PUCK MANAGEMENT FOR DEFENCEMEN: PREPARING FOR GAME SCENARIOS

How defencemen manage the puck is crucial to any team’s success in all three zones. Ilia Khanenko, Skills Development Coach with HC Fribourg Gottéron, breaks down how to create a foundation for your defencemen’s puck management within a system and game scenarios.

TIME: 10 min.

DESCRIPTION:

Set up four D men in the Neutral zone in a box formation with the coach at center ice. Younger players form a tighter box. Players move the puck around the outside with smooth pivots and quick passing D-to-D, then back to the coach. Move the puck clockwise, then on the whistle move the puck counter clockwise.

KEYPOINTS:

• Keep your feet moving and move the puck quickly with a minimum of stickhandling or no stickhandling if possible.

• Move your feet towards the direction you are passing the puck.

TIME: 10 min.

DESCRIPTION:

• Set up four D men in the Neutral zone in a box formation. Younger players form a tighter box.

• Players move the puck around the outside with smooth pivots and quick passing. Move the puck clockwise, then on the whistle move the puck counter clockwise.

  KEYPOINTS:

• Keep your feet moving and move the puck quickly with a minimum of stickhandling or no stickhandling if possible.

• Move your feet towards the direction you are passing the puck.

TIME: 10 min.

DESCRIPTION:

Player at Center starts play by passing directly to D1 or chipping the puck off of the wall behind him. C1 applies pressure on D1. D1 must read the play and make the correct pass to beat the pressure. The play then moves to the other side.

KEYPOINTS:

• Shoulder check when pivoting to retrieve a puck.

• Good communication between D partners.

• Smooth pivots and tape-to-tape passes.

• Players receiving the pass with sticks on the ice facing the passer.
• Coaches vary the pressure from different angles.

TIME: 10 min.

DESCRIPTION:

D men in corner try get puck out against D up on blue line. High D traps puck and passes across to wide D for shot. After each shot, D rotate positions. Switch sides after 3-4 shots by each D.

KEYPOINTS:

• Work on trap technique against bouncing pucks or high flips.

• After trapping puck, settle puck flat on ice before sliding pass to next D move towards next D while executing pass.

TIME: 10 min.

DESCRIPTION:

C passes up to D1 who then slides along the blueline into a position to get a shot past the shot blockers. D1 and D2 can team up to exchange positions to create shooting lanes. While D1 and D2 work to get a shot through to the net, 2 defenders and 2 attacking players battle for position in front of the net. Play out each puck to the whistle.

KEYPOINTS:

• D use fake shots, stops and starts, fake passes to freeze the shot blocker and develop a shooting lane.