22Apr 2015 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments
Defensive Tactic: Hanging a Forechecker on the Net

Defensive Tactic: Hanging a Forechecker on the Net

Defensive Tactics, Defensive Zone, Team Skills, Team Systems
Hanging a Forechecker on the Net While Initiating a Breakout Initiating a breakout is one of those situations that happens multiple times every singe game. It's important to "arm" our defensemen with the tools they'll need to be successful in these recurring patterns. One such tool is the tactic of hanging the forechecker up on the net, as shown in the clip above. This tactic involves two steps: "Baiting" the forechecker into thinking he's got a chance at catching you Cutting tight behind the net, at an angle that makes it so he can't stay with you When used properly, this will open up time and space, and make the other team have to make decisions––which is what we're all about. As the defenseman skated up ice, other players will…
Read More
17Apr 2015 by Jeremy Weiss 3 Comments
ADM: What is Our Objective?

ADM: What is Our Objective?

Coaches' Corner, Philosophy
ADM: What is Our Objective? I have been thinking about this series of posts for almost four years now. The reason it has taken me this long to write it, is that I wanted to be sure I understood my own position, and that I could properly articulate why I felt the way I did. I also wanted to see if my intuition turned out to be right, or if I’d be proven wrong over a few years. This will be the first in a series of articles about the ADM program. If you’re not familiar with ADM, it stands for American Development Model. In USA Hockey’s own words: “The ADM is USA Hockey’s nationwide player-development program for youth hockey associations. It’s based on age-appropriate, age-specific competition and training for boys and…
Read More
16Mar 2015 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments
Pressure v. Contain 1 on 1

Pressure v. Contain 1 on 1

1 on 1's, 2 on 2's, 2 on 1's, 3 on 2's, Checking & Angling, Defensive Zone, Team Skill Drills
Pressure v. Contain 1 on 1 Good drill from the PIJE drill collection over at DrillDraw Pressure v. Contain 1 on 1: 1. Form groups of two around the rink. 2. In each group, there is one forward (carrier) and one defense (forechecker). 3. The forechecker tries to prevent the carrier to move toward the center: A) the forward does not have control of the puck (pressure situation), then, B) the carrier has full control of the puck (contain situation). 4. Reverse the roles for each sequence. USE THIS DRILL IN YOUR OWN PRACTICE PLAN:
Read More
03Mar 2015 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments
1 on 1 Strategy

1 on 1 Strategy

Defensive Tactics, Team Skills
Strategy and Tactics for Playing a 1 on 1 Properly Last week, I showed a clip from the World Junior Hockey Championships, which demonstrated a Well-Executed 1 on 1. In that post, I also made the following statement: Excellent defensive play is more about making the right pass, shot selection, managing gap, body positioning, controlling the front of the net, reading forechecking pressure, etc. These are all mental skills, and these are the skills that make for a great defenseman! In this video I show the X's and O's behind 1 on 1 strategy, and highlight a few errors that are commonly made among young defensemen (and older ones too!). Here are the main key points discussed in the video: Defenseman should quickly put some distance between him/herself and the…
Read More
23Feb 2015 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments
Key Points for a Well-Executed 1 on 1

Key Points for a Well-Executed 1 on 1

Defensive Tactics, Defensive Zone, Team Skills, Team Systems
How to Play a 1 on 1 Properly My dad used to say you don't have to be a great player to be a great defenseman. What he meant by that is that you don't have to be the fastest, the most technically sound, and you don't have to have the hardest shot. Being an excellent defenseman means being a SMART player. Excellent defensive play is more about making the right pass, shot selection, managing gap, body positioning, controlling the front of the net, reading forechecking pressure, etc. These are all mental skills, and these are the skills that make for a great defenseman! In this video, we see a well-executed 1 on 1 by a Russian defenseman. The key points shown in this example are as follows: Properly managed…
Read More