Khanenko discusses how to build a foundation for development for defencemen within system and game scenarios.

Dragons, Pirates, Super Mario & Jumanji. None of these relate to hockey, unless you’re Ilia Khanenko.

The 33-year-old Russian Skills Development Coach with HC Fribourg Gottéron, is a pro at teaching puck management. To him, it’s all about learning through processes based on fun games, with storytelling. Everyone is involved, everyone is moving and everyone is having fun.

Khanenko, who presented during The Coaches Site’s Global Skills Showcase earlier this year, spoke about how a defenceman manages the puck is crucial to any team's success in all three zones. His presentation breaks down how to create a foundation for your defencemen's puck management within a system and game scenarios.

In his 24-minute video, Khanenko discusses specially how to build a foundation for development for defencemen within system and game scenarios, explaining that “you want to create scenarios and situations that will happen in a game, where guidance must be coached.”

But what exactly is puck management?

“They talk about puck management like everyone had the same understanding, but that’s not the case. And sometimes it’s easy to ignore poor puck management, because it didn’t lead to something negative right away. That’s how the eye-test often fails. It’s about seeing if the best play was made in each situation.”

Watch to find out if your defencemen are not only passing the eye-test, but also making the best possible plays in the defensive, neutral and offensive zones.