Reply To: Diary of a Season 2025-2026

[Tom Molloy]

Fire Black Practice Plan – 09-20-25
Time: 13:30-14;45 Venue: Crowchild
Lines: 2 G – 12 F – 6 D Notes: Theme – defensive zone coverage, point shots, scissors, good habits

D4 – Two Pass https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1GmihiAPk9/
B6 – Machine Gun – 2 Pass x 2-Shot – U15 G https://www.facebook.com/share/v/19R1eRMXy4/
B2 – Coach Pass – D Drag-Shoot – Screen https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1C3bykjwCL/
T4 – Defensive Zone Skating – RB Pro https://www.facebook.com/share/p/17FnGEMwgA/
DT100 – Continuous 3-2 to 5-5 https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1ApQgCBfF7/
D202 – Two Thirds Ice Game with Jokers Behind Nets https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18HQtAzEaG/
E1 – 1-1 Puck Carrier Either Way – U17 https://www.facebook.com/share/v/14YZVd6qQFK/
Cheer in middle

Good practice. Got D to move and use deception as point shots are getting blocked. Young team and most of the F played C, so need to learn how to play in our zone and cover the point. Went over D zone coverage. Man on and box behind, combined man on man zone defense. Continuous 3-2 to 5-5 uses that coverage in a game situation. The 2/3 ice game works on puck support and getting eyes up. Machine gun has a lot of passing and timing.
Game today vs. Airdrie will be the first time we play with the regular team. One affiliate D replaces one injured.

Won 5-1 vs Airdrie. Shots about even but we have a really good line who scores on their chances. Played good defense and allowed no shots on rebounds. Their goal hit about three things before going in. Both goalies were very good. Have two practices before weekend tournament where we will play at least 4 games vs. teams from Western Canada.
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Fire Black Practice Plan – 09-23-25
Time: 18:45-20:00 Venue: Max Bell
Lines: Notes: Focus on Specialty Teams

A300 x 2 – Skating and Puck Handling Warm-up with Shots – Finland
B200 Overspeed with a Pass https://www.facebook.com/share/p/18KCA9mAQA/
D4 – Clear Zone to Transition to Offense https://www.facebook.com/share/p/1Ds4nAbzUS/
T2-4 – Power Play 1 – PK 2 – Switch PP 2 PK 1
T4 – 4-5 Penalty Kill vs. Overload
T2-4 – Power Play-Penalty Kill Sequence – Pro
T2-4, D4 – Reilly Team Play Rotation https://www.facebook.com/share/p/186dptbRSJ/
Team cheer in middle

First PP goal of season https://www.facebook.com/share/v/1CQKQHvpX9/

Practiced the PP and Penalty kill. I took the pk and had the pp run the overload and diamond as that is what we see in this league. Jim worked on the 1-3-1 with both PP groups. We 10 players learning the PP and 8 the PK. In games the same thing with 18 players so everyone is on a specialty team. We will do this for a few weeks and then put a different 5 on the PP2. We are front loaded with games as we played one on Sunday and have our Firestarter tournament on the weekend with 4 or 5 games. We have a tournament in Kelowna in two weeks and will switch before that. Our season starts after that and we only play two games each weekend. So as many games in three weeks as we play until Christmas.
We have 11 first year players. 1 G, 4 D, 6 F. It is a big jump, so the young players have to get used to the size and speed. We had hockey sense as a big priority in our draft and it is apparent the way they pick up drills. Challenge is to implement good habits like face the puck, see the play, skate hard to open ice, get open, stick on puck, maintain D side, gain the lane, defend from the net out, get to big ice between dots with the puck, etc.
So we have lots to teach and players have a lot to learn. That is what the fun in coaching is.

Attachments

• Fire Black Practice 09-20-25.pdf (357 KB)
• Fire Black Practice 09-23-25.pdf (458 KB)

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