Perpetual Breakout Drill Mimics Passing Patterns Often Encountered in Games
The Perpetual Breakout is a great drill to develop hockey breakout abilities in a high-tempo, flow and timing setting. Here’s what the drill looks like:
Perpetual Breakout Explanation:
1. “Ghost man” passers start the drill by shooting then picking up a puck behind the net to initiate the breakout
2. Low forward simulates winger, and swings in to pick up board-side breakout pass
3. High forward swings through and acts as the centerman providing middle support
4. winger one-touches to center, who attacks and shoots, then initiates breakout in far zone
5. winger moves to middle line.
NOTE: winger can swing from top down, or from bottom up, depending on your team’s breakout set up.
A few Defensive Zone Faceoff options that have worked well for me in the past
I like to have VERY structured positioning and responsibilities in my defensive zone play––including faceoffs!! This particular set-up will leave you in great position for a breakout if we win the draw, and great position for defensive zone coverage if we lose the draw. Either way we are covered!
This set-up also allows for a few “more aggressive” options that I like to use every now and then to catch the other team off guard.
I’ve always been a fan of the “T” PK Forecheck. If done correctly, it is very effective at stopping the other team’s breakout, and causes a lot of turnovers in the neutral zone.
Over the years, I’ve developed a slightly “beefed up” version of the “T” Forecheck, that is more aggressive, and just as safe (if not, safer!). In this video, I show you both versions. As you’ll see in the video, the second version can actually cause a lot of offensive-zone turnovers and odd-man rushes… ON YOUR PK!!
There are quite a few different power play breakouts. Rather than try to cover them all, I thought I’d just post my favorite. I like this one because it is very versatile, and can beat most penalty kill forechecks if the players read and react effectively.
This is another instance where I like to have designated responsibilities so that we always have the proper-handed-shot in the correct position.
Lastly, I forgot to mention in the video, but SOMETIMES there is an opening straight up the middle to the “breakaway man.” If the far forward notices this, he can cut across the blue line early and sync up with the quarterback behind the net. The QB can step out to the RIGHT side in this example, and fire a hard pass up the middle to that far forward. You can usually get away with this once or twice a game before the other team takes it away.
As we discussed in our video on Hockey Systems for Youngsters, structured systems CAN be taught to young hockey players, and a color-coded breakout system is one way of doing this.
Young hockey players are often more advanced physically than mentally. Because of this, players at higher levels of play can typically execute the basic patterns of a breakout (i.e. skate the puck behind the net and pass to a winger on the boards) long before they can read which option to select in a given situation.
Color-coding a breakout system allows the “read” portion of “read and react” to be passed along to the coach, who can call the plays from the bench using the color code. Well-trained players will hear the call, and react accordingly.
As players get older, they are taught to read the plays for themselves.
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1. “Ghost man” passers start the drill by shooting then picking up a puck behind the net to initiate the breakout
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