To start the third and final day of TCS Live 2024, Brian Slugocki delivered an in-depth presentation focusing on developing offensive zone skills with and without the puck.

Slugocki brings high energy to all his drills. His goal is to get players to focus on being patient with the puck while they look for the next play in the offensive zone. Slugocki wants his players to get used to timing plays right in the offensive zone. He preaches core fundamentals of the game such as always having your head up and maintaining momentum through cuts and transitions on the ice. Part of Slugocki’s drill philosophy is to always build on the structure of his drills. He starts out slow by allowing his players to get a feel for the drill and then gradually adds pressure to get his players in a more game-time speed atmosphere.

Attack!

Slugocki is always preaching the idea of attack, especially to the inside areas of the ice where most of the prime scoring chances occur. Slugocki recognizes that teams work to defend the middle ice forcing the attack to the outside; he wants his players to get comfortable finding creative ways to generate offense from the outside into the middle, or guts, of the ice. Putting players through different maneuvers in order to make quick transitions alongside protecting the puck is a prime focus in Slugocki’s creative zone skill drills.

Another skill that Slugocki wants his players to have is the ability to attack from all areas of the offensive zone. While working to attack the middle, Slugocki encourages his players to be creative in the angles his players take to get to the net. Being able to create offense from the corners of the offensive zone to the top points is a staple in Slugocki’s training of players. Slugocki's drills are continuous and after a player takes a shot on net they instantly become a defenceman defending odd man situations forcing the next group of players to read and react to the situation of the drill. Putting players in constant read and react situations enhances their Hockey IQ and allows them to see the next play so they're calm in the offensive zone when game time rolls around.

Noteworthy timestamps:

• 0:35 Warmup drill - passer to shooter
• 4:30 Catch and shoot/one-timer progression
• 6:50 Dummy D progression
• 10:05 2 vs 0 to 2 vs 2 drill
• 11:40 Adding in delay skills
• 16:00 Dummy D progression
• 21:15 Being shot ready
• 23:45 2 vs 2 down low multi-puck drill
• 26:50 Retrieval tips