Reply To: 2011 Spring Teams

[hockeygod]

Tom,

Thanks for your continued posts. It's very helpful to see your practices from start to finish.

One question for you: When you play the game with one pass in each zone, do players have to regroup all the way into their own D-Zone when they gain possession of the puck in the (1a) offensive or (1b) neutral zone?

Hope you had a good trip to Europe, and keep us posted on your plans for next year.

Thanks,
Dave M
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Thanks Tom – Just a quick follow-up….. if a team gains the puck on the offensive zone, do you require a regroup and a pass in the defensive & neutral zones when you play the "1 pass in all zones" game?

Dave M
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Dave – not putting words into Tom's mouth, but this is my take…

(1a) If the players regain the puck in the OZ as a result of a forecheck, turnover / giveaway, I give the attacking team the green light to attack the net immediately (most goals are scored within a few seconds on transition.) I love to encourage offense, so go get 'em!

(1b) If the players regain the puck in the NZ as a result of a forecheck, turnover / giveaway, I have them make one pass, then attack the OZ onside. I try to stress a 'penetrating pass' (rather than a D – D or lateral pass – all width and little or no depth) which is to hit someone coming flat across the attacking blueline in full flight; such that they can enter the OZ between the dots, with speed (split the D).

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If a team comes through the NZ and gains the OZ off the rush, I tell the attacking team that as they enter the zone (on side), they must gain the level of the top of the circles / faceoff dots / creaseline (you determine your 'rules') before they can attack the net.

I don't tell the players this with the goalies within earshot. In fact, I tell the teams in isolation of each other… so neither really knows the 'rules' that the other is governed by… they have to watch and figure it out. Then I change the rules – even shift by shift – to keep people on their toes.

I set these rules to encourage practicing different 'layers' or levels of attack… and to increase the offensive team's awareness of the importance of getting possession deep in the O zone. To gain the requisite 'level', they can choose to skate the puck / pass it / chip it / rim it / cross ice dump it / aerial it to space, etc. before shooting / attacking the net.

The game is the best teacher and will 'tell' them what to do. Where is the available space? Ahead or behind the defender? Take it!
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Dave and Dean. If the team gains possession in the neutral zone I require that they make at least one pass before entering the offensive zone. If the puck goes in first then it is ok but one more pass is required before shooting.

In my morning session today Chris the goalie coach had them working on going side to side in the net and also looking behind. We played a half ice game at each end; one 3 on 3 and one 4 on 4 where they had to chenge the point of attack below the goal line to either a team mate behind the net or below the goal line on the other side. This caused the goalie to have to move and gets the players to realize that changing the point of attack forces the defenders to cover a lot more space.

We then did a full ice game 7 on 7 with the same rule for ten minutes and with only the rule on at least one pass in each zone for tean minutes.

I was thinking today that a good support rule would be "the puck must move from one zone to the other within 2". It would require really quick support.

Dean
M.Ed (Coaching)
Ch.P.C. (Chartered Professional Coach)
Game Intelligence Training
"Great education depends on great teaching."