Golden Rules for Defensemen

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Last Updated on Sunday, 27 May 2012 23:31

John Russo’s Coaches Corner

Golden Rules for Defense

These Golden Rules are the key items players should be striving to master as they progress up through the ranks to high school and college. The best players at the highest levels of hockey follow the Golden Rules most often. A player of average skills and speed will do very well if these rules are mastered. While the rules are basic and seem obvious, it may take many years of concentrated effort for most players to automatically perform them properly. This automatic reaction is what coaches should be teaching and players working towards.

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Puckhandling (part 5)

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Last Updated on Sunday, 27 May 2012 23:31

By John Russo

Let’s Play Hockey Columnist

As I noted at the beginning of the series, there are other things (other than stickhandling) involved in puckhandling.

First, a couple of drills for exercising stickhandling:

Drill #12 – Work in two or three lines lengthwise, in groups of three. Two players line up as defensemen, one behind the other 10-15 feet head start. The attacker has to get to the first D, make a move, go around and catch the second D and make a move before getting to the other end. This drill is meant to speed the attacker up to force a full speed attack. The first D needs to be fairly passive, the second D tougher.

Progression

• Two D’s use no sticks

• Two D’s use sticks turned around

• Two D’s sticks regular

Drill #13 – This drill is often called “Russian Courage.” Put half the team each in two diagonal corners. Have three from each corner line their sticks up (on the ice) along a lengthwise line from offside dot to offside dot between the blue lines (forming a passageway the length of the ice). 

These three players take a position on each line (blue, red, blue) halfway between the sticks and the boards. A “gauntlet” has now been formed. 

The players come through the gauntlet one at a time about every 10-15 seconds, trying to make moves on the three stationary defenders. The defenders can only reach (not skate except one stride) and push with their hands. The idea is to get through all three without being touched. Rotate every 2-3 minutes.

Progression

• Allow three gauntlet players to be more aggressive by stepping 1 or 2 or 3 steps in either direction (but not front and backwards).

• All three to reach with sticks but not move.

• Any other alternatives with the three that are appropriate and create challenges.

Puck protection. Players need to learn at an early age to keep the puck on the appropriate side of their bodies from defenders. They also need to learn to extend their arms and legs to protect the puck – this is the key to good puck protection (watch Matt Cullen of the Wild!).

Puck protections – boards: Puck protection along the boards involves, not only controlling the puck, but also handling resistance from the side and rear. Drills must be developed to practice working the corners (player with puck in corner facing the boards, two “opponents” trying to steal the puck) and along the side boards (player carrying puck with opponent skating along side trying to squeeze off the get puck). It is important for players to learn to balance and provide resistance while still moving the puck with the feet. 

Faceoffs: Learning to faceoff properly is as much a part of puckhandling as anything else. I like to have faceoff contests with everyone involved.

It is important to go through the basics and some of the tricks first, however. It is worthwhile, for example, to show players how to attack the opponents stick and how to use the body (then the feet) to control the puck and not lose.

It may end up that the best players at faceoffs are wingers, so they face off in all critical situations. I would also not be afraid to have defensemen handle faceoffs in the defensive zone if they are very good at it. Up until 25 or 30 years ago, defensemen always handled all defensive zone faceoffs.

Players should definitely understand when it is most important to not lose a faceoff (defensive zone). “Not lose” does not necessarily mean win, by the way.

Combination moves: Several of the dekes that have been described can be put together in combination – and should be practiced that way.

• Fake slap shot and go around – to a 360 reverse to the backhand.

• Any kind of a go around to the forehand side to a 360 reverse to the backhand.

• Drag and slip across to a slip across back the other way.  I have seen this in a triple.

Exercising Puckhandling Skills

• Non traditional scrimmages – I very much like to have various scrimmages that do not involve 5-on-5 skaters – or involve 5-on-5 cross ice in one zone. This forces many more than normal “confrontations” and thus opportunities to use and develop skills. I also like even smaller area 3-on-3 or 2-on-2, so players cannot “hide.” Another good one is tag up shinny in one zone (one net).

• Keep away – Keepaway is a great puckhandling drill when it is “whoever has the puck against other 2 or 3.” Each group will last about 45 seconds if intensity is high. Creativity should be encouraged; use small areas.

• Puck drills – It is fun to challenge players with small patterns of pucks that must be maneuvered through. Examples are lines of pucks very 8 to 10 inches for fast hands; even the older players have fun with this. Use the blue or red lines as the lines.

• Flips and flat passes – I want all of my players to be able to pop up (flip) the puck out of or into the zone. Most high school level players cannot. I also would like them to be able to “chop” a nice low arc flat pass (off of the heel of the blade) to a teammate 20 to 30 feet away. Coaches need to give players a chance exercise these skills by designing them into drills.

• Beating the goaltender – The breakaway is an exciting part of hockey and is now part of the game (shootout). The single and double fake, as well as the fake slapshot, are the best attacks and should be practiced. Shots on the goaltender certainly are often a great option on a breakaway and of course happen 30, sometimes 40, times a game other than breakaways. 

While it should be obvious, I must mention that full tilt one-on-ones are the best way to exercise moves once the basic skills have been mastered. Just don’t do them full ice. Forwards can attack from the blue line in.

John Russo, Ph.D., is founder and director of the Upper Midwest High School Elite League. He was a captain at the University of Wisconsin, and his Coaches’ Corner columns have appeared in LPH since 1986.

Golden Rules for Forwards

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Last Updated on Sunday, 27 May 2012 23:31

John Russo’s Coaches’ Corner

Golden Rules for Forwards

The Golden Rules are the keys items players should strive to master as they progress up through the ranks to high school and college. The best players at the highest
levels of hockey follow most of the Golden Rules most often. Players of average skills and speed will do very well if these rules are mastered. While the rules are basic and seem obvious, it may take many years of concentrated effort for most players to automatically perform them properly. This automatic reaction is what coaches should be teaching and what players should be working toward.

Read more: Golden Rules for Forwards

Coaching good TEAM defense

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Last Updated on Sunday, 27 May 2012 23:31

By John Russo

Let’s Play Hockey Columnist

I often see games where the goaltender has 35-45 shots and gives up four or five goals and the team still wins because they have a powerful offense. Less often do I see games where the goaltender has 15-25 shots and the team wins with an overall low score.

I have always liked good overall team defense, not just good defensemen and/or good goaltenders, but TEAM defense. Many youth coaches don’t have a good enough grasp of the overall game to understand the pieces that make up TEAM defense. 

Goaltender items

Let’s start first with the goaltender. It is pretty obvious that the goaltender is part of TEAM defense, but here are some of the details that coaches need to help the goaltender deal with to optimize the TEAM play (other than just stopping pucks):

• Verbalizing/communicating with the defensemen often. This is critical, especially when the D’s are coming back into the zone to collect the puck, or if the opposition has open players in scoring positions, for example. The D’s appreciate the good overall view that the goaltenders have.

• Stopping the puck and setting it up when it has been shot in “around the boards.” A good, quick goaltender can get behind the net and help the D with a good set up so the D can more easily get the puck moving the other way. Goaltenders need to work on this skill. They also need to be good skaters to do this.

• Passing the puck to D’s or forwards when it is shot into the zone – and time exists. Goaltenders that work on their shooting skills are like another D. Clearing the puck out of the zone is another key activity.

• Working on basic positioning and skills so that routine shots are saves – cuts down on unnecessary goals. This sounds like something that ought not to have to be said, but coaches need to work with goaltenders so that they do have good basics.

Defensemen key duties

To maximize the defensive TEAM game, D’s need to be coached to remember that they are always first, DEFENSE men. Often, D’s are too caught up on trying to be part of the offense, and put themselves at too much defensive risk. Coaches can help D’s remember key defense concepts:

• While support of the offense is important, D’s need to do it as a trailer. Only progress with the offense while a real scoring opportunity exists, then back to safe defense. Scoring goals is not the prime duty of a D.

• D’s need to always back their partner.

• Moving the puck over the lines of defense (blue and red) as quickly as possible reduces risk.

• Defending the lines of defense wisely reduces risk.

• Learning to move the puck quickly out of the defensive zone puts the team on the offensive, and reduces the risk (of the puck in the defensive zone).

• Developing a pride as a defensemen group for not allowing goals is a good way to keep the D confidence high.

• Not making poor and risky moves in the high defensive zone and neutral zone reduces odd man rushes. It is better to back off and defend – allowing forward support to catch up.

Creating defensive forwards

It is true that a good team has defensemen that are an integral part of the team offense, and forwards that are an integral part of the team defense. The forwards must know that they are responsible defensively. It cannot be the defensemen and goaltenders that “fail” whenever a goal against is scored. In truth, it is just as likely a wing or center that caused the breakdown. If every rush down the ice by the opposition has a backchecker, few 2-on-1’s or 3-on-2’s will exist. Coaches can do several things to improve the defensive performances of forwards:

• Make certain that wings know their responsibilities in defensive zone. Many forwards feel that their job is primarily to get the puck and head for the other end. When the other team has the puck, however, their job is strictly one of coverage (of the near side D and the high slot by the far wing). I can’t even guess how many times I have explained why a wing cannot run into the corner for the puck.

• Make certain that centers know that they are defensemen in their own zone. Weak (defensive) centers can be found chasing the puck to the points, in the corners, wherever it goes. This will cause poor coverage and goals. Centers should never be out at the points.

• Insist that all forwards backcheck and cover the man all the way to the net if necessary. The first checker is most important, but the last will be picking up the D trailer.

• Insist that all forwards move the puck to the points (in the offensive zone) when these D’s are not being covered closely. Otherwise, the forwards are outnumbered inside 5-on-3 deeper in the zone and will be losing the puck soon and creating defensive situations.

• Provide drills that will help forwards move the puck out of the defensive zone when they receive a pass from the defense. Wings particularly need to learn to get the puck out of the zone and relieve defensive pressure.

• Insist that forwards fill in for D’s when they rush the puck.

• Praise forwards for good defensive work, not just goal scoring and points.

• Make certain that all three forwards don’t forecheck or attack deeply in the offensive zone all at once. The risk in the defensive zone goes up as the aggressiveness deep in the offensive zone goes up.

To have good TEAM defense, coaches need to teach the concept to all players, then exercise in practices and monitor it in games. Passive goaltenders, risky defensemen, or lazy forwards make the other team’s offensive job easier. Offense will take care of itself if good TEAM defense is a priority.

Next week: Part 5 (final) of the puckhandling series.

John Russo, Ph.D., is founder and director of the Upper Midwest High School Elite League. He was a captain at the University of Wisconsin, and his Coaches’ Corner columns have appeared in LPH since 1986.