As the Founder and Head Skills Coach at BP Hockey Academy in Slovakia, Peter Bohunicky has developed a wide range of hockey skills drills that focus on players building speed and power in their shot, which he shared on the ice at TCS Live 2024.

Bohunicky knows that for players to be successful at the next level they need to be able to build speed not just without, but with the puck on their stick. To build this skill, Bohunicky creates drills that focus on players getting back into their zone and building up speed in their turns going up ice, while putting the puck in spots in front of them into which they can accelerate. How they carry the puck matters. 

Bohunicky incorporates drills that calls for players to only have their top hand on their stick to carry the puck. Having two hands on a stick while stick handling slows down a player’s momentum and doesn’t allow them to maximise their speed in areas of transition. Additionally, Bohunicky has designed drills that work on winding up through speed arcs on the ice. Being able to regroup and circle back anywhere on the ice and gain momentum with a player's speed is a great way to generate scoring chances off the rush. Bohunicky also focuses on having his players constantly move their feet in conjunction with maintaining the fundamentals of the game such as maintaining good skating posture and always having a player’s head up. 

Being able to attack with speed and build momentum when the puck is on a player’s stick is what separates many of the great players in the National Hockey League. According to Bohnicky, this is something that should be prioritised in practice settings.

Watch Bohunicky's drills to get insight on drills you can run to improve your players' speed with and without the puck. Which, for Bohunicky, can sometimes occur simultaneously!

Noteworthy Timestamps:

• 0:50 Pro examples
• 1:30 Puck pushing warm up
• 3:30 Technical and psychological skill
• 5:30 Building speed with the puck
• 8:05 Adding a backchecker
• 11:40 Speed arcs: Winding up
• 14:45 Force vector
• 18:00 Adding angling