This game is named RAZE Game because it emphasizes Regroups, Activation, and Zone Entries.

PURPOSE: To create various live-action, game-like situations for your team. This drill emphasizes puck possession, regrouping/breakouts, defensive activation, zone-entry concepts, and special-teams situations. **This is a GREAT, multi-purpose game for players of all ages and skill levels.**

SETUP: Place the nets at each end between the circles to where the goal line would be a line across the tops of the circles (red dashed lines). Each team places 5 skaters on the ice, 3 of whom are out in the middle ice and 2 of whom are behind their own goal. A coach with pucks is positioned on the boards at the center red line. Extra players are on the bench. The center red line serves as an "Offside" (blue) line to force a zone entry.

EXECUTION: The drill can start with a faceoff, chip-in, static puck battle, or possession. Before a team with possession can attack, they must REGROUP behind their own net. The players behind the net can either go D-to-D, make a quick-up pass to an open player coming back to support, or rush the puck if no outlet pass is available. Once the regroup is executed, the players behind the net should ACTIVATE and join the rush to make it 5v3. The team with possession must now enter the attacking half onside and execute a ZONE ENTRY. If the zone entry is offside, the coach blows the whistle, the puck is immediately turned over to the other team and the offside team must tag up behind the center line before forechecking. If the play is onside, the attacking team plays 5v3 in the offensive zone. 

If the defending team gains possession of the puck, they must now regroup with their players behind their net before they can attack, while the attacking point players who activated to join the rush must retreat back behind their net. 

Shift lengths can vary depending on age/skill level. 

COACHING POINTS:

Offense: Teach puck-possession skills, puck support, movement away from the puck, quick puck movement, and encourage behind-the-net players to head-man the puck appropriately or attack open ice with their feet and puck if no passing options exist. This will influence the forecheckers and open passing lanes for the other offensive options.

Defense: Encourage smart forechecking with layers of pressure to ensure that too many players don’t get caught below the puck, leading to significantly outnumbered odd-man rushes. In the defensive zone, emphasize good body and stick positioning to take away middle ice. Encourage players to be smart and patient with their pressure so they don’t over-commit at the wrong time and get caught out of position.

Both: Quick transitions between the different phases (offense/defense)

VARIATIONS/CONSTRAINTS:

• Play half ice or cross ice
• Change the number of players in the middle and/or behind the net
• Change the shift length times
• Force behind-the-net players to make certain decisions (D-to-D pass; quick-up; rush-only)
• Remove the middle “offside” line to force a stretch pass
• The puck must be passed across the zone entry line, not carried. (No offside calls)
• Give the attacking team a time constraint to enter the attacking half (i.e. “you only have 8 seconds from gaining possession to enter the attacking half”)
• Activate the weakside behind-the-net player only to make it 4v3
• Add a Royal Road line with additional points for goals scored resulting from plays across the Royal Road
• Goals only count for 1 point if scored by a forward, but count for 3 points if the shot comes from one of the "activated" Dmen or via a tip-in from a point shot.