Description
FORWARDS
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Players are grouped at centre ice, with F1, F2, and F3, ready at the center of the blueline. Coach is in one corner with pucks.
On go, F1 angles the coach who skates up the wall with a puck allowing F1 to angle and strip. F2 is waiting, and times their route to enter the high-slot for a quick catch and release off of a pass from F1. After passing, F1 exits the zone and waits to re-enter for a shot.
Once F2 shoots, they continue into the opposite corner and receive a rim, or indirect pass from coach. After collecting the puck, F2 skates up the boards. While F2 is doing so, F3 creeps into the slot attack as F3 would, transitions to backwards, and begins to angle F2 who is now trying to exit the zone. F3, steals from F2, cuts toward the middle, and hits F1 who has re-entered the zone for a backdoor play.
*Be sure to allow players to steal the puck early in the drill. Eventually, allow the puck carriers to beat the anglers.
**As with other drills involving angling and high slot plays, timing is everything, make sure players know the proper timing of closing on the boards, and driving for passes.
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DEFENCE
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Lined-up on the faceoff dot in the zone. Pucks are in line.
Drill begins with D1 and D2 leaving together. D1 tags the redline, turning towards the boards and reentering the zone. As D1 turns, D2 is following up, and transitioning heels first. As they re-enter the zone D2 angles D1 (backwards) and either strips or knocks the puck loose. Once D2 has possession, they begin to wheel toward the net, before reversing back to the same side where D1 has now opened up on the hashmark, acting as a winger.
D2 makes a breakout pass to D1, who receives the puck and has to skate through the center ice circle. After making the pass, D2 follows-up, and angles D1 with their toes first in a live 1on1.
*Be sure to emphasize first contact by the blue line ideally in both scenarios (heals and toes first).
**It is okay to get ‘burned’ when learning. If they always play it safe, they probably aren’t angling/engaging/taking away ice.
