The notion of developing a power play is often synonymous with developing the shape or structure of the “system”.  In other words, teaching players where to be and where to go within a 1-3-1, an Overload, a Box + 1, etc. Ensuring players know the patterns and structure can often out weight the value of the players possessing the skills, tactics, principles and habits required to be effective within the power play system of choice.

This is not to suggest that some understanding of the shape is not required but the reality is a power play system’s shape or structure is based on taking advantage of concepts such as possession, space, shooting lanes, attacking the interior, etc.  Ensuring players possess an ability to play skillfully with good habits and principles may in fact far outweigh needing to understand some pre-determined shape.

It could be argued that a group of 5 players that are skilled, understand playing to principles and have solid habits could effectively play against a group of 4 players and have success without knowing any type of structure.

Their ability to extend possession, create space, play into and out of that space, support, attack the interior and generate quality shots could be assumed. Essentially, they would not need a structure, they would create their own based on what they were given by the 4 players defending them.

This approach now presents coaches with an incredibly vast scope of activities to develop power play efficiency and effectiveness. We do not need to be limited to 5v4 activities. Any drill or game that develops a player’s ability to play in small space, in small group game scenarios (1v1, 1v2, 2v2, 3v2),  all have value in developing possession, puck protection, support, movement/rotation, creating/attacking space, wall play, attacking the interior, etc.  These drills develop the skills, habits and principles required of players in a power play and they provide transfer to game.

Here is a sample of activities that can be used at any age and level to develop the power play.  They focus on skill, individual and small group tactics, habits and principles.