Former Calgary Flames head coach and current Edmonton Oilers associate coach Glen Gulutzan delivered an ideal presentation for defensemen. He’s been around the block now, with stops in Vancouver and Dallas, so Glen has seen a clear progression in National Hockey League D-men.

So where do we start?

“Defense starts at the offensive blueline. Work everything back from there.”

Start your focus at the offensive blue line – getting your d-men to join the cycle, staying high with their heels in the neutral zone, and surveying potential breakouts and breaking them up. Keep the play alive and increase your offensive zone time.