This is a practice plan that I used with my U13 group here in Vancouver. The practice was designed to promote quick passing and urgency in different areas of the ice. Because I am missing some of the descriptions and teaching points of the drills above, I will include some support below:
1) Butterfly Warm Up
Players line up in 2 lines, performing different skating and stick handling patterns through the middle of the ice, before curling towards their respective boards and perform the same skill on the way back, forming a butterfly patterm. Here are a few of the skills we worked on during this warm up:
- Inside edge holds
- Outside edge holds
- Forehand, Backhand, narrow and wide stick handles
- Partner passing (forward & backward, side by side)
- 2 puck stick handling
- Forward and backward strides
2) Rim Recoveries - Breakouts
I hope this drill diagram is self explanatory, but our team has struggled with picking pucks up along the board and exiting the D-Zone with speed. In this drill, we start with no pressure, allowing the players to focus on the skill of recvovering the puck off of the boards and making plays to the middle support. As players gain comfort, we add in a coach or player for pressure, focusing on wingers shoulder checking and making plays off of a pinch (soft chips) or direct passes from passive pressure.
3) Gap Control 1 vs 1, 2 vs1
This drill is very simple, with a attacking player from each side of the ice starting with a puck, passing to a D who is waiting at the blueline. Once the pass is made, the attacking player skates hard, looping to the far side of the ice for a return pass from the D. Once the D makes the return pass, they must hurry to take the opposing attacking player, who is sprinting up the ice from the opposite side. This drill is designed to push your D to make quick, direct passes and to find proper gap control under tough pressure from a forward coming down the ice with speed.
4) Quick Rush 2 vs 2
2 forwards (one carrying the puck) and 2 D leave on the whistle. The 2 forwards loops around the far cone and the 2 D loop around the closer cone, angling the forwards for a quick 2 on 2 attack. The emphasis should be on the forwards to attack with speed for a quick shot on net, with a net drive. If the puck is covered, there is a goal or the puck bounces away from the net, a second whistle is blown and a new puck is dumped behind the net for a 2 on 2 down low.
5) 3 vs 3 - Pass to Coach
3 X's and 3 O's go at the same time. 2 pucks are dumped into both corners. From here, it is a race for each group of 3 to make 3 passes and pass to the coach as quickly as possible. Which ever group completes the 3 passes and the pass to coach the quickest sprint to the other end of the ice as offensive players. The slower group leaves the original puck and sprints to the opposite end of the ice as defensive players.
Hopefully the last 2 drills are self explanatory! Give this practice a try and let me know what you think.
