Moving to Space

Moving to space is an important skill crucial to moving the puck successfully.  In the series of grid drills that we used in our lessons, players without the puck had to move to open space in order to receive a pass.  Not only did they have to move to space, they also had to: call for the puck, read the play, and decide who was going to move to space to receive the pass.

Supporting the Person with the Puck

Supporting the puck carrier is another important off-the-ball skill that we tried to emphasize to the students.  Achieving this means spreading out, but being within a reasonable distance from the puck carrier. This distance is important to stress, because you don’t want to teach them to all huddle closely near the puck or be too far away, you want them to be in a good supporting position. This is obviously a very important in-game skill for when the puck carrier is under pressure.

Marking

Marking a person to defend is a crucial skill when it comes to defending. It is important to communicate with your team and each take an opponent to check. Calling out their name and moving towards them is a good way to distinguish who you’ve marked up.

Positioning

Remembering to be “goal-side” of your opponent. (meaning you want to be between them and your own goal). This makes it easier to prevent them from breaking to the net and creating an opportunity to score. This means getting back onto defense and preventing any odd-man rushes.