Ask a hockey coach if he or she would like to add more offence to their game strategy and you’ll probably receive a peculiar look. More offence? Yes, of course. How? Every coach is looking for more offence, but these days it’s an incredibly broad term.

“There are so many variables when you’re attacking in-zone. Use different progressions in practice and make sure your players finish the play.”

At this past summer’s 2018 Hockey Coaches Conference in Toronto, coach Brendan Taylor attached a specific strategy to the search for more offence: the net. Wayne Gretzky used to set up behind the net, and sure, he’s Wayne Gretzky, but what can we learn and how can we focus our attack on the area surrounding the net?

“It’s important to get movement around the net. Keep the defenders guessing. Get creative. Forwards can create offensive around the net with soft spot goals, natural creativity, involving defensemen, and just by getting more touches in pressure areas.”

The net is where all pucks end up (hopefully), so for Taylor, it’s helpful to build a strategy around the cage. How many extra goals can your team score if they employ a behind-the-net attack strategy? Watch the video below.