09Feb 2015 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments
Czech Race

Czech Race

1 on 1's, 2 on 2's, 2 on 1's, 3 on 2's, Checking & Angling, Hockey Drills, Individual Skill Drills, Skating & Agility, Team Skill Drills
Czech Race is an Intense, Sprint Race This one is a great, full-speed sprint race. Lots of intensity, and good opportunity for some physical contact. Czech Race: 1. Players line up on red lines 2. On the whistle, two players across from each other race to the puck 3. The player who gets to the puck first shoots, other player backchecks 4. On the next whistle the other two players go the other way USE THIS DRILL IN YOUR OWN PRACTICE PLAN:
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19Jan 2015 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments
Bednar Escape Race

Bednar Escape Race

1 on 1's, 2 on 2's, 2 on 1's, 3 on 2's, Hockey Drills, Individual Skill Drills, Team Skill Drills
Here's a Fun Competition Drill that can be Run Half-Ice I picked this one up from by good friend Jan Bednar, out in Slovakia. This one is great for full-speed agility skating, and works power turns and pivots, forward and backward. Bednar Escape Race: 1. On whistle, first player from each corner leaves and skates the route shown 2. Full power turns around each cone, pivot backwards around the bottom quarter of the circle 3. Race to the puck, player who gets there first shoots, other player backchecks USE THIS DRILL IN YOUR OWN PRACTICE PLAN:
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12Jan 2015 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments
Head on a Swivel!

Head on a Swivel!

Defensive Tactics, Defensive Zone, Team Skills, Team Systems
Head on a Swivel! I love watching the World Junior Championships each year. It's a chance to see a bunch of talented, young, "up-and-comers" playing some high-quality hockey, in a fun and exciting atmosphere. The nature of the games, and of the tournament in general, lends itself to a great study of the game. The players are smaller than in the NHL, there's a bigger gap between the top and bottom teams, and the games are more of a finesse style of play. Which means, lots of scoring, especially in the early rounds, and lots of well-executed systems play. Even at the highest levels of play, you still see mistakes made. And games are won and lost based in the DETAILS. In this video, we see what happens when a…
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29Dec 2014 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments
Michigan Mile – Hockey Conditioning Drill

Michigan Mile – Hockey Conditioning Drill

Conditioning, Hockey Drills, Individual Skill Drills
This Hockey Conditioning Drill Give a Perfect 3:1 Rest-to-Work Ratio The Michigan Mile is one of my favorite Hockey Conditioning Drills. I picked it up from my old assistant coach, Josh Burkart, who grew up in Michigan. I love it because it's short, explosive bursts of speed, and can be done in a variety of ways. It also offers an optimal 3:1 rest-to-work ratio, which is perfect for hockey players. Here's the diagram and explanation: Michigan Mile: Four groups, on blues, facing each other. As soon as group 1 finishes, group 2 goes. Then 3, then 4, then back to 1. 1. red line and back - 5 push-ups 2. far blue line and back - 5 push-ups 3. red, back, far blue, back - 5 push-ups 4. far blue,…
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15Dec 2014 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments
Cross-Ice vs Full-Ice for Mites

Cross-Ice vs Full-Ice for Mites

Coaches' Corner, Philosophy
What is Better for Mite Development, Cross-Ice or Full-Ice Gameplay? There's a hot debate going on in many parts of North America right now, and that is whether Mites are better off playing cross-ice or full-ice during games. This debate has grown largely out of USA Hockey's ADM recommendation of cross-ice games until Squirt. I grew up in the "full-ice world," but I've been living in the "cross-ice world" for the past 3 years with my own kids. Folks in my local organization have asked my opinion on this a number of times, and I've also received a few emails asking my opinion. Here's an example from one of our coaches in Chicago: I'm writing to get your take on the cross-ice, USA Hockey model vs the full-ice model for…
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