In addition to the animations, we are now including diagrams created with DrillDraw. Members have the ability to download the drills into their own DrillDraw bank.
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The drill starts when the defensive player passes the forward in the corner. The forward cannot leave until they receive the pass. Once they receive the pass they are skating straight down the ice on a 1 on 1. The defensive player, once they make the pass, skates around the cone and pivots from forwards to backwards and plays the forward from the opposite corner. The goal for the defensmen not give up the blue line. The better the angle and gap established by the defensmen, the easier it is to not give up your blue line.
This is a demanding drill for defensmen. Defensmen need to focus on bringing the puck around the net inside the faceoff dots and square up to the center ice before making the pass to the forward. Once they make the pass they need to judge their speed to make a play on the oncoming forward. The goal is to make the play at the Blue line.
This drill incorporates lots several skills for defensmen and allows the goalie to get involved as well. The player pivots from backward to forward to retrieve the puck that was dumped into the corner by the second player in line. When coming around the net the defensmen needs to stay inside the face off dot and make a pass to the defensmen at the point who walks to the center and shoots hard and on the ice. This allows the goalie to control the puck and make a breakout pass to the first defensmen who is now at the hash marks along the boards. The next pass is then to the second defensmen at the point, who then walks the puck to the middle again and shoots. The first defensmen then takes the point and the second defensmen goes to the end of the line.
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. By exploding up the ice the player will make themselves a threat by carrying the puck, passing to an open forward, or running a give and go with a forward and join the offensive rush.
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.
This goal of this drill is to get the defensemen working on their backward to forward pivot and making a good first breakout pass. As simple as this drill looks, make sure the p[layers are doing it right. When picking up the puck from the corner, they need to keep their feet moving and gain the far post. When turning up ice, they need to stay within the face off dots, make the pass, and continue up ice as fast as possible. Don't overestimate how effective this drill can be when executed over and over. The faster the defense can do this drill the less time you can expect to spend in your defensive zone.
This drill gives the defensmen an opportunity to work on their gap control. As they circle the center ice circle, they need to read the speed of the oncoming forward and control their gap so they are forcing the forward to make their play at the blue line.
The drill starts when the defensive player passes the forward in the corner. The forward cannot leave until they receive the pass. Once they receive the pass they are skating straight down the ice on a 1 on 1. The defensive player, once they make the pass, skates around the cone and pivots from forwards to backwards and plays the forward from the opposite corner. The goal for the defensmen not give up the blue line. The better the angle and gap established by the defensmen, the easier it is to not give up your blue line.