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Transition Drills

Swiss 3 Shot Transition
Ice Hockey Drills, Neutral Zone Drills, Passing Drills, Shooting Drills, Transition Drills

This hockey drill starts is a great one for defense as they get to on getting off the wall, shooting from the point, and picking up a loose puck in transition to make a pass.  The forwards start the drill in the corner by making a pass to the point along the wall. The defense carries the puck off the wall to the middle of the ice and shoots. The forward should be in front screening the goalie and attempting to re-direct the puck.  After the shot the defense skates back to the other blue line to get the loose puck.

The U Transition Drill
Ice Hockey Drills, Passing Drills, Transition Drills, Warm Up Drills

The diagram for this hockey drill only shows the drill working from one side.  When you run this drill you should alternate sides.  It will take the players a few reps to get a handle on it.  The animation shows how this drill works with both sides going at the same time.  Set up four equal lines as shown.  The first player (P1) will pass the puck to the player opposite them (P4). P4 will pass to P2 and then get a return pass from P2.

The Transition Wheel
Defense Drills, Ice Hockey Drills, Neutral Zone Drills, Passing Drills, Transition Drills

This hockey drill allows defense to work on their transition puck handling, passing, and skating skills.  It utilizes 6 players or 4 players and 2 coaches.  Two of the players are along the boards at center ice at opposite sides and one of these players will start with the puck.  In our diagram D6 is starting with the puck. The other 4 players are just inside the dots at the top and bottom of the circle.  To start, D1 and D2 will start skating backwards.  D1 will receive a pass from D6 while skating backwards.

Transition Passing Sequence #3
Ice Hockey Drills, Neutral Zone Drills, Passing Drills, Transition Drills, Warm Up Drills

Sequence #3 operates in the same manner as #2, but this time the player attacks the offensive blue line inside out and then makes a sharp cut to the center of the ice after gaining the zone.  Encourage players to keep their feet moving all the way through the shot and follow their shots for rebounds.

Transition Passing Sequence #2
Ice Hockey Drills, Neutral Zone Drills, Passing Drills, Transition Drills, Warm Up Drills

The second sequence of this ice hockey drill encorporates one more pass.  The drill operates the same way but now the passes need to be made slightly quicker.  The first player will pass the puck to the first player in the other line receive the puck right back and then make another pass before transitioning to the boards.  Everything else in the drill is the same as in sequence #1.

Timing in Transition 1 on 0
Defense Drills, Ice Hockey Drills, Neutral Zone Drills, Transition Drills

This is a really good drill to help defense focus on handling the puck in transition while keeping their feet moving.  The forwards should be in two lines at each blue line on one side of the ice.  The defense should be lined up at the blue lines on the other side of the ice.  The forwards should have the pucks.  To start the drill D1 skates forwards up to center ice, transitions backwards, and then receives a pass from F1.  After making the pass F1 circles through the neutral zone as shown and times their swing to receive a flat pass from D1.

Neutral Zone Transition Skills
Defense Drills, Ice Hockey Drills, Neutral Zone Drills, Transition Drills

 

Here are a couple of drills that are good when working with players individually or in small groups.  The focus of this drill is on a neutral zone turnover situation that happens numerous times in a game.  In order to do it well the players must have good footwork. 

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.

Transition, Transition, Breakout
Breakout Drills, Defense Drills, Ice Hockey Drills, Transition Drills

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.

Defense Transition into 2-0
2 on 0, Defense Drills, Ice Hockey Drills, Transition Drills

This drill emphasizes the position of the defense as they regroup. The defensemen without the puck needs to be in a support position slightly behind their partner. and a little less than half the ice width apart. This way their partner can give them a pass without having to make the dangerous pass all the way across the ice. The defensemen who receives the pass needs to explode up the ice to draw defenders to them and then make the pass to the forwards.

Re-Group 1 on 1
1 on 1, Defense Drills, Ice Hockey Drills, Transition Drills

This is an ice hockey drill intended to help defense work on their gap control.  The defensive player starts without the puck skating backwards.  They receive a pass from the next defensive player in line and pivot forwards as they go around the cone.  They give the puck back to the player they received the pass from and then get it back one more time before going around the cones again.  This time they skate with the puck towards center ice and give a pass to the forward who is j

One Man Regroup
1 on 1, Defense Drills, Ice Hockey Drills, Transition Drills

This ice hockey drill focuses on a defense player's gap control. Their footwork and puck control in this drill are good ways to improve players habits in the neutral zone.  The defense needs to focus on always keeping their feet moving.

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.&

Tight Transition 1 on 1
1 on 1, Defense Drills, Ice Hockey Drills, Transition Drills

This drill will challenge even your best defensive players. To start the drill, a defense and forward step out to the blue line. The Forward on the outside a few feet off the boards, and the defense just inside the faceoff dot.  The coach has the pucks along the boards at the red line. On the whistle, bith players skate to the red line and stop.

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

2 on 0 Neutral Zone Swing
2 on 0, Ice Hockey Drills, Transition Drills

This drill is designed to work on some transition in the neutral zone.  Defense should focus on good passes.  Poor passes will cause this drill to break down quickly.  Forwards form two lines just inside the face off dots in the neutral zone.  The drill starts with a pass to D1. D1 receives the pass while skating backwards and makes a pass to D2.  D2 needs to receive the pass and transition forwards before making a pass to one of the swinging forwards.

Quick Transition 2 on 1
2 on 1, Ice Hockey Drills, Transition Drills

This is a good 2 on 1 drill for defense.  To set up, place all pucks in the corner with the forwards and get all defense at center ice.  On the whistle, D1 skates hard to the blue line and receives a pass from F1.  D1 walks the puck to the middle and shoots on net.  F1 and F2 then skate around the net and receive a pass form the next forward in line.  F1 and F2 then take on D1 in a 2 on 1 situation.

Neutral Zone Turnover 2 on 2
2 on 2, Defense Drills, Ice Hockey Drills, Transition Drills

2 on 0 Flow
2 on 0, Ice Hockey Drills, Passing Drills, Transition Drills

This is an ice hockey drill that focuses on several areas for both forwards and defense.  Forwards need to work on their timing, passing, and driving to the net.  Defensive players need to focus on passing, puck handling (in the neutral zone), and shooting (low and on net).  The first two forwards in the line start without a puck.  The third forward in line passes to the defense as they get near the red line.  The defense controls the puck and skates backwards.  The defe

3 on 0 Regroup on Whistle
3 on 0, Breakout Drills, Ice Hockey Drills, Transition Drills

This drill is actually fairly simple even though the diagram appears quite messy.  All players should be on the bench except for the 4 players involved.  The drill starts with all four players at the red line.  The coach dumps a puck into the zone and the players perform a simple breakout with 1 defensemen.  As they come up  the ice, the coach will blow the whistle shortly after they cross the red line.  When the whistle blows, the player with the puck dumps the puck int

Neutral Zone Offense Swing
2 on 0, Ice Hockey Drills, Neutral Zone Drills, Transition Drills

This is the first drill in a series of drills designed to work on creating some offense out of a neutral zone transition. The drill starts with the coach at center ice and two defense several feet off the red line.  On the whistle, the coach plays a puck softly to the blue line along the boards. The defense come up to the red line and pivot backwards.

Neutral Zone Offense Chip
2 on 0, Ice Hockey Drills, Neutral Zone Drills, Transition Drills

This is the first drill in a series of drills designed to work on creating some offense out of a neutral zone transition. The drill starts with the coach at center ice and two defense several feet off the red line.  On the whistle, the coach plays a puck softly to the blue line along the boards. The defense come up to the red line and pivot backwards.

Neutral Zone Offense Double Chip
2 on 0, Ice Hockey Drills, Neutral Zone Drills, Transition Drills

This is the first drill in a series of drills designed to work on creating some offense out of a neutral zone transition. The drill starts with the coach at center ice and two defense several feet off the red line.  On the whistle, the coach plays a puck softly to the blue line along the boards. The defense come up to the red line and pivot backwards.

Moose Simple Timing Drill #1
2 on 0, Ice Hockey Drills, Transition Drills

One of the hard things to explain to youth hockey players is the importance of timing.  In the neutral zone timing is everything but most forwards are in such a rush,they don't give themselves the best opportunity to receive a pass from their own defense.  In this drill, the focus of F1 is to time their break across center ice so that they are in a good position to receive a pass from D1 at full speed.  The drill starts by D1 skating forwards to about 10 feet of the boards and then tur

Moose Simple Timing 2 on 1
2 on 1, Ice Hockey Drills, Transition Drills

This drill is builds off of the previous neutral zone timing drill by incorporating a 2 on 1.  To start the drill, D1 and D2 step out as shown int he diagram. They should be spaced  about a zone apart (red line to blue line).  D1 is skating backwards and D2 skates forward until they give a pass to D1.

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