Andy Ness has spent more than two decades sharpening the edges and hands of some of the best players in the world. As the long-time skating and skills coach for the Minnesota Wild, Ness has worked with NHL All-Stars, developing pros, and countless youth athletes across the state. His reputation is built on detail and creativity, but even more on a simple belief. Players get better when coaches give them the tools to explore and repeat good habits. He brought that same philosophy to the ice at TCS Live Minnesota.

“Take these drills and make them your own.”

That was the first thing Ness told the coaches in attendance. There are no magic formulas. There is only the ability to observe the game, identify patterns, and design reps that build solutions. Ness does this constantly. He watches Wild games, takes notes, and sketches out ideas that he can apply the very next morning in a skills session.

Ness had veteran Wild defenceman Jonas Brodin on the ice a few hours before his presentation, and used him as an example of how these concepts translate across ages and skill levels. If it works for an NHL defender, it can work for a 12-year-old. If it works for a 12-year-old, it can be adjusted for a college senior. That was the point.

“You need a lot of reps to improve your passing. You have to get touches.”

He started the players with extension passing.

• Arms off the body
• Weight shifting through the legs
• Upper body rotating independently of the hips.

Pass. Receive. Reset. Repeat. Players caught pucks on the backhand, transferred to the forehand, and sent the puck back. Then they reversed the sequence with the same attention to posture.

Every progression was built on the same idea. Proper movement patterns before speed. Proper posture before pressure. And every drill could be modified for any team at any level.

He reminded coaches that the best passers are not always the biggest, strongest, or fastest players on the team. The best passers are the ones who consistently improve the condition of the puck. They put teammates in better situations. They connect plays, and that makes them valuable.

One example Ness demonstrated was how young players often jab their stick into their mid-section when receiving pucks. He showed coaches how to train proper hand and arm adjustments instead. As the session progressed, he added motion, added deception, and added difficulty. Picking up passes in the feet, on the backhand, or under light movement became part of the sequence.

The message never changed. First touch matters. A clean reception builds everything that comes after.

If the puck is bouncing, rolling, or exploding off the blade, the play ends before it begins.

Coaches’ Challenge

Identify one habit in your team’s passing that consistently breaks down under pressure. Design a short, simple progression that isolates the problem. Build it slowly. Add motion. Add pressure. Then teach your players one thing. Improve the condition of the puck every time it comes to you.

Noteworthy timestamps:

• 0:00 Importance of touches
• 3:45 Catching the puck
• 6:20 Partner extension passing
• 10:20 One hand progression
• 14:30 Catching in stride
• 19:55 Catching in turn
• 22:00 Catch and cut