One skill that we have started to look at closer is putting pucks to spots that your teammate has a better chance to get it back.
One area this play comes up is on entries when you have no other option but to lay (spot) the puck into the corner where the net driver will get the first touch on the puck. This creates more offensive zone time and allows for chances to be created.
The net driver can turn the puck up, skate it behind the net, or bump it to the other side to change sides in the offensive zone.
Talk to your team about this option to extend zone time and work on not turning the puck over.
Becanic has over 40 years of coaching experience, with time spent in the OHL, WHL, NAHL, and now ECHL. The longest tenure with a team was from 2003-2009 with the WHL's Everett Silvertips, where he coached with the legendary Kevin Constantine.
As you'll hear he has a ton of hockey knowledge to share, with a focus on improving and developing a player's habits and hockey IQ.
Listen as he shares why hockey IQ is about transitional skating and thinking, the two keys to playing defensive hockey, and why everthing goes back to a player's habits.
In episode 5 of Coaching Crossover we merge the CFL and the NBA with our two fantastic guests, Buck Pierce and Jesse Mermuys.
Buck Pierce - Head Coach, BC Lions
Buck Pierce is the Head Coach of the BC Lions and one of the Canadian Football League’s most respected offensive minds. A former CFL quarterback, Pierce began his playing career with the Lions before going on to win a Grey Cup championship with the Winnipeg Blue Bombers in 2019. After he hung up the cleats Pierce held the position of offensive coordinator with the Blue Bombers, a team that went to four straight Grey Cups, winning in 2019 and 2021. Now heading into his second season leading the Lions, he has the franchise positioned as a competitive force in the West Division.
Jesse Mermuys - Assistant Coach, Phoenix Suns
Jesse Mermuys is an Assistant Coach with the Phoenix Suns and a veteran NBA coach known for his defensive expertise and player development work. A mainstay on NBA coaching staffs since 2008, Mermuys has built a strong résumé across the league including roles with the Toronto Raptors, LA Lakers, Denver Nuggets, Orlando Magic, Sacramento Kings, and currently the Suns, which he joined in July of 2025. For the 2015-2016 season, Mermuys served as the Raptors 905 D-League team Head Coach and Assistant General Manager.
Today we’ll talk about being an assistant coach and what is expected of you of your head coach, building a foundation of a team, overcoaching and using analytics.
The Colorado Avalanche are a wagon in 2026. They transport the puck through the neutral zone like a hot knife through butter, and they pass the puck east to west in the offensive zone better than anybody. It's a fun way to play when your team has the skill to do so, so what does that mean for the opponent?
It starts in the net. This is a key lesson from Kevin Swanson's course The Goalie Coach Toolkit.
The goaltenders from the San Jose Sharks, Washington Capitals, Nashville Predators, and Toronto Maple Leafs you see in these clips no doubt had an extra dose of inspiration when they prepared to play the league's best. Watch as each goalie plays each zone entry a little different. First, individual goalies have their own preferences when it comes to depth of course. You'll see Jussi Saros, who is under-sized considering average goalie heights in the NHL, aggressive at the top of his crease. That might leave potential back door plays open, but Saros has made a career or predicting where the puck is going next with uncanny accuracy.
The disparity between each clip is a mind opener for regular coaches. Every time the puck crosses the blue line the goaltender has to imagine every scenario that could come next. Watch these with your goalies and ask them if they'd play at the same depth as the goalies in the clips.
Learn more about how to teach your goalies proper depth and positioning with The Goalie Coach Toolkit.
I ran a lot of hockey camps this summer, and unfortunately saw many passes slide under or bounce off of players sticks. After looking at those situations more closely, I noticed a few specific mistakes that were leading to these missed passes. In this video, Mika Reuter and I will show you how to catch more passes, even the ones that don't come perfectly on your stick, so that you'll have more scoring chances and make better plays! Have fun practicing!
Powerskating has become really complicated over the last few years. There is a lot of fancy lingo being thrown around, and a lot of coaches seem to have become completely focused on having their players skate like certain specific NHL players. This really irritates me; everybody is unique. Everybody is different. No two players are going to skate alike. We as coaches have to accept this, and instead of pressing players into a certain mold, in which they may not fit, we need to find ways to maximize each player's own special skating style! Two different styles can both be very fast on the ice! In this video I'll show you what really matters with regards to skating fast, and what doesn't. I also compare two very fast skaters, Dylan Larkin and Connor McDavid, who both have very different skating styles. I hope, that I can make skating fast less complicated for you!
As youth hockey coaches, parents, and mentors, we all want our players to succeed—but overloading them can backfire. Burnout isn’t just about fatigue; it’s about losing passion, confidence, and the joy of the game.
Here are a few key ways we can help players stay motivated and healthy:
1️⃣ Balance Ice Time: Too many games and practices can lead to physical and mental exhaustion. Quality over quantity wins.
2️⃣ Focus on Development, Not Just Results: Emphasize skill growth, not just wins. Players who feel progress are more engaged.
3️⃣ Encourage Breaks & Off-Ice Interests: Rest, hobbies, and family time are essential for long-term growth and mental health. PLAY. OTHER. SPORTS!
4️⃣ Listen to the Player: Burnout often starts when players feel unheard. Open communication matters.
As someone who’s experienced burnout firsthand and has coached youth hockey for years, I’ve seen how small adjustments can keep players energized, confident, and truly loving the game.
Let’s make sure our kids grow into lifelong players, not athletes burned out before reaching their full potential.
💡 Coaches & Parents: How are you keeping your players balanced and motivated?
With the off-season right around the corner, many hockey players and coaches are beginning to plan their summer strength programs. One exercise that almost always enters the conversation is the power clean.
The power clean is one of the most widely recognized exercises for developing explosive power. Its ability to improve hip extension and total-body power output is well established. When it comes to building speed and force through the hip hinge, the lift can be highly effective.
Still, the power clean is not a standard exercisein Viima Hockey’s physical development system. That choice is deliberate.
Ice hockey players arrive at off-season training with very different backgrounds. Athletes come from different age groups, development systems, and levels of technical proficiency. The power clean is a technically demanding lift that requires time, repetition, and individualized coaching to perform safely and effectively.
In a short off-season window, that requirement matters.
What Elite Preparation Can Look Like
To put elite strength and technical proficiency into perspective, future NHL star Jack Eichelreportedly performed a hang power clean of nearly 300 lbsat just 16 years old.
This example shows what is possible when technical skill and strength are developed early and correctly. Over time, that foundation tends to show up where it matters most – on the ice through skating efficiency, acceleration, and overall game performance.
The Practical Reality for Most Players
In reality, many players perform the power clean with technical inefficiencies. Common issues include poor bar path, mistimed hip extension, or ineffective force transfer. When that happens, the risk–reward equation changes. Injury risk increases while training return decreases.
Teaching proper technique also takes time. In an off-season setting where the goal is maximizing transfer to on-ice performance, that time is often better invested in methods that deliver reliable results with a lower technical barrier.
This does not mean the power clean has no place in hockey development.
The Power Clean Still Has Value
When athletes learn the movement early – ideally during their junior development years and under the guidance of a qualified strength or weightlifting coach – the power clean can become a valuable long-term training tool.
With proper technical mastery already in place, the exercise can later be integrated into high-performance training without consuming excessive coaching time.
The question is not whether the power clean works. The question is when it makes sense to use it.
Efficient Alternatives for Developing Explosive Power
Both research and applied practice show that explosive power can be developed through several methods that require less technical learning.
Examples include:
Trap bar jumps
Band-assisted jumps
Band-resisted hip extension drills
These exercises can effectively target lower-body power, hip extension strength, and force transfer while remaining simple to teach and safe to execute. For many hockey players, they provide a higher return on time invested during the off-season.
A Performance-First Training Approach
In our work with professional hockey players, training decisions are evaluated through a simple lens – time investment versus performance outcome.
The power clean is an excellent exercise. It simply is not the optimal solution for every athlete, particularly when the goal is efficient off-season development and direct transfer to skating performance.
For many players, simpler methods can produce the same physical adaptations with greater consistency.
Key Takeaway
The power clean can be a valuable tool in an ice hockey player’s strength program when the athlete already possesses strong technical proficiency. Without that foundation, however, there are often more efficient ways to develop explosive power and lower-body force production.
Ultimately, the goal of strength training in hockey is not to perform impressive lifts in the weight room. The goal is to improve performance where it matters most – on the ice.
Off-Season Training for Hockey Players
For players preparing for the next season, the off-season remains the most important window for physical development.
A structured program that targets skating power, strength, and movement efficiency can make a significant difference once the season begins.
Viima Hockey has recently launched a mobile-based training platform designed specifically for hockey players, offering structured off-season programs and individualized physical preparation that athletes can follow anywhere.
If you’re preparing for the upcoming summer training period and want a proven framework for hockey-specific physical development, you can explore the program here.
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About Viima Hockey
Viima Hockey is Europe’s leading provider of individualized ice hockey coaching and player development services. From youth players to NHL professionals, we help athletes become the best version of themselves – and perform where it matters most, in the game.
Trusted by top talent and organizations, including NHL players like Miro Heiskanen and clubs such as Jokerit Helsinki, Jukurit Mikkeli, and the Swiss Ice Hockey Federation, Viima offers world-class skills training, skating development, shooting and scoring coaching, goaltending training, strength and conditioning programs, and coach education.
As a youth hockey coach, parents often ask me the same question:
“What do you look for in a young hockey player?”
Recently I was watching a skate for my son’s age group as players from both teams at his level prepare for upcoming tryouts. As a coach, it’s hard not to observe everything happening on the ice.
A few players from the other team really stood out to me — unfortunately not for the right reasons.
It wasn’t about their skill level. It was their attitude.
During the practice and scrimmage I noticed things like:
• A sense of entitlement • Poor reactions when things didn’t go their way • Extra long shifts • Negative body language toward teammates and situations
It was a reminder of something I tell players all the time:
Tryouts are not just the 3–4 days when organizations officially announce them.
Tryouts are every single time you step on the ice.
Coaches notice more than players realize.
Personally, when I evaluate young players, I’m looking for things that go beyond goals and highlight plays:
• Coachability – Are they listening and trying to apply corrections? • Effort – Do they compete in drills and battles? • Compete Level – Are they pushing themselves when things get tough? • Being a Good Teammate – Supporting teammates and showing respect. • The Willingness to Improve – Do they want to get better every time they’re on the ice?
At the youth level, development isn’t about chasing labels or levels.
It’s about building habits, character, and a mindset that will help players grow both on and off the ice.
For young players hoping to make the next team, remember:
Your reputation is built long before the official tryout begins.
