06Aug 2024 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments
Master the 2v2 Continuous Backcheck Drill: Step-by-Step Guide

Master the 2v2 Continuous Backcheck Drill: Step-by-Step Guide

1 on 1's, 2 on 2's, 2 on 1's, 3 on 2's, Backchecking, Hockey Drills, Team Skill Drills, Team Skills
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GQl4oILv5Q4 Video walkthrough of the 2v2 Continuous Backcheck Drill Put this high intensity backchecking drill to work for your hockey players! Here's the diagram and explanation: Diagram of the 2v2 Continuous Backcheck Drill 2v0 from the blue line (just to start the drill) Coach passes to either attacker As soon as the shot is taken two players from the opposite blue line attack, with the original shooters backchecking Coach passes to either attacker Drill repeats USE THIS DRILL IN YOUR OWN PRACTICE PLAN: PDF: 2v2 Continuous Backcheck Drill
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25Jul 2017 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments
Backchecking Tactic: In Action

Backchecking Tactic: In Action

Neutral Zone, Neutral Zone Tactics, Team Skills, Team Systems
Perfect Backcheck and Angling in Action This is a quick clip that shows a perfect backcheck with excellent angling, executed by Team Canada's Jeff Carter in the 2014 Winter Olympics. In the clip we see a principle I teach my kids even as young as U6 and U8; that is the tactic of "Stick on Stick, Shoulder on Shoulder." Thinking about backchecking in these terms helps kids comprehend taking away the skating lane. Combine this tactic with our 5-Card approach to backchecking, and it'll be much more difficult for the opponent to create offensive opportunities. Here's a link to our 5-Card Backchecking video Enjoy!
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28Dec 2016 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments
Teaching Defense to 7-Year-Olds

Teaching Defense to 7-Year-Olds

1 on 1's, 2 on 2's, 2 on 1's, 3 on 2's, Defensive Tactics, Hockey Drills, Individual Skills, Skating, Team Skill Drills, Team Skills, Team Strategy
Teaching Defense to 7-Year-Olds I recently received an email asking about 1 on 1 strategy for 7-year-old defensemen. The coach asked whether he should be teaching the players to play it skating backward (even though they don't skate well backward yet), or starting forward then pivoting backward, or something else altogether. I thought it was a great topic for discussion, and one I'm currently dealing with as well, since I'm working with the same age group on my son's team. So... as I always say, here's my two cents worth: Angle First, then Build to Backwards Most 7-year-olds aren't capable of skating backwards well enough to play a proper 1 on 1. But there are still 1 on 1s in games. So what do you do? Here's my strategy: Put…
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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…
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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…
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