Use balance boards or Bosu balls to improve balance & puck skills. #hockeydrills #hockeytraining Try these pucks, balls or obstacles to increase difficulty. Like and Subscribe for more content! Try- www.aihockeyadvisor.com

Great blend of offensive zone tactics by Colorado, combining shot volume with constant motion to break down Minnesota’s defensive coverage 

The movement away from the puck not only creates that free flowing motion, but also increases the likelihood of Avalanche players arriving first to rebounds and loose pucks ahead of the more stationary Wild defenders

In order to maximize the shot chances in a power play, the attacking team must get into the DZ and establish their system and begin to execute it as soon as possible.

In the traditional 5 on 4, the defense will fall back into the DZ and create a box or diamond pattern.  This allows for the most coverage of the area with limited players, and keeping the continuity of their defense.

As the offense enters the zone the establishment of a net front presence is vital to screening the goalie and having a player ready for tip-ins and rebounds.  As they battle to the crease, the rest of the attackers need to get into position in a star or umbrella pattern.  This puts a player in each "corner" of the zone and allows for open passing options.  Make sure to stay mobile and not get flat footed.  Lack of movement will lead to miss chances and give-aways to the defense.

DRILL

Establish the positions for both offense and defense.  You can start with no defenders to get a feel for the movements, only 2 defenders as indicated by the red defenders in the diagram, or 4 as identified by Purple.

The coach starts outside the zone with pucks, and sends one to one of the outer ring players.  At this point it is up to the attackers to move the puck around to get the best shot.  All players should be moving based on the puck holders actions.  If the puck holder skates below the goal line to move around, then the team should move in kind to keep the coverage going.

Make rules such as the puck must make 5 passes before being shot, or the players must change positions at least twice before the puck can be shot on net.

Summer is where separation happens.

Players do not need perfect training environments to improve. They need consistency, structure, and a plan they can follow every week.

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Is It Still Fun?

 If you were to observe kids walking into rinks all across the country, what would you see? Smiling faces or kids just going through the motions or monotony of the process. Obviously, it’s the off season, but have you really looked around the rinks lately, think back to this past season what do you see?

Is it still fun to play the game of hockey?

Does anyone still have fun playing the sport or has it turned into a job or just another activity?  Everyone has their own definition of what fun is, but when it comes to going to the rink, do players of any age still find it entertaining or enjoyable?

For some “fun” means winning?

What percentage of kids are still having fun playing the game? Obviously, that’s a difficult question to answer these days with so many other variables in play, but shouldn’t that be the most meaningful variable of them all? As kids climb the ladder within the game of hockey it would appear the seriousness and intensity of the situation clearly takes on entirely new meaning. Winning becomes all-encompassing and in some cases the “fun” gets benched. Losing isn’t fun, nothing about the game seems very fun when you’re on the losing side of the battle every night getting the shit the kicked out you. That isn’t fun at all, and many of us have experienced that a time or two.

Every kid is different, they all have their own definition of “fun”. Perhaps some parents and coaches alike have the blinders on, thinking that the kids are having fun because the game is fun to play.

There’s a preconceived notion out there that they understand what the kid is thinking at all times. Unfortunately, what adults think might be fun just because, isn’t that appealing to the kids. Parents and coaches should be checking in with players a lot especially in younger levels of the game and there should be a concerted effort to keep things fun.

Has the game become boring for them? Is practice fun? What’s that element of game or experience like? Are kids being challenging to get better and is that fun for players? or has the game turned into the job?

Why are they still playing if they aren’t having any fun?

When is the fun getting sucked out of them? If so, why and what’s causing that?

Is it a coach? Is it the overbearing hockey parents? or Have they just had enough?

I really can’t stress enough that hockey parents need to check in with their kids on a regular basis, but the first question should always be; “Are you still having fun?”

Wouldn’t it be great if every kid playing the game right now was having fun? Sadly, that’s not the case.

Unfortunately, it would also appear that in some cases as kids move up hockey’s hierarchical stages that the game gets less and less enjoyable. No one wants to look or accept the declining numbers within the game; the game itself has become so elitist that it’s not accessible to the masses anymore.  The game costs so much that there’s definitely a trickledown effect when it comes to the seriousness of the situation. You want to see kids have fun playing the game in the purest sense of the word, go to an outdoor rink or on a street in your community and just watch, I bet you will see more smiles there than anywhere else.

Are we missing the mark when it comes to the sport and the game of hockey?

Time will tell, we can all hope that every young kid that laces them up will find some aspect of the game that they still enjoy and that no one has stolen their passion or love of the game.

To all the parents and coaches out there, let’s try something different, let’s vary the practice plans, let’s have some more fun. The game and team systems can be all taken seriously, but it can still be fun. Let’s check in with the kids and see what they want out of the game.

Perhaps let’s take a moment and think about how many months a year kids play the game, maybe they just need to take a break and then perhaps maybe the fun might return?

See you at the rink, hopefully with a smile on your face.

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In Episode 341 of the Glass and Out Podcast, we’re joined by the Goaltending Development Coach for the Vancouver Canucks, Ian Clark.

Clark has been with the Canucks since the 2019-20 season and previously served as the club’s goaltending coach from 2002-2010. In between, he was a member of the coaching staff with the Columbus Blue Jackets.

During his time in the NHL, he has mentored the likes of Roberto Luongo, Sergei Bobrovsky, and Thatcher Demko, to name a few.

He also operated a successful goalie school for several decades, helping launch the careers of many other high-profile puck stoppers.

Clark has also launched the From The Crease app. FTC provides both goalies and coaches with a top-to-bottom playbook for developing all aspects of the position. Users are given video explanations of drills, the ability to track their progress, and a progression-based curriculum that keeps aspiring goalies focused on the right details at the right stage of their development.

You can check out the app here.

Listen as he shares why we need to train goalies to handle pressure, why coaching shouldn’t follow a template, and his seven ingredients for great goaltending.

Video Timestamps:

• 0:00 TCS Live
• 0:50 Telling if a goalie is in the zone/Preparing for big moments
• 5:50 Focus areas for big moments
• 10:40 Advice for talking with goalies
• 13:40 Goaltending style and structure
• 19:25 Don't coach a template
• 24:05 Relationship building
• 30:20 Goalie development around the world
• 36:10 7 ingredients of great goalies
• 42:35 Dominik Hasek
• 46:40 Non-hockey activities for goalies
• 51:35 Sergei Bobrovsky/Developing a reads game
• 55:20 Evaluating young goalies
• 1:03:15 From the Crease
• 1:10:40 Value for Minor Hockey coaches 
• 1:15:20 What coaches shouldn’t do with goalies

Develop Puck Protection Skills. #hockeydrills #hockey #hockeyplaying #puckprotection #puckskills Lot of variations off these 4 line set ups. Watch the video to learn more and the sequences. Focus on keeping your head up. Keeping the puck away from your opponent buy using your body, and reading the stick of the checker. For more content- https://andrewtrimble.substack.com/ or www.aihockeyadvisor.com

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