28Sep 2009 by Jeremy Weiss 4 Comments
Inside Mohawk

Inside Mohawk

Hockey Drills, Individual Skill Drills, Individual Skills, Skating, Skating & Agility
The inside mohawk is a very versatile power skating maneuver. Here are a few simple drills to work on it. The Mohawk can be used while shooting, deking, pivoting, slipping checks... the options are limitless. Players who become proficient with the mohawk will find themselves performing it instinctively in games. Here's the diagram and explanations for the Mohawk Square Drill. Click Here for the Snake Drill mentioned in the video. Mohawk Square 1. Players start on the boards, about half way between the two cones 2. On the whistle, players skate around the square, executing a mohawk around each cone 3. After a few times through, go the other direction Note: Once the players can execute the move well, put a puck on their sticks and have them do a…
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27Aug 2009 by Jeremy Weiss 4 Comments
Perpetual Backcheck Drill

Perpetual Backcheck Drill

Conditioning, Hockey Drills, Individual Skill Drills
Perpetual Backcheck Drill The Perpetual Backcheck Drill is a great competition drill to keep players motivated and having fun while working on their conditioning. I use this one quite often with my own teams. Here's the diagram: Perpetual Backcheck Drill 1. First player in each line leaves and receives a pass from the coach. 2. Each player skates full speed down the ice and takes a shot. 3. Next player in line can't leave until the shot has been taken. 4. After the shot, the shooter will peel off and backcheck the next player in line. 5. Drill continues perpetually. Enjoy!   USE THIS DRILL IN YOUR OWN PRACTICE PLAN:
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14Aug 2009 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments

Level 5 Clinic – Day 3

Coaches' Corner, Philosophy
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 -…
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13Aug 2009 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments

What I learned Today…

Coaches' Corner, Philosophy
Hey guys - sorry for such a long gap between posts! I've been really busy this summer running hockey camps, going to family reunions, and a bunch of other stuff... Anyways, right now I'm at the Level 5 Coaching Clinic in St. Paul, Minnesota. So far it's been a pretty good event - we've heard from a bunch of cool speakers. But the most interesting thing I heard today as about COGNITIVE PERFORMANCE ENHANCEMENT... or in other words BRAIN TRAINING. There is a company called Applied Cognitive Engineering that has developed a product called IntelliGym that consists of a complex series algorithms that can be implemented into a video game that will train your brain to react quicker to the recurring patterns in athletics. They have already developed it for…
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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…
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