Ice Hockey Drills Now over 280 animated hockey drills!

The retriever defense drill reminds me of throwing the ball for my dog.  A little bit more skill is required here though.  This is a great hockey drill to work on if you have some open ice or at a stick and puck session.  It is a great skill for defense to master especially as they get older and play at higher levels.  To start the drill have a coach or another player with the puck just outside the blue line in the middle of the ice.  The player should start at about the top of the circle in line with the face off dots.

This hockey drill is the first in a series of similar hockey drills.  The players need to line up in one end of the ice as shown in the diagram.  For this series the pucks are all in one corner with the defense.  To start the drill the defense carries a puck around the net and makes a breakout pass to F1.  The defense needs to stay inside the dots and make themselves available for a return pass from F1.  F1 passes back to D1 and then sprints up ice.  F1 receives the puck from F1 and then makes a pass to F2.

This is a 1 on 1 drill in which forwards will work on retrieving and controlling the puck when it is rung around the boards.  Set up with all the defense in the middle except for the player who is ready to go, that player starts along the boards at center ice.  There should be two lines of forwards at each face off dot with pucks.  On the whistle one of the forwards steps out with a puck and rings it around the boards to the other forward. Alternate sides on each repetition.

This drill requires defense to focus on fundamentals of skating, passing, and timing.  It is a drill that simulates a couple of situations that happen numerous times throughout a game and it is designed for more advnaced players..  The first situation is the turnover and counter attack at the blue line, the second is a turnover in the neutral zone followed by a dump in and then a breakout.

This breakout timing drill incorporates two forwards.  Again the timing for the forwards is critical.  The forwards need to time their release so they are receiving flat passes.  When forwards get too far ahead then they have to receive vertical passes which get dangerous and inconsistent.  In this drill especially, the centers tend to get up ice too quick which leaves him vulnerable when receiving a verticle pass from the wing.  Once the play is finished, the defense receive

In this timing drill, two defense players are invloved with a simple pass off the boards.  The player that receives the pass needs to handle it quickly and make a pass to either the center or winger.  The center and winger need to time their swings so that they are both available for a flat pass from the defense.  The forwards continue down the ice 2 on 0 and they can perform a number of drills as they enter the offensive zone.  Once the defense make the pass they go out to the bl

This is a good drill for warm ups on a day where you plan on working on breakouts.  It allows defense to work on their passes and their pivots.  The forwards are able to work on their timing creating a flat pass as the defense carry the puck around the net.

To start, get all defense in the corner with a group of pucks.  There should also be a line for LW, C, and RW.  Also place a bunch of pucks behind the net.  To start, D1 skates behind the net, picks up a puck and makes a breakout pass to RW.  The Center times their loop so they are available for a pass from the RW.  The RW makes a quick pass to C and then breaks to receive a pass back from the Center.  The Center and D1 then regroup.

This drill is an extension of the previous ice hockey drill. Now, there is a second chip off the boards to another forward providing support in the neutral zone. The forward that chips the puck off the boards then drives hard to the far post and looks from a pass from the forward who he just chipped the puck to.

On the first whistle, D1 carries the puck around the net and makies a breakout pass to F1. BK starts on their knees at the inside hash marks and waits for the second whistle.  On the second whistle, BK backchecks against F1.When F1 receives the breakout pass from D1 they make another pass to D2 at center ice.  BK has to try and make the return pass back to F1 as dificcult as possible. If F1 is able to get the return pass from D2 then they can go in and take a shot. 

This drill is a variation of the previous drill, the Ring Around 1 on 1.  F1 starts the play by passing to D2.  D2 makes a pass to D1 and D1 takes a shot on net from the blue line.  After F1 makes the pass, they ring the puck around the boards to F2.This time, F1 joins the play and receives the pass off the boards from F2.   F1 and F2 then attack D1 in a 2 on 1 full ice situation.