The point of all 3 drills is they don’t have a strict format other than a few simple rules of play. It allows players room to be creative and solve problems, increasing their hockey IQ along the way.
Systems and structured play have their place in almost all levels of hockey. However, they cannot dominate the game, especially at the youth level. First, teaching systems to most kids under 14 or even 16 is like herding cats. Second, it removes the fun and creativity from the game, hurting the players development as they age.
My team has a “system” or as we normally call it a “process” or a “structure.” Some basic rules to try and follow on the ice. Don’t go into the corners in the offensive zone, tighten up and make the ice small for the puck carrier in the defensive zone, and have some ideas on the best way to break out a puck and get through the neutral zone.
Yet, anyone who has seen a youth hockey game would laugh if a coach told them they had a system in play. Instead, we teach these systems as a form of structure to give them some knowledge of where to start, what to do if they find themselves in trouble, and give them some confidence.
After that, we want them to get creative. While creativity means they have to come up with these ideas on their own, we can certainly practice some drills that help foster the creative mindset.
Drills created with Hockey Coach Vision.
2v2 with 2 Bumpers
This first drill is a modification of the 2v2 Low with Bumper, this time using 2 coaches to force the players to look around just a little more.
Each team has their own coach as a bumper that they can choose to use or not. Shots can only be taken off a pass, and cannot be stickhandled. If the player cannot make a shot right off the pass or does not have a shooting option, they should continue to skate with it and continue to look for a play that can be made.
Encourage players to get creative in finding and creating open space and using their coaches to help achieve this. When encouraging shots, we allow one-timers, quick releases, and also one move to the forehand or backhand to shoot if the play calls for it. We don’t want to encourage bad shots, so we have to be a little flexible if they are being creative and finding quick ways to score.
Center Ice Regroup Game
This drill is a 3 on 3 game that can become a 4 on 3 when played correctly.
The nets are moved to center on the blue line and the game is played 3 on 3 with 2 defenders per team behind the net.
In order to score, you must make a pass to one of your defenders behind the net who then makes a D to D pass. The pass receiver can now enter the play and that team can score.
Should the attacking team then lose possession, the defender must return back to behind the net, waiting again for another passing opportunity.
The small area forces players to be smart about their plays and find good ways to get the puck back to their defense without turning it over along the way. Losing your defender suddenly forces you to go back and regroup as a team before mounting your next attack.
3 on the Boards
This drill is a 3 on 3 drill in which the defending team is trying to get the puck to their 3 teammates on the boards to activate offense.
The object is for offense to score, or for defense to get possession and pass it to their three forwards waiting on the boards. If they complete the pass, the three players on the boards become offense, the current defense skates off, and the three previous forwards now play defense. At that time, three new players from the now defending team come down the boards and wait for the defense to make a pass to them.
Both sides of the play have the whole zone to find ways to find open ice to move the puck to activate their next three players, or for the offensive players to keep possession and choose their shot wisely.
One bad shot or pass, and the other team gains possession and puts them more at risk of losing their offensive status.
The point of all 3 of these drills is that they don’t have a strict format other than a few simple rules of play. Everything in between is up to the players to define and find the best way to accomplish their goals.
It allows room to be creative and solve problems on their own, increasing their hockey IQ along the way. Games never go as planned and the best laid plans or system fall apart with one mistake or when the opposition is able to disrupt them.
The best players we can create are ones that know the foundations of a good play, but can quickly adapt to the reality on the ice and know they are free to do so without a coach reprimanding them for going outside an arbitrary system of play.
3D Animated Drills are powered by the Hockey Coach Vision App. Test the FREE HCV APP and access 100+ Animated Drills: https://hockeycoachvision.com/
