29Nov 2012 by Jeremy Weiss 4 Comments

6 Ways to Make your Hockey Practices More Effective

Coaches' Corner, Philosophy, Useful Products
The Ice “Crisis:” It’s no secret that there’s a shortage of ice in a lot of hockey towns. Different organizations have tried to address this problem in different ways… with some outcomes working out better than others. Many organizations run half-ice practices, with two teams sharing the ice. Other programs are running “station practices,” with 50-60 players rotating through various stations. Some programs are still using the “old-fashioned” method of full-ice practices, with one team on the ice at a time. I believe most organizations are using some combination of the scheduling methods above. The purpose of this article isn’t to critique the various “ice accommodation strategies” that have been tried over the years, nor is it to attempt to solve the world’s ice scheduling issues (although that might be…
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31Aug 2011 by Jeremy Weiss 2 Comments

Breakouts: Open up Passing Options by Crossing Through Lanes

Coaches' Corner, Defensive Zone, Neutral Zone, Offensive Zone, Philosophy, Team Systems
Open up Passing Options by Crossing Through Lanes When I was a kid, my first coach (NOT MY DAD) took me a side one day, and drew two lines down the middle of a rink diagram. He then taught me that "the right winger stays on the right side, the left winger stays on the left side, and that the centerman mostly stays in the middle, but can help out if a winger needs him..." HOW FAR THE GAME HAS COME SINCE THEN!!! Today's hockey is much more dynamic, with players interchanging positions constantly––especially in the offensive zone. I like this more "European" style of play, and I think it is much more effective at opening up passing options and scoring chances. My general philosophy is to let structured, positional…
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26Aug 2011 by Jeremy Weiss 6 Comments

Philosophy: When to Start Teaching Hockey Systems?

Coaches' Corner, Philosophy, Team Systems
How early can youngsters be taught to play "systems hockey"? Many people have varying opinions on the correct answer to this question... and, as is often the case with philosophical hockey questions, there is more than one correct answer. The answer depends on the physical skills of your players, the mental maturity of your players, and the manner in which the systems are taught and implemented. In this video, I discuss my own personal opinions on the matter, and why I believe what I believe. When I was 8 years old, my dad had this idea of taking the top-caliber kids from around the city, and keeping essentially the same kids together for 5 years. The end goal of his vision was to win an Ontario Championship at the "AAA"…
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26Aug 2011 by Jeremy Weiss 13 Comments

Philosophy: Utilizing the Hockey Development Pyramid

Coaches' Corner, Individual Skills, Philosophy, Team Skills, Team Strategy, Team Systems
The Hockey Development Pyramid is a great tool to help design your season's "Road Map" Before the season begins, it's a good idea to take inventory of your team's strengths and weaknesses. I use the Hockey Development Pyramid as a tool to help gather my thoughts, and determine what areas of play should be focused on over the course of the season. Skills within various tiers of the pyramid can be developed simultaneously (i.e. puckhandling and passing can be developed during a breakout drill). However, it is EXTREMELY important to build from the bottom up, not from the top down. Players who have not developed a solid foundation of Individual and Team Skills will never be as effective at performing the higher-level skills such as Team Systems and Strategy. ENJOY!
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