SKILLS
PURPOSE
Working on breakout concepts, this passing/shooting drill forces players to open up in a quick pass play simulating traffic and high pressure, triggering a reverse and getting across the zone (mimicking a turnover) and timing for a breakout on the other side. On the back end of the drill it is a simple 1v1 focusing on gap/lane management. Emphasize the D not “fishing” for the puck and the O driving the net wide.
FOCUS
- Getting open for passes – not skating away or being puck-focused – with the stick on the ice, giving a good target
- Making quick, hard, on-ice passes tape to tape
- Reading and timing play to develop good hockey sense on breakouts
- Gap management with sticks in lanes and not fishing
- Using the whole ice with speed to generate scoring opportunities
HOW TO
- Two lines of players – 1 at the top of the circle and one below the goal line
- Players at top of the circle (F) skate through the circle about 2/3 to the goal line and make a short, quick pass to D
- F opens up (DO NOT just turn up ice and skate away) and receives a quick pass back from and returns the puck to D
- This triggers a reverse with D carrying the puck behind the net, gaining the far post and F skating across the zone, timing with D, getting open on the boards (again, NOT turning up ice and skating away) for a breakout pass
- From here, player F will carry the puck out of the zone and around the far cone, shielding the puck to the outside, then passing with a give & go to the coach and heading back into the zone, while D skates forward and transitions to D around the bottom cone.
- D (defense) focuses on forcing the player wide, a good stick in the lane, and body position
- F focuses on using the entire ice they are given (they don’t have to go right at the defender) to create time, space, and generate an opportunity.
*Have both forwards and defense play both spots.
