Best Christmas Gifts for Hockey Players – 2013 Edition

Every year I publish an article showcasing the best gifts for hockey players. This year has some really cool new additions and many of the classics. If you want to purchase anything on the list just follow the links provided also don’t forget to check out the prizes in our Christmas contest at the bottom of his blog post!

New Hockey Equipment

New hockey equipment is always at the top of every hockey players list, whether it’s a new pair of skates, a new stick, or another piece of gear there is almost always something a hockey player needs. If you are shopping for yourself visit the links below for some good deals. If you have a hockey player on your list, ask them what hockey gear they want.

Where to buy

• Looking for good deals on Hockey equipment? – Visit the clearance section on Hockey Monkey
• Popular items include hockey sticks and skates, but ask the hockey player on your list, players can be particular about the brands they like. If you are feeling very generous consider the Easton Mako Skates

Don Cherry’s Rock’em Sock’em 25 DVD

I’m actually REALLY excited about this one, not only does #25 look like one of the best editions in years, but there is a 25th anniversary edition that includes every single volume! 

The 25th edition has volume 1-25 all on 8 DVD’s. Yes you could own volumes 1-25 all in an 8 DVD set. That’s highlights from every single NHL season and playoffs from 1989 – 2013. It’s like a vault of the best highlights from players like Lemiuex, Gretzky, Yzerman, Sakic, Bure, Federov all the way up to Crosby and Datsyuk. Not to mention seeing Selanne and Jagr in their prime and great saves from goalies like Roy, Belfour, Hasek, Brodeur, Cujo and more. I’m getting nostalgic just thinking about it! I already own every volume, but I still think I will buy the DVD set just for convenience and then I can finally toss that old VCR!

Where to Buy

• Rock’em Sock’em 25
  • USA – $19.98 on Amazon.com
  • Canada – $19.98 on Amazon.ca Currently the#1 selling hockey DVD on Amazon.ca
• 25th anniversary edition volumes 1-25
  • USA – $79.98 on Amazon.com
  • Canada – $55.99 on Amazon.ca On sale and free shipping!

Trailer for Rock’em Sock’em 25

Some More Hockey Movies

Goon – While a new movie about high school football comes out 3 times a year, good hockey movies are few and far between. Luckily the most recent hockey movie to come out was actually pretty good. Most die hard hockey players will enjoy it for it’s extreme hockey violence, crude humour and quotable script. My wife actually enjoyed this movie as well
Where to buy – USA – $9.49 on Amazon.com Canada – $13.99 on Amazon.ca

Some of my other favourite hockey flicks include Mystery Alaska, Miracle (great for the American hockey fans), The Mighty Ducks, and of course Slap Shot. If you are interested in any of the movies above check them out on Amazon. I think you can also find some on Netflix.

Mini Sticks

Kids LOVE mini sticks, and I mean LOOOOVE! I loved it when I was a kid and would play for hours in the hallway, and now that I coach I see the kids go crazy for a good game of mini sticks. A few mini sticks and balls would make for good stocking stuffers, but what about an entire mini stick set with nets and all! For under $30 you can get two nets, two goalie sticks, and four player sticks.
Where to buy

• Plastic nets 4.5 stars with 113 reviews – USA – $27.69 on Amazon.com Canada – $45.44 on Amazon.ca
• Metal nets – $39.95 on HockeyShot

 Hockey Training Aids

Hockey players get the itch to play, for me I need to play a few times a week, and if I don’t I need something to hold me over. Luckily I’ve got some dryland training tiles, a decent hockey net, and the new extreme passing kit from Hockey Shot. If you have a hockey player on your list that loves to work on their shot in the driveway and practices their dangles in the garage then some hockey training aids will make them a very happy hockey player!

Some of the best selling training aids (and recommended by me)

• The new extreme passing kit from HockeyShot lets players work on stickhandling, passing, shooting, and advanced shots like the one-timer. See our review of the Extreme Passing Kit.
  Where to buy –  $169.95 on HockeyShot use coupon code HOWHCKY001 to save $10
• A good net is always nice to have. I use the EZ goal (see our EZ goal review) which has been holding up fairly well. I’ve dented the post and needed to do the odd repair, but it’s held up better than most nets I have used.
• Dryland training tiles are also very popular because you can build an entire training area! If you have the space, consider getting a few boxes of these and start building an area to practice and play hockey any time!
  Where to buy – $10.95 per tile on HockeyShot.com use coupon code HOWHCKY001 to save $10

Pucks and Balls (great stocking stuffers)

You know what sucks? Having 6 hockey pucks while trying to improve your shot. You spend more time looking for the pucks then you do actually shooting them! Hockey pucks are a staple for any true hockey player, but we also enjoy some variety. Below I have included the most popular pucks and balls

• 6oz regulation hockey puck – 20 pucks is a good amount to have, but the more the merrier. If you can get these locally do it, you will save on shipping costs. If you need to buy online try to find free shipping. I have included some links below
  Where to buy – $15 for a 12 pack on Amazon, free shipping on orders over $35
• Green Biscuit (See our Green Biscuit Review) – This puck has become the #1 off-ice stickhandling puck and for good reason, it slides on almost anything! Add a few of these to your order and give them as a gift, or as a stocking stuffer. I have a few at home and one in my hockey bag
  Where to buy – $12.99 on Amazon or $12.95 on HockeyShot
• Stickhandling Balls – These are fun to play with almost anywhere. There are some fancy $10 balls, but I like the simple wooden stickhandling balls. If you want some variety get some wooden balls, a smart hockey ball and a weighted ball.
  Where to buy – Browse the pucks and balls section on HockeyShot, or search on Amazon

Hockey Tape and Stick Wax

I asked on a popular hockey player forum what they wanted for Christmas and the #1 answer was hockey tape and lots of it. Personally I am a bit picky about the tape I use, some of the stuff out there is garbage, so if you are buying as a gift why not get quality tape and wax? I have included my recommendations below

• Howies Hockey Tape – They don’t just pump out tape for large retail stores in large quantities, they take pride in the quality of tape they produce. Black 1.5 inch cloth tape is the standard for most sticks. You will also want to add in a few rolls of clear tape for the socks.
  Where to buy – on Mix Pack of Clear and Black cloth tape on Amazon.com or Howies Hockey Tape
• Proformance Stick Wax – This is not just any stickwax, this is wax specifically made for hockey. It isn’t just wax either, you get a base layer, and a control layer for maximum effectiveness. This is a good product for players who enjoy the process and routine of taping the stick. Personally I have never been a big fan of stick wax, but I tried Proformance wax and I was impressed. I’m not interested in added control, I just don’t like snow build up and wet hockey tape. I find the proformance wax doesn’t freeze like other waxes and keeps the snow off my tape.
  Where to buy – available on HockeyShot or Proformance Wax

Team Apparel

This is a no-brainer for any hockey nut out there. I will wear anything with a Team Canada or Toronto Maple Leafs logo on it. There are a lot of fans who might not buy these items themselves, but they certainly make great gifts! A great idea is to combine the need for warm clothes and sports and buy a sweater or toque with your hockey players favourite teams logo on it. I have included some helpful links below

• Local shops – Local stores usually have some great sports wear, but it is sometimes expensive.
• Amazon.com – I have found an easy way to search for sports clothing, just visit the clothing and apparel section and punch in the team of choice. The link above goes to the Toronto Maple Leafs page, just replace it with your team.
• Hockey Monkey for NHL Jerseys – This is a great place to get sweaters from the big brands like Bauer, CCM, or Easton. They also have a good selection of hockey jerseys. I have linked to the SR jersey selection. If you are buying for a youth you will need to visit the JR jersey section.

Really Cool Hockey Clothes

There are a number of clothing companies out there that design shirts, hats, sweaters, pants and more JUST for hockey players. Some of the more popular companies are Sauce Hockey and Gongshow Gear, but one of my favourite companies lately has been Scrappers Hockey. I find their shirt designs are very original, creative, and most importantly look great. Some of my favourite shirts are the retro tee, the brain bucket, and the retro tee.

Where to buy – ScrappersHockey.com

Hockey Games

If you know a hockey player who plays video games, they will want this game. This is the latest and greatest from EA sports and every year they deliver an amazing hockey game. I have included links below for USA and Canada. Remember to select the right system while on the page, either PS3 or Xbox

Where to buy – In stores or online  $58.78 and free shipping

Stiga Table Hockey Game

Another option is a real life table hockey game that you can enjoy with friends and family! I have always had a blast playing these types of games, and with enough friends around it usually results in an epic tournament. The model linked to below is the highest rated on Amazon with 99 reviews and 4.5 stars

Where to buy – $92.24 on Amazon

Hockey Books

There are some great hockey books out there. If you have a hockey player on your list that likes to read then consider picking up one of the books below. The hottest book this year for hockey players is Bobby Orr: My story, it is a highly anticipated book. I have included some of the books I recommend below

• Bobby Orr: My Story – After 35 years of keeping quiet Bobby Orr has finally came forward and released a book. He was a star when stars did not get paid very much, and hockey was still developing. Orr was one of the greatest players to ever lace up a pair of skates and played through the glory days of hockey. The book currently has 35 reviews and almost a 5 star rating. One review says “The majority of this book is a treasure-trove of great advice to kids, and parents, on how to play the game “your own way”, PRECIOUS advice from this giant in sports history! I would recommend on this basis alone”
  Where to buy – USA – $11.23 hardcover or $20 for kindle on Amazon.com Canada – $16 on Amazon.ca and free shipping
• Journeyman: The guy who’s seen everything in Hockey – From a book about a hockey legend to a book about a hockey Journeymen. A journeyman is a player who travels from team to team, grinding it out each game trying to keep his spot on the 4th line. These are typically the guys with the most stories to tell, if you have someone on your list who wants to know what it’s like to play in the NHL I think this book will give them a pretty good idea.
  Where to buy – USA –  $15.20 on Amazon.com Canada – $14.44 on Amazon.ca
• Hockey Tough
  I recommend this book to anyone who loves hockey and cares about their performance. The tips you will learn in this book will help you mentally prepare for a game of hockey. The author works with many pro hockey players and includes quotes and advice from quite a few pros. I found the advice and information very informative and helpful. I have been trying to use it in my own game. Even though I just play Men’s league hockey, I still enjoy being competitive and playing to my full potential.
  Where to buy – USA – $14.65 on Amazon.com Canada – $15.85 on Amazon.ca
• Books for Hockey Development – If you know a player who just wants to improve their game there are a few great books available. A good read when I was in high school was complete conditioning for hockey. If you have a newer player who is trying to learn the game, or a coach who is trying to teach the game I highly recommend hockey plays and strategies.
• More popular / suggested books – Ken Dryden: The Game – great read with many positive reviews, Selling the dream – a book about minor hockey in Canada, Simply the best – a great read for any hockey coach.

How To Hockey Skill Development

I love to help hockey players improve their skills, and over the years of coaching and running this website I have developed a few online resources to help hockey players improve their skills. All of my training courses are online, so you will have to be creative if you buy them for your hockey player for Christmas, but I am sure they will enjoy the gift of skill! For a hockey player nothing brings more joy than having a really great game, scoring a game winning goal, or being a part of a nice play and having the guys talking about it in the dressing room afterwards. Below are the training courses I offer.

• The complete Guide to Stickhandling – This guide includes an 18 page e-book, a half hour off-ice training video and a half hour on-ice video. The guide was developed to help hockey player bypass the learning curve of stickhandling, and quickly acquire the knowledge needed to be able to control the puck. The book and videos will teach the proper technique for great hands, as well as common mistakes many hockey players make.
• The Goalie Buster Video Series – This series includes over 2 hours of on-ice video instruction using a number of goalies of various skill levels to demonstrate how to score goals! I start with simple tips like how to read the goalie, when to shoot and when to deke, and then dive into detailed information about selecting the right type of deke. After I teach the neccessities I get into the fun stuff and teach over 20 breakaway moves. This course is a lot of fun as it will help unlock a hockey players creative side.
• iSnipe Shooting App – This great little app is only $2.99 in the App store or Google Android. The app includes 16 videos that will teach the 4 main shots, as well as 3 variations of each type of shot. In todays game hockey players need to be able to get the puck on net in a hurry. The videos teach players many different ways to shoot the puck. The app also has a shot counter so players can keep track of how many shots they take each day and two cool training tools to help challenge and motivate.
• Shooting Analysis – If you know a hockey player who is struggling to learn how to shoot I can help. Send in a video and I will analyze it. I will slow it down, mark it up, do a voice over with tips on how to improve, and do a side by side comparison with an NHL hockey player taking the same shot.

 A Backyard Hockey Rink

A backyard rink is probably the best thing you could give to a kid as it allows them to do what they love to do any time they want. I know I spent A LOT of time on my frozen pond and have a lot of fond memories there with friends and family. If you live in a cold enough climate you can build your own rink, or if you want to make things easier you can buy a rink kit. I have some links below to help
Where to buy

• 20 x 40 bracket and liner kit from HockeyShot – $334.95 look for a coupon code to save!
• Customize your size with NiceRink
• For those in warmer climates – Consider synthetic ice for skating, or more affordable  training tiles

a Rafflecopter giveaway

New Extreme Passing Kit Review

HockeyShot has released a new Extreme Passing Kit (shooting pad and pass rebounder combined) that has been redesigned and improved to help hockey players work on their shooting, passing, stickhandling and one-timers at home. The Extreme Passing Kit will help you improve almost every hockey skill except for skating. In this article and video I give you a close-up look at the passing kit and test it out.

Close-Up Look at the Extreme Passing Kit

What you get with the Extreme Passing Kit

• 4 foot by 8.5 foot roll-up shooting pad
  • Lots of room for stickhandling
  • Nice and slick, pucks slide well
• The Extreme Passer
  • Wide design for more area to pass into
  • Bungee cord rebounds pucks better than elastic band models
  • Heavy duty plastic makes it durable
  • Big clamps allows you to clamp it onto a shooting pad, plywood, or shooting tiles

Testing the Extreme Passing Kit

Overall thoughts for each skill

• Stickhandling
  • The shooting pad is a good size and very slick. It has more than enough room to work on all kinds of different. Pucks slide great, as does the Green Biscuit and other training pucks
• Passing
  • Passing is a lot of fun as long as you keep challenging yourself. If you pass the puck really hard into the rebounder the entire shooting pad will shift a little bit, but it’s not really a problem. There are a few ways to easily fix that problem like putting the pad against a wall. You can also clip the entire pad onto a sheet of plywood or just the passer onto the HockeyShot training tiles
• One-Timer / Shooting
  • I really like the Extreme Passing Kit for shooting, I find it helps players work on skills and techniques that they normally do not have the chance to really focus on. For the most part the shooting feels very natural, however the odd shooting situation can feel a bit awkward. Personally I think it’s good to push yourself and become comfortable in those awkward situations because then you will always be able to get a good shot on net during games.

Is it worth buying?

Absolutely, I think it’s great. It currently sells for $169.95 or $159.95 if you use the coupon code below. If you want to work on your skills at home it will help A LOT to have something like this!

If you are going to buy one training aid to use at home, make it this one. You can work on stickhandling, shooting, advanced shooting, and passing all in one spot.

Where to Buy

This is a HockeyShot product so you can only get it at HockeyShot.com. You can find it here, use our coupon code HOWHCKY001 to save $10

How to Skate (for Hockey Players)

I am happy to present our newest video series that will teach you how to skate. These videos are specifically for hockey players. Hockey players will skate differently than figure skaters and public skaters. In hockey we want speed, power and agility. I will be posting new videos every week until the series is finished.

• Episode 1 – Proper Hockey Stance
• Episode 2 – The secret to speed, power and balance
• Episode 3 – Understanding your Edges

For a detailed article and a quick beginner video you can read a previously published post below

How to Ice Skate

To be a great hockey player you first have to learn to be a great skater, this article will give you the building blocks necessary to become an amazing skater.

When you are first learning to skate it seems like a very daunting task, you are given two shoes with blades attached to them and asked to go onto a surface of ice, like it is no big deal. A lot of the trouble with learning how to skate is to get over the emotional and mental barriers first. Don’t feel embarrassed to use a chair or any other tool. In fact using a chair or pylon is the best way to learn to skate as it will allow you to gradually add weight to your skates and feel more comfortable.  After learning to push off with your skates, then you just need to learn muscle memory and practice a lot.

When you lace up those skates for the first time practice standing on them in the dressing room. Get used to the feel of the blades and the way it will affect your balance.  Also practice using each edge of your blade. Remember when your skates are flat, you are standing on two edges.

Practice leaning your skates so you are only on one of the edges, inside or outside. Now practice leaining on both of your inside edges and both your outside edges.

Remember these key positions as they will be needed later.

Now for stepping on the ice there are a few key points you must remember:

Stay low: I have seen it a 1000 times at rinks new skaters out on the ice standing like pencils and falling like dominoes. Make sure you have your knees bent and your skates shoulder width apart. This positon is known in a majority of sports as the ready position, it allows  you to greatly improve your  balance and it loads  muscles  which allows for better reaction times.

Know your edges: When you first step on the ice you should use the ready position. If you do this you will feel weight on your legs that will want to push your legs apart. This may feel like you are about to do the splits, to stop this you must use your edges. If you have practiced moving from edge to edge off the ice as I have stated before it should not be to hard to do. Stay low and lean your skates to their inside edges. When you feel them digging in start applying more weight, this will be hard the first few times as your body will be telling you the opposite. Trust your skates, the edges will stop your legs from splitting.

Never give up: No matter how many times you fall you have to get back up and go again, mental barriers are half the obstacle but are never talked about. You have to be ready to get a few bruises if you want to improve yourself. So don’t give up on learning, and do not give up on yourself. A desire to learn and self confidence will be the greatest tools you can have when learning something new.

I find many people learn easier by seeing, rather than reading. We have put together this video that should help you learn how to ice skate. Watch this video, it will give you all these tips and hopefully make the learning process  a whole lot easier

How to Skate like a hockey player

Hockey players skate differently than speed skaters and figure skaters. With hockey the most important aspect is explosive power. Right now we will just focus on the fundamentals of skating.

Step 1 – Bend the knees and get low – Your power and speed comes from your legs, and you can’t get much power if you don’t bend your knees first. A good hockey player will have their butt dropped as if they are about to sit in a chair. Remember to keep your head and chest up to remain balanced.

Step 2 – Push out with one leg, while gliding on the other leg – When you are pushing start by pushing back at a 45 degree angle. If you push straight back you will not get very much power because you will be “running on the ice”. In order to get speed and power from your push you need to dig in with your edges and to do this you need to push at at least a 45 degree angle.

Step 3 – Recover and repeat on the other side – After finishing your push, get your leg back under your body and then push with the other leg. Repeat this motion over and over and you are skating!

Quick tips

• Remember to stay low and maintain a good knee bend
• Do not bob up and down, many beginner players get in the habit of standing up while pushing. You need to stay low to get full power from each push
• Remember to keep your glide leg bent as well, this keeps it prepared to push when the other leg recovers

Next you will want to learn how to stop

Thanks for reading. If you have any questions or comments just leave them in the comment section  below.

D Under Pressure Half Ice Drill

We all know how important it is to have defensemen who can play under pressure. Many times we run drills that don’t really put the D under any real pressure to make passes and come game time that causes bad decisions and bad passes that can cost games. Here is a drill I use to help my defensemen learn how to compete under pressure. We use this drill to teach them how to communicate with each other and the goaltender and how to handle a hard forecheck. Make sure the D are doing proper shoulder checks while skating hard to retrieve the puck. Also listen to make sure the players are communicating with each other. You can also use this drill to let your forwards practice proper positioning for the forecheck system you use for the forwards. Personally I use this drill just as a way to help the defensemen learn how to play under hard pressure and the goaltender is used just to work on his communication skills with the defensemen, but you can have the offensive players cycle back into the zone after the successful breakout and play 3v2 against the D while the original three forechecking forwards vacate the zone. Either way it’s a great drill to help your defensemen build confidence when playing under pressure.

D-Under Pressure Breakout

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Click to Download the Drill

Bantam Hockey Drills

If you are a Bantam coach looking to give your players a good skate, challenge them, and also run a few fun hockey drills then you are in luck. I have found a number of great hockey drills put together by the Ontario Minor Hockey Association. These are all available in PDF (download link at bottom of post) but I have also broken them down to be viewed online.

Drill Time	Drill Description
8 minute	Reverse A-B-C-D Drill
O1 skates to centre ice O2 leads O1 with timing pass O1 Accelerates onto puck, drives around pylon or coach applying pressure to shoot O1 continues in front of net to opposite line O2 now skates to get pass from O1 To encourage players to chase rebounds and drive net after shooting you can have them continue driving to net and tapping the post with their stick after each shot.
Hockey Drill Diagram

This is a simple overspeed drill that will help the players push their comfort limit and work on their edge control.

Drill Time	Drill Description
6	Crossover Snake
Crossovers around pylons Continuous Crossovers, no forward striding Add pucks and repeat the pattern A good way to challenge the players is to tell them they are not getting pucks until they skate the pylons with proper technique. This means continuous crossovers, no straight lines (all crossovers), controlling the stick around pylons, two hands on stick, lead with head and stick around the pylon, don’t let the stick go over top of the pylon, use both feet in the turn for maximum control (no dragging the feet), etc
Hockey Drill Diagram

This is a good drill to help defense work on slapshots from the point and reinforce forwards to drive the net. Use this drill to teach the forwards to activate their defense. Coaches can apply some pressure in the passing lanes to the slot to show when forwards should be using defense and give the players some pressure when driving the net.

Drill Time	Drill Description
6	Bantam Goalie Drill – Telescoping
O1 Passes to O2 O2 drags to the middle, taking a slapshot on goal O1 moves to the net for a rebound After the play, O1 and O2 race to the opposite lines, alternate sides
Hockey Drill Diagram

This is a fun drill that can be used to work on certain situations. The coach can reinforce coverage in front of the net, battling in corners, puck support, watching the slot, communication between defense, etc

Drill Time	Drill Description
7	Zone Games
Coach spots a puck and calls 2, 3, or 4 players Players from each team enter for 45 second game Coach whistles to clear the zone; next group is ready to go
Hockey Drill Diagram

This is a good high intensity drill to work on back checking, break outs and offensive zone entry

Drill Time	Drill Description
8 minutes	Hound back 3 on 0
O1, O2, O3 hound back to defensive zone O4, O5, O6 pass to O1, O2, O3 O1, O2, O3 breakout 3 on 0 with speed and variety Variety of team tactics through neutral zone Attack G1 using Principles of Attack
Hockey Drill Diagram

This is basically a shootout with consequences, the consequence is not quite clear in the description, you can make your own.

Drill Time	Drill Description
8	4 corner Place your bet
1 vs 0 Scoring team receives a point Non scoring team skates over Alternate sides for shooting
Hockey Drill Diagram

This one is a bit complex, but a great drill to work on shooting, skating, and timing the passes. Once the players get it they will move well in this drill

Drill Time	Drill Description
8 minutes	Swing Drill
O1 begins the first repetition only, with a shot on goal After the shooter releases, retrieve a loose puck from the corner and pass to O2 swinging below the circle O2 take 2 or 3 steps and then passes to O3 who swings from mid ice to the outside lane Players advance to the next line
Hockey Drill Diagram

This is a nice drill for offensive zone entry and breakouts. The diagram is not too clear so you will have to use your imagination a bit when thinking up the drill.

Drill Time	Drill Description
8 minutes	3 on 3 / 3 on 1 / 3 on 2
O1, O2, O3 attack 3 on 0 After play, O’s regroup with pass from O2 and go back 3 on 1 vs ▲1 After the play O’s regroup with pass from O4 and attack 3 on 2 vs ▲2 and ▲3 O1, O2, O3 go next
Hockey Drill Diagram

This is a nice passing and shooting drill for the defense and forwards

Drill Time	Drill Description
8	1 on 1 Transition
▲1 receives pass from O1 Drags to middle and shoots O1 skates to net for screen or deflection Coach spots puck in the neutral zone ▲1 retrieves loose puck, passes to O1 for shot on goal Alternate sides at start, then both sides together Add a 2nd ▲ to play 1 on 1 low and 1 on 1 attack
Hockey Drill Diagram

I like stations to keep a lot of players active at once. You will need enough coaches to run each station

Drill Time	Drill Description
8	Powerplay Skills Stations
O2 give and go with O1 O2 Passes to O1, attack net 02 executes give and go with 01, 03 passes to 01 for low forward walk out △1 drags puck to middle and shoots △1 retrieves puck, passes to △2, shoots on net
Hockey Drill Diagram

This is a simple drill that players like. Each player gets to work on their shot, while the goalie can work on angling.

Drill Time	Drill Description
7 minutes	Goalie drill – 5 shots
01 and 02 execute low walk-outs 03 and 04 take slap shots 05 executes in tight breakaway keep rotating positions Reinforce hitting the net from the blue line, and quick release from in close
Hockey Drill Diagram

Players like this drill and it will help them be stronger on their feet and use their weight more

Drill Time	Drill Description
5 Minutes	Sumo Agility
Without sticks, players battle 1 on 1 in a circle with arms crossed A winner is declared when an opponent leaves the circle, falls, or touches the ice with a hand or knee Teach power stance and contact preparation. Coach should monitor safety, can be done in a tournament format
Hockey Drill Diagram

This is another fun shooting drill with some defensive pressure mixed in.

Drill Time	Drill Description
10 Minutes	1 on 1 from corner with help
△1 drags puck to center, shoots on goal O1 skates to the corner and retrieves a loose puck O1 plays 1 on 1 against △1 If O1 cannot penetrate to the net, O1 returns puck to the corner and calls for “help” O2 joins for 2 on 1 play
Hockey Drill Diagram

A good high tempo drill for defense and forwards. Forwards can drive the net, or go for the wraparound

Drill Time	Drill Description
7 Minutes	Net Drive 1 on 1
O1 Carries the puck around both pylons and drives to the net △1 leaves at the same time and must go between the pylons and then skate backwards O1 must drive to the outside Teach quick feet, crossovers, transition skating and puck protection
Hockey Drill Diagram

This is a great drill for the defense to work on coverage and support in the defensive zone.

Drill Time	Drill Description
8 Minutes	2 on 2
△1, △2 start and return to front of net for each play O’s pair up in 3 different locations Coach passes to any pair of O’s, attack 2 on 2 vs △’s △1 and △2 play all three 2 on 2′s G2 plays wrap around and point shots with other players
Hockey Drill Diagram

I hope you can work some of these drills into your next practice. If you are looking for more drills and coaching resources take a look at my ultimate coaches resource guide.

If you want more than just a few drills I highly recommend the Weiss Tech Hockey drillbook and Systems book. There is a lot of great information in the e-books about systems, and the drillbook has lots of drills to enforce the systems.

Post-Up Half Ice Passing Drill

Every week when I look at the site statistics I see that the half ice drill section is always at or near the top for views. I know many organizations are going to more shared ice practices to save on cost and get players on the ice more often. This new dynamic is causing coaches to seek new drills to work on skills for the whole team while keeping it to half a sheet of ice. I ran this drill with my team last night and it worked nicely once we got the flow right. Make sure F1 comes up high between the D so he can better time his entry back across the blue line. This is a drill that works on quick passing skills as well as a play that your team will use during games, posting up and chip passing to an incoming skater.

If you don’t have access to two nets you can run this with one net in the normal spot, just have all the players on one side of the ice.

Post-Up 5 Pass Drill

Click to Download the  Drill

3 Shot Warm-Up Drill

Here is a simple warm-up drill you can use at the beginning of practice to get the players skating and the goalies seeing shots from all three areas of the ice. Make sure the players are skating hard.

Dombro 3 Shot Warm-Up

Dombro 3 Shot Warm-Up Drill

Many coaches have asked me to provide the DrillDraw files so they can import them. I’m using an external hosting company for the DrillDraw files and this is the first attempt at providing the files, hopefully it will work properly and allow you to download the files with no issues.

Please click the DrillDraw image below to download the file.

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Forms of Dicipline anyone??

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Offensive Tactics with Chris Campanale

Recently my team was having some trouble consistently creating offense. We have a lot of talented players but they were getting lazy and falling back on old bad habits. Sometimes a coach needs to bring in a new voice to speak to the team about some of the concepts he is trying to teach. Chris Campanale is a local professional player who lives in our area and works out at the facility in our rink. I asked Chris if he would be interested in coming out to practice once a week and working with my team on offensive tactics. Chris was very willing to step up and help the younger players develop their offensive skills.

Chris worked with our players once a week for the past three weeks. In the four games before I invited Chris out to skate with us we scored nine goals and went 2-1-1. In the four games since Chris started working with the players we scored 25 goals and went 3-0-1. Now, that is a major turn around and multiple factors played a roll, but Chris’ fundamental tactics were instrumental in the surge in scoring.

Some of the key points.

• Shoot  the puck from good areas of the ice
• Shoot from inside the dots (especially the D)
• Play in the dirty area in front of the net
• Talk, Talk, Talk on the ice

Here are some of the drills Chris ran with the team to work on these fundamentals.

1 on 1 Four Times

3 on 2 Down Low

4 Shot Net Front Battle

Dump In 2 on 1

Three Quarter Ice 3 on 2

In addition to the above drills that Chris worked on here are two others from Coach Cronin former Northeastern University head coach and current assistant in Toronto, that develop similar skills.

Creating Offense

Three Rush Concepts

Also don’t forget about teaching cycling concepts in the offensive zone. Here is something I put together last season for the progression of cycling drills.

Cycle Progression Drills

Teaching offense is always a difficult task for a coach. So many factors play a role in a successful offensive attack, but if you work on fundamental skills and tactics the players can begin to incorporate those ideas into their general knowledge and start making better and smarter plays in the offensive zone. The offensive game isn’t black and white, it’s mostly gray and centered around the fundamental idea of read and react. Try working on drills that teach specific parts of offensive zone play and I think you will begin to see an improvement in your teams ability to create offense.

Unfortunately for us Chris leaves this weekend to start training camp with the Bloomington Thunder and won’t be around to continue helping us out. We all wish him the greatest success and look forward to working with him again in the future.

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Get More Power on Your Backhand

As part 2 of the backhand challenge (be sure to sign up to our newsletter to join our next challenge!) I wanted to teach you how to get more power on your backhand shots. In this post I have a new video for taking backhands from further away, as well as a number of videos from the pro’s unleashing awesome backhands. There are three steps to having a great backhand shot in hockey, I will explain them all in the article and video.

3 Steps to a Great Backhand

Puck Location – You want to release the puck when it is roughly lined up with your front foot. Using this location as your release point allows you to get your body weight behind the shot, add more power through weight transfer, and build more speed on the puck with the set-up and execution of the shot.

Blade angle – The blade angle when you release the puck is important. I think most people who can not lift their backhand probably do not open their blade enough. If you watch the pro examples below closely you will notice they all open the blade of their stick and then unleash all their power into the shot

Explode – This last tip comes from weight transfer and timing, but also includes the movement of your hands and arms. I notice that most guys with good backhands prep the puck, and then unleash everything they’ve got on it. It doesn’t seem like too many guys do a long sweeping backhand shot, it’s almost more like a backhand snapshot. Watch my example above and the pro examples below to see what I mean

Pro Examples of Great Backhands

Crosby pops the water bottle

Here is a game situation backhand from Crosby. Notice at the 33 second mark he has the puck cupped to control it’s location. He has the puck lined up with his front foot, and then in the next frame he opens the blade and lets it rip. Also notice after the shot his back leg is extended, which is a result of pushing with the back leg to get more power on his shot

Datsyuk Backhand
This is a good example of turning the feet first, and then letting the backhand go. Turning the feet also allows you to get more torque on the shot. With your feet turned more towards the net you can rotate your body more into the shot and get more power, watch the magician himself

Here is a near identical goal, notice how he cuts towards the net while he’s shooting. This helps get more energy moving towards the net for a harder shot.

Zetterberg Backhand
This is an amazing snipe by Zetterberg! Check the 22 second mark of this video to see his position. The puck is forward in his stance and he has the blade opened up. He is also leaning in towards the net, next he does a nice snap motion to put the puck in an almost impossible opening.

How can you improve your backhand?

Take the tips from this article and my video as well as the tips from my roofing the backhand video and article and start shooting!

• Make sure you have what you need to shoot at home. A shooting pad and net are all you need, see my favourite hockey products if you are interested in some good training aids
• Set a schedule to improve your shot. Make a goal to take 50+ shots a day and stick to it. As long as you know the proper form and work each day to improve your technique you will improve your shot very quickly
• You can use my iSnipe app for Apple or Android to help keep track of how many shots you take each day and learn how to take each shot, the app has 16 training videos.