Reply To: Improving Practice – Ideas Anyone?

[Tom Molloy]

I have seen some really good ideas on how to improve drills and games in practice over the last few years. Here are some of them.

Shooting drills:
– Players have stayed in to screen for the next shooter for a long time. Now instead they follow the shot for a rebound and then circle back to the top of the circle and time it so that they are looking for the rebound on the next shot in the drill. This works on scoring on rebounds as well as the goalie controlling rebounds.
– Add a pass to the goal line with the last shooter now exchanging the puck with the next shooter. It isn't a one time shot (though it could be) but take the pass in the sweet spot and shoot without dusting it off stickhandling.

Eliminate Whistles:
– Example of this is in the C3-B600, 2 on 1 – Pro drill I posted yesterday. The players in line have to watch when the last play is made by the players ahead of them and then leave. In that drill either line can leave depending on when the group ahead of them is done.

Finishing Rushes:
– Instead of doing a 2 on 1 etc. and getting out of the way for the next group the play is finished by the attackers going for the rebound. Have a coach or a player mirror the play from the top of the circles for the defender to pass to if they break up the play. A goal or frozen puck ends the play as well. Most goals are scored on rebounds and off cycles after winning a loose puck battle. Allowing rushes to be completed makes them much more game like and the players practice the most important skills in the game. 'Games are won and lost in the War Zone in front of the net and not is the neutral zone where most of our drills are focused.

One Puck at a Time:
– In games only have one puck in the playing area at a time. i.e. on a cross ice 3 on 3 the team with the puck either leave it or pass to a teammate coming on instead of the coach firing in a new puck every whistle. This completes the play and also makes it much safer by eliminating the danger of players getting injured stepping on loose pucks.

Create Situations where the Players Need to Read the Play:
– Coaches can send out 1-2 or 3 players at a time instead of the same amount. The opposition doesn't know beforehand and has to read the game situation and solve the problem and if he is with a partner 'they must communicate in order to co-operate.'

Moving Pucks and Preparing for the Next Drill:
When a drill ends tell the players where the pucks go for the next drill and then bring them in to tell them what to do next. Assistant coaches are not slaves and should be listening about the next activity and not quietly moving pucks around. If you have done the drill before there is no reason to use the drill board. You can simply tell them the focus of the drill or game and any variation you want. Have a few of your players who can demonstrate well do the drill instead of always drawing it on the board.

Give a Time Limit for the Attack
– I recently ran the on ice sessions players in the Boston area for college players. On drills with zero opposition or outnumber situations Curtis Brackenbury (former NHL player and coach) had me give the players a time limit for the attack. So on a 3-0 when practicing the middle drive they had 10" to score or on a 2-1 the same thing. This creates urgency and the players have to attack the net and go for rebounds. It makes one way drills more game like and the intensity is better.

Coaches, what are some other ways to improve practice?

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