31Jan 2026 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments
Stop the “Chip & Chase” Forecheck (The Aggressive 1-2-2)

Stop the “Chip & Chase” Forecheck (The Aggressive 1-2-2)

Offensive Zone, Team Systems
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zHvqeFA9-WE If you are an aggressive team, the "Chip & Chase" is your worst enemy. We’ve all been there: You want to pinch your Defensemen to keep the pressure on. But the moment you pinch, the other team chips the puck past your D, wins the footrace, and suddenly the game turns into a track meet. It wears down your Defensemen and forces you to play "reactionary" hockey. Most coaches think the answer is to retreat into a passive Neutral Zone Trap. They are wrong. You don’t need to stop being aggressive. You just need to change where you apply the pressure. In this post, I’m breaking down the "Aggressive" 1-2-2 Forecheck and the simple adjustment that kills the chip & chase forever. The Mistake: The "Red Line" Wait In…
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25Jul 2017 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments
2-1-2 Stack: In Action

2-1-2 Stack: In Action

Offensive Zone, Team Systems
How to Execute a Proper 2-1-2 Stack Forecheck In the past we've talked quite a bit about the 2-1-2 forecheck. There are various ways of performing it, but the two main ones we tend to see are the "spread" and the "stack." 2-1-2 "Stack" Explained Executing the 2-1-2 stack is quite simple, and can be broken down into 3 key steps: F1 hits and pins F2 picks up the puck F3 reads and reacts, providing mid-depth support See our chalk-talk video on the 2-1-2 Forecheck here: 2-1-2 Stack & Spread Explanation 2-1-2 "Stack" Details The key to an effective 2-1-2 "Stack" is for F1 (the first forward on the attack) come in aggressive. If F1 is lazy getting in, the play won't work. F2 must also get in hard to…
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15Feb 2014 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments
Attack Triangle in Action

Attack Triangle in Action

Coaches' Corner, Offensive Zone, Philosophy, Team Systems
https://player.vimeo.com/video/87249384 Attack Triangle in Action Team USA is playing some great hockey right now in the 2014 Winter Olympics. A lot of their systems look just like the stuff we've laid out in the Coaches' Training Course, especially their offensive attack structure. In this play you see a textbook Attack Triangle, with F1 driving wide, and pulling the opposing defenseman deep; F2 driving wide to the far post, pulling his defenseman deep, and F3 filling in the vacated space in the high slot. From there, it's a drop pass, and a one-time snipe. Beautiful setup, beautiful goal! Enjoy!
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23May 2013 by Jeremy Weiss No Comments
Pavel Datsyuk End-to-End Goal: Dissected

Pavel Datsyuk End-to-End Goal: Dissected

Coaches' Corner, Defensive Zone, Neutral Zone, Offensive Zone, Philosophy, Team Systems
Pavel Datsyuk End-to-End Goal: Dissected In this post we're dissecting Pavel Datsyuk's end-to-end goal against Nashville. As great as the individual effort was, there are quite a few team details that really made this play possible. It starts with Datsyuk providing proper support for his defenseman in the defensive zone. He picks up the puck and initiates the breakout to the right winger. After making the breakout pass, he follows up the play, providing mid-lane support on the breakout. As the breakout is happening, the weak-side winger blows out of the zone, pushing the opposing defenseman back, which opens up space for Datsyuk to wheel. The play finishes with the opposing defenseman reaching for the puck, and Datsyuk eats him alive. Great individual effort, made possible by well-structured positional play.…
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09Apr 2013 by Jeremy Weiss 1 Comment
Neutral Zone Trap Clarified

Neutral Zone Trap Clarified

Offensive Zone, Team Systems
Neutral Zone Trap Clarified Seems like I'm doing a lot of Q&A work these days! There have been quite a few questions on the Neutral Zone Trap I diagrammed up a few years ago. So I decided to make a quick clarification video to resolve some of these questions. Before we jump straight in, let me just state again that there are many ways of structuring systems. Sometimes these differences are adjustments to what the other team is doing, sometimes they're just the coach's personal preference. Either way, use this info if it makes sense for your situation. If not, don't use it! Here are a few key points to remember: Neutral Zone Trap 1. The trap is a CONCEPT: make it look like the board-side breakout is open, then…
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