Drill:
1. Line up 1 player against a Coach
2. Player dumps puck to corner and chases
3. Pick up puck and skate around the cone and drive the net
4. Coach should simply help drive the player outside to help them understand how to get position
5. Run from each side
Focus:
1. Players work on skating to win a corner battle
2. Picking up a loose puck and then driving the net
Notes:
Related Drills:
2 on 1 Corner Dump
Drill:
1. Line up 1 D at the blue line
2. Line up 1 F at the top of the circle
3. On the whistle, D breaks backwards, F skates forward with the puck trying to beat the D
Focus:
1. Forwards concentrate on beating the D
2. Defense works on quick backward starts and then transitioning when the time is right so they don’t get beat
Notes:
Good full length drill to get the kids skating.
Related Drills:
Windmills
Russian Suicides II (The Admiral II)
Drill:
1. Line up 4 players at the blue line
2. Line up 2 coaches near the goal line
3. Have one of the Forwards dump the puck into the corner and each forward covers a Coach
4. Coaches work to get the puck out of the zone
5. Forecheckers work to get the puck and then set up a play in the Offensive zone.
Focus:
1. Forwards concentrate on getting to the pucks and working along the boards to gain position
2. Defense works on holding the point and keeping the puck in
Notes:
Start with coaches so they focus is on gaining puck control and then setting up the play.
Add players at a later time so they can focus on working the puck up the boards.
Have them make XX number of passes before shooting.
Related Drills:
Dump and chase
Drill:
1. Line players up in opposite corners
2. Place a coach at each wall on the blue lines (4 coaches)
3. Players start by making a pass to the opposite side of the blue and the skate the middle
4. Player receives return pass and passes to the next blue line (again opposite side from where they started)
5. Player receives pass and then skates in on net
Focus:
1. Hard passes
2. Head up play as there is another player coming the other way
3. Receiving and making good passes
Notes:
Replace coaches with players so they can work on their give and go passes.
Thanks to Nino Febbraro for this drill.
Related Drills:
Russian Sucides II (The Admiral II)
Russian Suicides (The Admiral)
Drill:
1. Player skates down from wing and shoots
2. Player on opposite side gives the goalie a chance to recover then skates in and shoots
3. Coach lets the goalie recover then tries to stuff a puck in the net
Focus:
1. Players should focus on skating hard to the net and shooting. Shots should wrist or slapshots
2. Focus on Goalie movement from side to side, playing angles and recovering
3. Players should not try to make dekes or trick shots
Notes:
You can sub a player for the coach so they can work on their close range shots
You want a quick pace for the goalies. Give them enough time to recover but not a lot. This drill helps with their quickness and stamina.
Related Drills:
3 Shot Drill Variation
Goalie Warm Up
Drill:
1. On the whistle D1 at the Blue line skates backward toward mid rink and looks for a pass from Forward 1
2. Forward 1 skates with a puck above the circle and passes out to D1 and then continues outside the blue line looking for a return pass
3. D2 skates toward the blue line and will transition and play D when F1 gets the return pass
4. F1 gets the puck and tries to beat D2 one on one
5. F1 has the option to drop the pass to D1 (who should be trailing the play)
Focus:
1. Forward should make a good pass to the Defense
2. Defense works to make a good pass to the Forward entering the zone
3. Defense 2 should work on good positioning and pushing the Forward outside and away from the net
Notes:
You could also run this drill from Center but I like the skating and movement of the drill. There will be times when the only option is to move the puck to a D and then re-enter the zone. This will teach them to keep moving and get open for the return pass.
Drill:
1. Players work together as a team to bring the puck out of the zone
2. 1 Defensemen gets the puck behind the net to start the play
3. The other Defenseman has to hold his ground in front of the net
4. The 2 Forward will come down along the boards to the tops of the circles and cut back up.
5. Forward takes pass and they move it out
6. D in front of net joins the rush and the other is the last guy in the zone
Focus:
1. If they have time, the D can stop and set up the play
2. If they don’t they have to skate with the puck and make a good outlet pass
3. Forwards have to focus on where they need to be. If they do not get the pass, they should move toward the middle of the rink to cut the next pass length down
Notes:
This drill really focuses on getting the puck out of their own end. Players learn to make decisions on whether to carry the puck or pass.
Add a coach in as a fore-checker after they get used to it.
You could also start to add your own forwards into the play as well to work on their fore-checking skills.
Related Drills:
3 on 2 breakout
2 on 0 breakout
Drill:
1. Players work together as a team to bring the puck out of the zone
2. 1 Defensemen gets the puck behind the net to start the play
3. The other Defenseman has to hold his ground in front of the net
4. The 2 Forward will come down along the boards to the tops of the circles and cut back up.
5. Forward takes pass and they move it out
6. D in front of net joins the rush and the other is the last guy in the zone
Focus:
1. If they have time, the D can stop and set up the play
2. If they don’t they have to skate with the puck and make a good outlet pass
3. Forwards have to focus on where they need to be. If they do not get the pass, they should move toward the middle of the rink to cut the next pass length down
Notes:
This drill really focuses on getting the puck out of their own end. Players learn to make decisions on whether to carry the puck or pass.
Add a coach in as a fore-checker after they get used to it.
You could also start to add your own forwards into the play as well to work on their fore-checking skills.
Related Drills:
3 on 2 breakout
2 on 0 breakout
Drill:
1. On whistle Forward closest to the wall skate out toward the blue line and then across the rink
2. Player with the puck starts skating toward the blue line and looks for the Forward skating along the far blue line and makes pass
3. Player then follows the pass and drives toward the net
Focus:
1. Long outlet passes to the far blue line
2. Lateral movement along the blue line looking for pass
3. Entrance into the zone
Notes:
You can mix this up and add a Defenseman to defend against the long pass
Related Drills:
2 on 1 pass and go
Shoot and break
Drill:
1. Forward 1 carries puck into the zone, Forward 2 drives the net, Defenseman 1 is trailing the play
2. Forward 1 drops the puck to D1 and Forward 1 continues toward the net
3. D1 has 2 options:
– Shoot on net with a low shot looking for a deflection from Forward 1 or 2
– Pass to Forward 2 who should be coming in the back side of the goalie
4. Forwards look for rebound or chase loose pucks to the corner
Focus:
1. Get Defense involved
2. Drive the net and look for rebounds/deflections
Notes:
After you have run this several times, introduce 1 or 2 Defense to play against the 3 man team. You can also add a 4th player to the Offensive team.
Related Drills:
2 on 0 give and go
Cross overs enter zone
