Reply To: Diary of a Season 2011-12

[Tom Molloy]

Last night we had a team play scrimmage with another U18 AAA team and it went really well. Their coaches want to do more scrimmages.

Tonights practice will focus on D to D hinging after regroups and the D joining the play. Many of the exercises are new so I am leaving a little more time for explanation and expect the players to remember how to do the drill the next time. I will have to have 2 more F's play D so we have 8 for the drills. It is tough to do a lot of flow with only 6 D and 9 F. 12 F and 8 D make everything possible. Many times we just have everyone play all situations in the drills. It helps because with our forecheck the forward ends up being the middle D on many rushes.

We will end with a regulation shoot out. Last year my top goalie struggled in shoot outs at the start of the season and was going out too far and losing the net because we always did shoot outs where the goalie starts at the top of the crease. So to get used to leaving from the goal line we started to do shootouts like they are in a game and started with a whistle. It helped.

It is a 90 min. ice time.

Practice Plan (the pdf with links and diagram is attached.)

A200 Skating Warm up for Edges and Balance WITH A PUCK

B4 Rejo Pass and Replace

B600 Regroup, Hinge, Quick up-Detroit

B600 Regoup, Hinge, Middle D Rush – Detroit

DT100 2 on 2 with Regroup

D100 Two Second Game

E1 Regular Shoot Out
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We took a little longer at the start because the goalie coach needed more time to work on some things with the goalie.

I added the little contest Dean mentioned and had 5 or 6 players around 3 circles. Three had a puck inside the circle and tried to protect their puck and knock other ones out. When a puck was lost then a new player came in.

We passed one puck around the circle with eye contact, then added pass and follow your pass, then did the same thing with 2 pucks. We finished off the skill segment with Puck Dog.

We did the 2 on 2 transition game with the attackers getting support at the blue line but didn't get as far as adding a regroup. I focused on the defending players covering one each and boxing out and picking up sticks when the puck was being shot from the point. Many of the players just follow the puck and don't cover a player, so this was a priority. We didn't get as far as the two second game but did the shootout to end practice.

At the end of each practice now the players lie on their stomach around the circle facing the middle dot and have a cheer led by the captain.

Attachments

• Flyers Sept 29.pdf (563 KB)

'The Game is the Greatest Coach'
'Enjoy the Game'