, I would like to give you an update. I did read and value all your suggestions - I took certain aspects and exposed our team to the different methods of breaking out of our zone.
In practice - mostly during our off ice practice, we "walked through" what we wanted to accomplish. And when we got on the ice we would go over it on the ice - not standing and talking, but executing the play.
We played alot of SAG games that had the players break it out - forwards and Dmen. I thought this really got our players thinking what and where they needed to be during a full ice game.
The players learned more about patience and not just "throwing the puck" to a spot, nothing wrong with an area pass, but that wasn't our intentions
Working on agility skating, passing - both stationary and moving w/puck, transitioning. Ice awareness, boy, do we talk about this all the time and the SAG's have helped immensly.
Communication - from the goalie, to the D partner to all the forwards - a great help to moving the puck. We would start a drill, where the player had to look over both shoulders AND get verbal communication to assist the player, to help them with their breakouts. I now see (I mean hear) our players all the time, it has lead to communicating in all 3 zones now.
We do a continuous breakout drill - the kids LOVE it!!! We use it for a warm up; get the goalies involved where they just don't stop the puck behind the net, but actually pass it & hard, to a D or forward. The Dmen, making calls - "GO-GO", "D to D", "Reverse", "Stop" have really expedited our breakouts.
Don't get me wrong, every once in a while we still get that dreaded "rimmed" pass, but MUCH better.
I will keep in touch throughout the season and again - THANK YOU all.
Iceman