Please download this and feel free to try with your team.

The drill is called the 2v1 Tip Drill. I picked it up from the CoachThem website, and it quickly became one of my favorites because it hits so many different areas at once — passing, shooting, tips, screens, 2v1 play, and overall hockey IQ. I always try to find drills that give players a chance to work on multiple skills and get as many reps as possible in a short practice window.

The setup is simple but chaotic at first. Forwards are in all four corners. One forward makes a pass to the defense on the blue line, the D walks the line, and at the same time that forward and another forward both get to the front of the net. The D takes a shot, the forwards tip or screen, and after the shot, they curl low around the circle, get a pass from the line, and now it turns into a 2v1 down half the ice. The same thing happens from the other end — two 2v1s running at once.

The first time we ran it, it was a mess. The D and forwards were colliding, timing was off, and part of me wanted to scrap it and move on. But I stuck with it. At our next practice, I drew it out again, explained it slower, and we walked through it. Once the kids started to understand the flow, it started to click — and when it clicked, it was beautiful.

It taught a ton: passing to the point, getting a screen and a tip, timing from the D, curling low like a breakout, and finishing with a live 2v1. We’ve been working on using our defense more in the offensive zone, and this drill helped tie that in — forwards learning to trust the D to get pucks through, and D learning to read the play and gap up quickly for the 2v1.

The first time we only ran it from one side, but I realized there was too much standing around. So we tried it from both ends, and once we committed to it, the pace improved, the kids stayed engaged, and we got way more out of it.

It was a reminder that sometimes as coaches, the best drills take patience. The first time through can look like chaos — but if you take the time to teach it again, slow it down, draw it, and let them feel it, that’s when the real learning happens.

About the Author
Jesse Candela is an Operations Manager and youth hockey coach currently leading the U10A team in Georgetown. A former U Sports coach and current OJHL regional scout, Jesse shares real experiences and lessons learned from the rink, hoping to help coaches at all levels grow and connect with their teams.