Combination Drill From Former NHL Player Tony Horacek

May 26, 2013 Drills, Hockey Blogs No Comments

Former NHL player Tony Horacek coaches in our organization and I went out to watch his practice the other night. While watching a really up tempo session I saw his team run this drill and thought it was really excellent and worked on a number of areas of the game. I spoke with Tony about it and got the details and am sharing it with all of you. It is a multi-part drill so I did my best to make it understandable in the diagram, but if you have any trouble I also did a YouTube video explanation. Hope you like it.

Horacek Combination Drill

Advanced shooting training – toe shots, changing the release point, shooting in stride

May 24, 2013 Hockey Blogs, Hockey Tips No Comments

If you browse the how to hockey website enough you will find that the fundamentals of every shot have been covered in detail, most of you who have been following how to hockey for a while should have a good grasp on each shot, so now it is time to take your shot to the next level.

In the video below I share three off ice training methods that you can use to improve your shot on the ice. These training tips will help you with game-like shooting situations. I mostly focus on the quick release and accuracy as these are very important in the game

Advanced Off-ice Shooting Tips

In this video

Shooting in stride
- This is important to practice if you want a quick release without giving any clues. Sometimes you will see an opening and you need to take advantage of it right away. If you are too slow to get your shot off the chance may quickly be taken away.
Changing the point of release
- This is very important if you are shooting on a goalie that has taken away your shooting options, or you are being covered by a defencemen. Learning to pull the puck in towards your body and shoot it quickly will help you find more scoring opportunities and get more shots on net.
Toe shots
- These are great to practice if you want a deceptive shot. As a hockey player you need to learn how to be accurate with a variety of shots. Sometimes the puck will be at the toe of your stick and you will need to shoot it. The toe shot lets you change the angle, hide your release, disguise where you are shooting, and use the stick to generate a bit more power.

Pavel Datsyuk End-to-End Goal: Dissected

May 23, 2013 Hockey Blogs No Comments

Pavel Datsyuk End-to-End Goal: Dissected

In this post we’re dissecting Pavel Datsyuk’s end-to-end goal against Nashville. As great as the individual effort was, there are quite a few team details that really made this play possible.

It starts with Datsyuk providing proper support for his defenseman in the defensive zone. He picks up the puck and initiates the breakout to the right winger. After making the breakout pass, he follows up the play, providing mid-lane support on the breakout. As the breakout is happening, the weak-side winger blows out of the zone, pushing the opposing defenseman back, which opens up space for Datsyuk to wheel. The play finishes with the opposing defenseman reaching for the puck, and Datsyuk eats him alive.