This shift isn’t about highlights — it’s about center habits.

• Loses the draw → wins positioning
• Gets above the opposing center
• Stays underneath the puck
• Controls the middle without chasing

Daily Hockey IQ lessons → projecthockey.com

Click to download the PDF

 

Want more confident and mobile defenders at the blue line? This is drill to help develop better handles and decisions at the offensive blue line.

Skater receives first pass from coach/player and draws across the ice before returning the puck to passer. Immediately focus is shifted to starting point for quick give-and-go passing. Again focus is shifted to low end of the drill for another pass and skater finishes with a shot on net. 

Objectives:

To work on drawing across the ice to "pull a defender" before returning the puck back to original passer. 

To move focus to the next part of the play, snapping vision, stick and body towards new passer/play.

Quick puck receiving and quick execution of shooting.

Focus on sharp passing with strong puck control. Skater should be doing a better job of utilizing the space and using vision and agility to create best angles and timing. This clip is executed properly but skater stays too tight to passers and doesn't use the whole space well. 

This is good for getting ready to work on those pesky Neutral zone incursions by the opposing teams offense!

 

This warm up drill works to get the legs moving and awareness for transitioning in the neutral zone to defend against the breakout rush.  And, we let them shoot the pucks at the end just for good measure!

 

SET IT UP:

Goalie in net

Coaches at center ice with pucks

2 lines of skaters at goal line of opposite end of the ice.

 

RUN IT:

The first 2 skaters in each line skate out to the blue line, then transition to backwards - keeping their heads up and moving as if they were getting ready to defend against an attacker.

Once they exit the neutral zone on the opposite end, the coach dumps them a puck, allowing them to transition to a forward skating attack and shooting on net. 

Click to download the PDF

 

Click to download the PDF

 

As coaches, we spend hours perfecting systems, drilling power plays, and conditioning our athletes for the third period. But what if I told you there’s an "extra player" on the ice—one working specifically for the other team—and your players are bringing it right into the locker room?

Research shows that the smartphones in your players' hands are actively sabotaging their Hockey IQ, vision, and physical power. Here is why digital habits off the ice are translating to losses on the ice.

This is my best attempt to summarize all the training (including amazing TCS live presenations and workshops), research, and conversations that I have been exposed to create some actionable insights that we can share with our players as coaches and mentors. Super hard task, but we at least have to try. Please let me know what you think.

I am also including some slides I created that include all the sources for these findings and recomendations plus a handout/poster that coaches can give their players or put in the locker room.

1. The Invisible "Brain Drain"

Science confirms that just 30 to 40 minutes of social media scrolling before a game induces significant mental fatigue. This isn't just a distraction; it’s a "Brain Drain" that treats every notification and scroll as a tiny decision, depleting the mental fuel tank before the puck even drops.

The Impact: Players experience slower passing decisions, miss open teammates, and struggle to read developing plays

The Fatigue Factor: Athletes who use phones before training feel the workout is harder than it actually is, leading to premature burnout in the 3rd period.

2. "Tunnel Vision" vs. Rink Awareness

Elite players see all 200 feet of the ice, but staring at a 5-inch screen for hours literally trains the eyes to focus on a narrow field. This is known as Visual Field Constriction.

The Risk: This "Phone Vision" kills peripheral awareness. A player with constricted vision won't see a blind-side hit coming or notice a winger wide open on the far post.

The Fix: Implement the 20-20-20 Reset. Every 20 minutes on a phone, players should look 20 feet away for 20 seconds and blink 20 times to "unlock" their vision.

3. The "Phone Slump" and Skating Mechanics

Posturing matters. The "Tech Neck" (head down, shoulders rounded) isn't just a bad habit—it’s a performance killer.

Restricted Power: This posture tightens the chest and weakens the core and back muscles.

Injury Risk: A rounded back makes a skating stride less explosive and puts players at a higher risk for shoulder and hip injuries.

The Power Position: Coaches should emphasize an "Athletic Posture" with an open chest, strong core, and powerful breathing.

4. Sabotaging Recovery

Sleep is a legal performance enhancer, but blue light from screens blocks melatonin, the hormone responsible for deep sleep.

Empty Fuel Tanks: Without deep sleep, the body cannot effectively refill muscle glycogen. This results in "heavy-legged" players who fade when the game is on the line.

The Digital Sunset: Pro players prioritize 8–10 hours of sleep. Encourage a "Digital Sunset" where all screens are turned off 60 minutes before bed.

The Coach’s Challenge: The "Glove Box Rule"

To reclaim your team’s competitive advantage, I challenge you to implement the "No Phones in the Locker Room" rule for one week.

By making small sacrifices off the ice, your players will see massive gains on it. Let's get their heads out of their phones and back into the game.

Hockey Hall of Famer Cammi Granato shares her journey from a young girl playing hockey in Chicago to becoming a pioneer in the sport. She discusses the importance of family support, the challenges of being a female athlete in a male-dominated sport, and the pressures faced by young athletes today. Cammi emphasizes the need for inclusion in sports, the benefits of multi-sport participation, and the role of coaches in fostering a positive environment for youth athletes. She reflects on her own experiences and the lessons learned from her family, highlighting the importance of humility and love for the game.

 

Gareth Rees, a proud Canadian who is a prominent figure in international rugby, discusses the multifaceted nature of youth sports. He emphasizes the importance of community, parental influence, and the need for a balanced approach to sports participation. Rees reflects on his own experiences and the lessons learned through sport, advocating for multi-sport participation and the necessity of creating a supportive environment for young athletes. He also addresses the pressures faced by parents and children in the competitive sports landscape, urging a shift in focus from high performance to holistic development.

Strong, powerful skating starts with strong quads, and strong quads start with knowing how to squat properly.

One of the biggest mistakes I see with hockey players is jumping straight into loaded squats before they truly understand the mechanics of a strong squat position. Before adding weight, athletes need to own the position with just their bodyweight. The bodyweight squat hold is one of the best ways to build that foundation.

Why the Squat Matters for Hockey Players

The squat position directly supports a powerful skating stride. It helps develop quad strength, glute engagement, hip stability, and core control, all of which are essential for acceleration, balance, and efficiency on the ice.

When performed correctly, the squat also reinforces a posture that closely matches a proper skating stance, making it far more transferable than a generic gym squat.

Setting Up the Stance

Start by setting your feet slightly wider than hip-width apart, roughly shoulder-width. Avoid going excessively wide, as this can limit control and tension.

Once your stance is set, create strong downward pressure into the floor. Think about spreading the floor apart with your feet. Your right foot should feel like it is gently screwing into the ground clockwise, while your left foot feels like it is screwing in counterclockwise. Your feet do not actually move, but you should feel tension building through your shoes.

This tension sets the foundation for everything that follows.

Creating Stability Through the Lower Body

As you begin the squat, drive your knees outward and actively squeeze your glutes. Your weight should stay toward the outside of your feet, while your big toes remain in contact with the ground.

This combination helps maintain proper alignment through the hips, knees, and ankles, while creating a stable base to sit into.

Controlling the Descent and Holding the Position

Lower yourself under control until you reach roughly a 90-degree knee angle. Continue pushing downward through the feet, driving the knees out, squeezing the glutes, and keeping tension through your entire lower body.

At the bottom position, your ribs should be stacked over your hips, with your core fully engaged. Avoid flaring the ribs or letting the pelvis tilt forward. Everything should feel connected and controlled.

It is important to understand that being at 90 degrees does not mean your thighs need to be parallel to the ground. Because hockey players skate with a forward shin angle, your shins should be slightly forward, which naturally changes how the squat looks.

Even though your thighs may not appear parallel, you are still at a true 90-degree position. This forward shin angle makes the squat far more specific to skating mechanics and creates a stronger transfer to the ice.

Returning to Standing

To stand up, maintain the same tension you had on the way down. Keep driving the knees out, maintain pressure through the feet, stay tall through the torso, and squeeze the glutes as you rise back to standing.

Progressing the Squat

Once you can consistently control this position using only your bodyweight, adding load becomes much easier and much safer. From here, you can progress to goblet squats, front squats, or even back squats (not that I recommend this), knowing that you already own the most important part of the movement.

Mastering the bodyweight squat hold sets the foundation for strength, power, and efficiency in every phase of a hockey player’s development.

About the Author

Travis Martell is the founder and head coach of Martell Elite Fitness, specializing in off-ice development for hockey players. 📲 Follow on Instagram: @martell.elite.fitness

In this video, Coach Jackson breaks down a FULL 2-minute NHL power play featuring Leo Carlsson — showing how elite Hockey IQ creates scoring chances long before the puck goes in the net.

This isn’t a highlight reel.

This is how smart hockey is actually played.

Inside this breakdown, you’ll learn: 

• How elite players win possession after lost faceoffs 
• Why filling all 5 lanes matters on power-play entries 
• How scanning before the puck arrives changes everything 
• Where to position yourself as a bumper to create offense 
• Why patience and puck movement break penalty kills 

This exact teaching style is helping thousands of hockey players improve their Hockey IQ inside the Project Hockey IQ App. 

Inside the app, players get: 

• Daily NHL full-shift Hockey IQ breakdowns 
• Interactive questions that force decision-making 
• Power play, defensive, and transition reads 
• Coaching that teaches why, not just what 

Train your hockey brain.

Watch the game differently.