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Passing Drills

Overspeed Quick Pass
Ice Hockey Drills, Neutral Zone Drills, Overspeed, Passing Drills

This seems like a simple drill but it is tougher than it looks.  It is an overspeed drill so players have to move their feet the entire time.  P1 and P2 start at the same time.  P1 carries the puck along the blue line and around the far neutral zone face off dot.  P2 skates up along the boards and through center ice along the red line and then turns up ice to take up the far lane.  P1 makes the pass to P2 just as they turn up ice.  The timing should work out so that P2 is receiving the pass just as they cross the blue line.

Round A Round
Ice Hockey Drills, Passing Drills, Warm Up Drills

This is a good flow warm up drill with some quick passes and a long shot on net. This can be run on both sides of the ice as long as opposite corners go at the same time.  Place four lines at the blue lines along the boards each with a pile of pucks.  P1 starts by stepping out along the blue line and receiveing a pass from P2 in the other line.  P1 receives that pass and makes a quick pass right back to P2.  When P2 receives the pass they step out along the blue line to create a better passing angle to P1 as they swing up along the boards.

Continuous Triple Transition
Ice Hockey Drills, Neutral Zone Drills, Passing Drills, Transition Drills

It is very important for forwards to have good timing in this drill.  Timing is very important in the neutral zone and so many young players get too far ahead of the play, making the defense's job much tougher.  In this drill both forwards present themselves as outlets for the defense and they are in a position where the defense can give them a horizantal pass.

Power Turn Passing
Ice Hockey Drills, Passing Drills, Warm Up Drills

This drill is a quick warm up that gets the players blood flowing and allows them to get a feel for the puck.  Have players get into groups of 3.  Two players should be place about even with the face off dots, the third player will start with the puck next to either one of the other players as shown on the diagram. On the whistle, P3 skates towards P1 with the puck and makes a pass to P1.  P1 makes a one-time pass back to P3 and P3 then makes a power turn around P1 and skates back towards P2 to do the same thing.

Tire Swing Drill
Half Ice Drills, Ice Hockey Drills, Passing Drills, Warm Up Drills

This drill is a good drill the works on skating, puck control, passing, and ends with a 2 on 0.  Set up the players in four lines along the boards at the blue line. Two coaches have pucks on each side at center ice.  On the Whistle P1 and P2 skate along the blue line and criss cross. P2 pivots and opens up to receive a pass across the ice from the coach.  P2 receives the pass and skates around the tire throught the slot and gives a drop pass to P1.  P2 continues to drive to the post for a pass from P1 or a rebound.

Center Flow Breakout Drill
Breakout Drills, Ice Hockey Drills, Passing Drills

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.

Quick 2 Pass Drill
Ice Hockey Drills, Passing Drills, Power Play Drills

The goal of this drill is for your players to work on quick puck movement in the umbrella power play formation.  The first pass comes from the coach or another player out of the corner (this pass can go to any player).  There are two quick passes before the shot is taken.  The the goal is for each touch to be a one touch pass or shot.

Swedish Shooting Drill
Defense Drills, Half Ice Drills, Ice Hockey Drills, Passing Drills, Shooting Drills

This ice hockey drill is great for defensemen to work on their shots, passing, and pivoting. Each player will get three shots. To start, the defensemen receives a puck from the corner and gains the center of the ice as quickly as possible and shoots from the top of the slot. The player continues around the cones always facing the net. This forces them to pivot and receive the next pass going backwards. When they receive the next pass the player repeats as in the first rep.

Defensive Figure Eights
Defense Drills, Ice Hockey Drills, Passing Drills

This drill emphasises defensmen's footwork and passing abilities. This can be thought of as a situational drill for the neutral zone transition. As the defensmen receives the pass, they need to turn up ice with their head up ready to pass to an open player. On occasion they can turn the puck up with enough speed to keep the puck and generate their own rush into the offensive zone.

Backwards Circle Passing
Defense Drills, Ice Hockey Drills, Passing Drills

This drill is an advanced drill for defensemen.  For the first twenty seconds the defense circle in opposite directions, one goes clock-wise, and the other goes counter-clock-wise.

Neutral Zone Give & Go
Defense Drills, Ice Hockey Drills, Neutral Zone Drills, Passing Drills

This drill is primarily for defensive players.  The player is always facing forward and is to keep their feet moving as much as possible.  The player begins without the puck and quickly receives a pass from the next player in line.  After receiving the pass, they pivot around the cone and give the coach at center ice a pass.  They then skate forward to the red line and pivot to a backwards skate and gets in good position to receive a pass back from the coach.  Once they recei

Up-Back Give & Gos
Defense Drills, Ice Hockey Drills, Passing Drills, Skating Drills

This drill focuses on footwork, puck control, and passing.  D1 starts the drill by passing to D2 and skating through the cones.  As D1 skates through the cones they have to always face D2.  D2 side steps their way down the blue line and performs as many give and go passes with D1 as possible.  After the last cone, D1 passes to D2, gets the puck back and goes in for a shot on net.  the two players then go to the opposite lines.

D-Race
Defense Drills, Ice Hockey Drills, Neutral Zone Drills, Passing Drills

This drill is good to help defense work on their puck control in neutral zone situations.  Players need to work on moving their feet, keeping thier head up, and making accurate passes. As players get better you can add passes so that they are required to make twice as many passes.  It is also fun to start timing players and compete for the fastest time. 

Escape, Pass, Follow
Defense Drills, Ice Hockey Drills, Neutral Zone Drills, Passing Drills, Transition Drills

This drill is animated and diagramed showing it run from one side, however, to keep the animation and diagram legible it has been shown from just one side.  D1 starts the drill by skating backwards and receiving a pass from F1.  F1 then swings across the ice as though they were filling in the far lane.  D1 practices an escape move, and once they are moving forward with their head up, they make  a pass cross ice to F1.  F1 carries the puck into the zone and takes a long shot.&

Wing, Defense Give & Go
Ice Hockey Drills, Passing Drills, Transition Drills, Warm Up Drills

This is a warm up drill that helps defense receive and make passes in transition.  Forwards work on opening up and receiving passes from the defense in the neutral zone.  The drill starts when D1 skates up to the red line and transition backwards to receive a pass from D2.  D1 then transitions forward and makes a give and go with F1.  After F1 makes the return pass to D1, F1 swings through the middle and receives a pass from F2.  The same process then repeats from the other s

Center Ice Figure Eight One Touches
Ice Hockey Drills, Overspeed, Passing Drills

This is a drill for more advanced players.  The goal is to work on footwork and one touch passing.  Set up four lines at each neutral zone face off dot.  One player starts at center ice with a puck.  The player starts by passing the puck to one of the four lines.  The player then skates in a figure eight around the two cones placed just outside the face off circle.  The player can choose to go in any direction but they must complete one figure eight before moving in for

Cyclone Drill
Ice Hockey Drills, Overspeed, Passing Drills
Double Chip Off Boards
Breakout Drills, Ice Hockey Drills, Passing Drills

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.

2 on 0 Escape
Forward Drills, Half Ice Drills, Ice Hockey Drills, Passing Drills

This ice hockey drill works on some important fundamentals for forwards.  The first objective is to catch a pass in stride and attack the blue line with speed.  In this drill the coach can pass to either player so the players need to react to where the coach passes the puck.  The player that receives the pass attacks the blue line and does an escape move just inside the blue line.  The other player drives hard to the far post with their stick on the ice expecting a pass.  The

2 - 0 Drive
2 on 0, Ice Hockey Drills, Overspeed, Passing Drills

This drill needs to be done at a high tempo.  Both players start at the smae time and skate around the cones.  The coach chooses which  player to pass to.  The player that receives the puck gains the blue line and looks to fire a pass to the other player who is driving to the net.  The player that does not receive the pass has to stay onside and skates as hard as they can to the near post.  Make sure they keep their stick on the ice and expect the pass from the player wi

Swap Drill
2 on 0, Ice Hockey Drills, Passing Drills

Start this drill with a line on the face off dot and one against the boards.  The two players pass the puck until they reach the blue line.  At the blue line the inside player gives the puck to the outside player and breaks to the inside expecting a pass from the outside player from the opposite corner.  Once they receive the pass they bring the puck into the zone wide and allow the other player to get into good scoring position in the slot.  Timing is key to this drill.

Chip & Receive
2 on 0, Ice Hockey Drills, Passing Drills

This drill helps players work on a neutral zone play that actually happens quite a bit in a game.  The winger gets pressured by the defense at the blue line and is forced to dump the puck in.  If the winger can learn to use some touch and chip the puck into the zone when the center has speed coming through the neutral zone, it can create some scoring chances.  Players in this drill need to pay attention as the second player in line is giving the pass to the player swinging through cent

Wildcat One-Time Drill
Half Ice Drills, Ice Hockey Drills, Offensive Zone, Passing Drills, Shooting Drills

This is a quick drill that requires quick, hard passes.  It is a great opportunity for forwards to work on their one-time shot, the defense to work on accurate passes, and the goalies to work on their lateral movement.  In the diagram below, F2 begins the drill with a hard accurate pass to D2.  D2 fires a hard pass to to F1 coming out of the corner.  F1 needs to time their break to the net so they receive the pass from D2 just outside the far post.

Wildcat One-Timer Drill - Variation #1
Half Ice Drills, Ice Hockey Drills, Offensive Zone, Passing Drills, Shooting Drills

This is a variation of the first Wildcat One-Timer Drill.  It is a little bit more advanced as it requires a couple more quick passes and the defense to handle the puck going backwards.  The drill starts when F2 passes to D1. D1 skates forward with the puck around the cone and give a return pass to F2. F2 gives another pass back to D1 as D1 is skating backwards towards the blue line.

Wildcat One-Timer Drill - Variation #2
Half Ice Drills, Ice Hockey Drills, Offensive Zone, Passing Drills, Shooting Drills

This variation involves a couple more passes and two shots, one from the forward, and one from the defense.  F1 starts the drill with a pass to D1.  D1 walks the puck to the middle of the ice and makes a hard pass to F2 coming out of the corner.  F2 needs to time their break to the middle so they are not waiting for the pass.

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