29Nov 2012 by Jeremy Weiss 4 Comments

6 Ways to Make your Hockey Practices More Effective

Coaches' Corner, Philosophy, Useful Products
The Ice “Crisis:” It’s no secret that there’s a shortage of ice in a lot of hockey towns. Different organizations have tried to address this problem in different ways… with some outcomes working out better than others. Many organizations run half-ice practices, with two teams sharing the ice. Other programs are running “station practices,” with 50-60 players rotating through various stations. Some programs are still using the “old-fashioned” method of full-ice practices, with one team on the ice at a time. I believe most organizations are using some combination of the scheduling methods above. The purpose of this article isn’t to critique the various “ice accommodation strategies” that have been tried over the years, nor is it to attempt to solve the world’s ice scheduling issues (although that might be…
Read More
27May 2009 by Jeremy Weiss 1 Comment
4 on 4 and PK Forecheck

4 on 4 and PK Forecheck

Offensive Zone, Special Teams, Team Systems
Penalty kill forecheck and 4 on 4 philosophies On a 4 on 4, the philosophy is simple: treat it like a power play when you have the puck, or when the puck is loose; treat it like a penalty kill when the other team has it. Forecheck: I recommend using your standard penalty kill forecheck when playing a 4 on 4. See the section on the Modified “T” Forecheck for the full explanation. Defensive Zone Coverage: Again, I recommend using your standard penalty kill coverage when playing a 4 on 4. Pick whichever one suits your team’s strengths and weaknesses. Offensive Set-up: Run a modified version of your current power play set-up. A four-man overload is very doable (think about getting the weak-side defenseman to slide down into the slot…
Read More