How many times in a game that players are under hard pressure, are forced to make a quick decision and make a play? How many times do players make the right read and make a nice play? The game of hockey is becoming much faster and giving players much less time to shoulder check, pick up information and read and react to what’s going on around them. 

This is the perfect summer skates or summer school drill because we can use this either as a station-based drill and set it up in multiple zones or have other similar drills in other parts of the ice. Players get use to being under game like pressure from the start, forces them to shoulder check to see where their teammate are / where the pressure is coming from and gives them the freedom to use his skill to get away from the defender to make a play. 

• Players start on the blue line in a straight line in this order, F1 - D1 - F2 ( Everyone plays every position) 
• All three players leave at the same time.
• F1 skates behind the net to retrieve the loose puck with D1 chasing him down. 
• D1 can either follow F1 around the net or skate in front of the net to the opposite side cutting off F1 (Once D1 has committed to one of the sides, D1 cannot stop moving his feet and cut back again going the other way). 
• While F1 is reading and reacting to D1, F2 is timing his route to receive the puck in motion from F1 for a quick shot on net. (Coach can draw a box on the ice to have F2 receive the puck and shoot the puck in the drawn box in motion). 

Key teaching points 

• Shoulder Checking / Scanning 
• Picking up information
• Having a small Gap between F1 and D1 (Create your own time and space) 
• Explosiveness and quick plays 
• Timing and communication