There’s a belief amongst many youth hockey coaches that every drill they run in practice must end with a shot on goal. Dan Arel challenged that notion during his TCS Live presentation.

Arel, the Director of Coach & Player Development for the San Diego Oilers Hockey Club, is a master of small area games and station based practices, as loyal his readers on The Coaches Site know. Using his practice format, players can average 30 minute of puck time in a single practice, compared to the maximum minute the average player has the puck in a game. If the lightbulb above your head just lit up, it’s for good reason: a single small area game station based practice can equal 11 games worth of puck touches for a developing player.

Tell me more, Dan Arel!

“By using station based practices, we get kids moving, it’s game-like, and they will have more fun,” said Arel, who is also the Head Coach of the programs U12 A team. “For players at every level, the more fun they’re having, the more they’re learning without even knowing it.”

In this 14-minute TCS Live presentation, Arel, who holds his Level 4 certification through USA Hockey and was the San Diego Gulls Foundation Coach of the Year in 2020, provides drills you can implement today, while teaching coaches how to keep players engaged, challenged and focused in making their practices more game-like.

Noteworthy timestamps:

• 01:00 Station based practices
• 02:50 USA Hockey study
• 03:30 Focus on the skill
• 04:30 Shooting drills don’t always teach passing
• 05:25 3 Gate Drill
• 07:05 Power play Box Passing Drill
• 10:40 Putting it into action

Want more tips and tricks from this grassroots hockey expert? Listen to his Glass And Out podcast episode!