Two variations of the “T” Penalty Kill Forecheck

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!!

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: Breakout, Forecheck, Neutral Zone, Odd Man, Offensive Zone, Turnovers, Variations

Start the game with a BANG using the 2-3 Press!

The 2-3 Press is a really fun forecheck if you have the right group of players for it. If you have a fast, hard-hitting team, you can use this forecheck to strike fear into the hearts of the other team, and make it so they’re constantly looking over their shoulder for the rest of the game!

I like to use this forecheck for brief “spurts” during a game because it is very high-tempo, and uses a lot of energy. So give it a try for each line’s first shift in the game, or maybe the first shift of each period. This will help get your team off to a fast start, and should give you some momentum in the process.

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: Fear, Forecheck, Fun, Game, Hearts, Momentum, Spurts, Tempo

Use the 1-2-2 “Foosball” Forecheck to trap your opponent in his zone

The 1-2-2 “Foosball” Forecheck is a great forecheck to add to your hockey systems repertoire. When executed correctly, it is effective at all levels of play, from youth all the way up through Junior and College level hockey.

The key to making this forechecking system work is to have everybody know, understand, and execute their roles properly. When this happens, the 1-2-2 “Foosball” Forecheck works similarly to a neutral zone trap – except that it happens in the offensive zone!

CLICK HERE to check out our “FAQ” on the 1-2-2 “Foosball” Forecheck (expanded discussion).

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: coaching hockey, Foosball, Forecheck, Hockey Forecheck, Hockey Systems, Level Hockey, Neutral Zone Trap, Offensive Zone, Opponent, Youth Hockey

Two simple variations of a 2-1-2 forecheck

The 2-1-2 forecheck is generally one of the first set-ups young players learn. It is simple to understand, and can be taught at very young age groups. In this video we outline two possible variations of the 2-1-2 that you can choose from based on the other team’s strengths and weaknesses.

The 2-1-2 Stack puts extreme pressure on the puck-carrying defenseman, and makes it virtually impossible to break out up the strong side of the ice. The Spread is used to combat the D to D pass behind the net. In either set-up, our F3 and our two Defensemen need to anticipate and get to the proper position quickly!

Enjoy!

Technorati Tags: Age Groups, Defenseman, Defensemen, Extreme Pressure, F3, Forecheck, Proper Position, Puck, Set Ups, Stack, Strengths And Weaknesses, Strong Side, Ups, Variations

Just a quick report on today’s sessions…

Interesting day today at the Level 5 Clinic here in Minnesota. We heard from a bunch of pretty good hockey guys including Todd Richards (head coach of the Wild), Mike Sullivan (assistant coach of the Lightning), Mark Johnson (member of 1980 “Miracle” team and Head Coach of Wisconsin’s women’s team), Bryan Trottier (NHL Hall of Famer), and a panel of players from the 1980 American Miracle team.

One of the things I found interesting was Mike Sullivan’s take on defensive hockey (playing when the other team has the puck). He likes a very aggressive style when his team doesn’t have the puck, and showed us a few examples of his 1-2-2 forecheck that looked almost identical to our 1-2-2 Fooseball Forecheck. So – apparently it works in the NHL too

THEN – he showed an example of his neutral zone attack… and guess what? it was just a neutral zone version of the 1-2-2 fooseball! First man pressured outside in, second two took away the outlet passes.

Anyways – the main key that made this forecheck so effective in the clips was that the F1 was EXTREMELY aggressive, and F2 and F3 were REALLY fast to seal off the passing lanes.

So – that’s my report for today. Until next time!

Technorati Tags: Aggressive Style, Assistant Coach, Bryan Trottier, F1, First Man, Forecheck, Hall Of Famer, Head Coach, Level 3, Lightning, Main Key, Mike Sullivan, Miracle Team, Neutral Zone, Nhl Hall Of Famer, Puck, Sessions, Todd Richards