Every Global Skills Showcase presenter has offered something unique to coaches and Adam Jonak, the GM and Player Development Coach for the Czech Knights, is no different.
To end our GSS event, Jonak, who is also the Owner and Skills Coach at ABC Hockey and Player Development Coach for the Pilsen Wolves, focused on using the body to protect the puck, scanning the ice to make plays, reading the defender and their stick, and learning how to use the defender’s pushes to your advantage.
Jonak breaks his drills down into five progressions, which allows him to dissect and fully explain each key element being worked on and focus on them separately before combining them together. The final test for a skill is seeing the players use it in a game to see what areas need improvement.
Jonak is recognized for his collaborative approach to skills training and building skills incrementally, as you’ll see in this 30-minute video!
Key Teaching Points for Puck Protection, Body Positioning, and Using a Defender’s Energy
- Maintain the defender on your hip to control their movement.
- Continuously scan the ice to be aware of the defender's positioning.
- Interpret the defender's stick movements to anticipate their actions.
- Utilize the defender's momentum to your benefit by absorbing their pressure.
- Employ body positioning to guide the defender where you desire.
- Protect the puck using your body as a shield.
Common Errors
- Focusing solely on the puck instead of surveying the ice for strategic opportunities.
- Allowing too much space between yourself and the defender, reducing control.
- Neglecting to shield the puck effectively with your body, risking turnovers.
- Maintaining a stance that is too narrow, compromising balance, stability and ability to protect puck.
Noteworthy timestamps
- 00:15 Introduction to puck protection
- 01:10 Puck protection warm up
- 10:30 Half wall puck protection figure 8
- 18:30 Half wall defender energy
