Ice Hockey Coaching Blog

Why are the first three steps important? If our player and the opponent both recognize the pattern of play & pick the most effective movement solution, then it comes down to who can use their legs/body to create an advantage to fight for space and/or the loose puck. When coaches ask questions to other coaches about players; they usually revolve around: How is her/his level of ‘...

The Team at IHS would like to thank you for your support of the inaugural season of The Weekly Edge Newsletter. Season # 1 finished with 26 editions, with each edition including a drill of the week, practice of the week, video clips, social spotlights, and more. If you've wrapped up your season, we hope you had fun while learning hockey & life lessons in the process. If you're still...

IHS is proud to announce a new collaboration with TJ Manastersky, and Brock University! The collaboration includes a practice plan with 7 drills that focus on transition. IHS Members and many hockey coaches around the world are familiar with TJ, the content he shares on twitter, and The Coaching Project Newsletter (we highly suggest following TJ on twitter, and subscribing to...

This new partnership gives IHS access to LiveBarn content allowing IHS members and LiveBarn subscribers to upload video footage of drills, practices, and games from LiveBarn into their IHS Libraries. Partnership Details IHS and LiveBarn have partnered to bring two powerful resources together to help coaches of all levels.  This new partnership gives IHS access to LiveBarn content...

IHS is proud to announce the launch of The Weekly Edge - a newsletter that features some of our favorite hockey content from IHS and around the web. The goal of the newsletter is to bring fresh ideas to your inbox early in the week to help you make practices fun and engaging so you and your players can develop throughout the season. The Weekly Edge will be sent on Tuesday mornings from...

The 6 Week Off-Ice Training Program was designed for U12 - U14 youth hockey players and was created to help kids build a better athletic foundation, control their bodies, and be less injury prone. There are no weights used in this program. Only 3 pieces of equipment are suggested, but all exercises can be modified if you do...

Sleep, Nutrition, and Training Triad Ben Eaves discusses how sleep, nutrition and training can all work together or against each other. Learning and following a few simple but fundamental rules will help athletes get the most out of their training whether it is off of the ice, on the ice, or in the classroom. In the 2 videos below, Coach Eaves discusses 3 easy to follow sleep...

Let’s be honest, it is ALWAYS more fun to shoot on a goalie. However, it is not always possible to have 2 goalies available every time you step on the ice.  There is something innate in all humans that brings out the competitive spirit when we have a goal or target to aim at. This is no different in hockey. Below we give 7 ways to play hockey games, small area games, or battle games...

IHS is excited to announce our newest feature, Game Planner 1.0 Game Planner 1.0 allows IHS members to create and share game plans with their assistant coaches and/or players & parents.  The game planner can be used in many different ways and for different levels of play.   5 Simple Ways to Utilize the Game Planner: Organize and share your roster Add game...

We are honored to welcome Kendall Coyne Schofield as a contributor to IHS.  Kendall is the captain of the USA Women’s National Team and a Player Development Coach for the Chicago Blackhawks.  Kendall and IHS collaborated to film some of Kendall’s favorite small area games.  All of the games follow the key themes of moving, thinking, working, creativity, decision making...

This article was written by TJ Manastersky, Assistant Coach at Union College. The craft of coaching is both an art and science. Each season, coaching becomes more sophisticated as we are exposed to new technologies and attempt to find an edge. This leads to an expectation of coaches to modernize their approach. Yet, the best coaches seem to connect with their team in a way that inspires...

The Team at IHS would like to thank the hockey community for all of your support in 2021. We are so very grateful to all of our members, contributors, partners, and anyone who took the time to write in to ask questions or provide us feedback to help us improve. We wanted to reflect on our most popular updates and content from 2021, all of it is not possible without you, and your feedback. Our...

In the video above, Coach Alyssa Gagliardi discusses the benefits of getting creative and looking at other sports for inspiration. One activity that is beneficial for hockey players is soccer rondos. What is a rondo? Rondos are essentially a game of keep-away or monkey in the middle and can be set up in a variety of ways to practice different situations. In the article below, we...

In the video below, Topher Scott from The Hockey Think Tank dives deep into 8 Important Hockey Habits That Every Player Should Know. Habits are critical when it comes to individual and team development. Coaches at all levels should familiarize their players with these habits and reinforce them at every. single. practice.  WHAT IS A HABIT? Habits are rituals, behaviors...

HEAD UP, HEAD UP, HEAD UP! We hear it all of the time at the arena. We hear it at practices, we hear it at games. But how often do coaches ACTUALLY make players practice this hockey skill so it can become a habit? WHAT IS A HABIT? Habits are rituals, behaviors or skills that we perform automatically without thinking about them. The goal of this article is to help coaches learn how to...

Ice Hockey Systems has acquired 300+ videos from The Hockey Think Tank in a deal that will bring new forms of content and broaden the range of topics for IHS members. This comes in an effort to help improve resources for youth hockey coaches, youth hockey players, and youth hockey parents. The deal includes over 300 pieces of content developed by The Hockey Think Tank including: 20+...

IHS Members: Add Your Own Logo to Your Hockey Drawings! Once you create a drawing, you can save it, add a video example, add it to a practice plan, and share it. Learn how to add your logo in 3 steps by watching the video above or by following the steps below: Click "My Account" on the top right of your account and click "My Profile." Upload your teams logo and click "Save." Start...

The team at IHS would like to thank all of our members and hockey coaches around the world for your support in 2020. Let's be honest, 2020 was tough for everyone, even the world of hockey. Rinks and leagues across the world were shut down overnight. Seasons canceled or cut short. Parents and fans unable to watch in person. The uncertainty, unexpected challenges, and adversity impacted...

One of the toughest plays in hockey is for a winger to break out a rimming puck with defensive pressure. In this video, Topher Scott from The Hockey Think Tank gives us pointers on how to approach this tough play with a comprehensive breakdown of Pat Maroon’s breakout play in game 5 of the 2019 Stanley Cup Finals. Key Points: Shoulder check before you get the puck to see where the pressure is...

Description In the video above, Topher Scott from the Hockey Think Tank gives us a comprehensive breakdown of a goal that was generated by Ryan O’Reilly’s puck protection skills. Puck protection is often an undervalued skill, but is so important to maintain possession and create scoring opportunities for your team. Key Points Beat the defender to the puck with good body position. Stay low...

Backhand-Forehand Earlier we looked at Two-Touch forehand shots from the weakside and strongside (view the previous Two Touch Shot breakdown to learn more). This breakdown, will take a look at a third type of Two-Touch shot -- shooting on the forehand -- after receiving a pass on the backhand. Specifically, we will take a look at this type of shot on Zone Entry. While the logistics of...

IHS is proud to announce our new Drill Drawing Tool! The tool has been in relentless development for months and we are excited to share it with our members and the hockey community. You may have seen that coaches can draw on it for free, which is true, but the real value of this tool comes for IHS Members. This post details how to get the most out of the drawing tool if you...

The two-touch shot is an advanced skill which uses technique, deception, and stick technology. The idea behind the technique is to stop (kill) the puck on the reception of the pass (FIRST TOUCH) and then release the shot with the SECOND TOUCH. We will take a look at two types of forehand two-touch shots: 1. Strong side - the player opens up to the puck. Right Shot on Left Side Left Shot...

The skill breakdown dives into the STUTTER STOP STEP, which the illusion of a cutback to escape pressure and create space. It builds off of the Open Hips & Closed Hips skill breakdowns.  For this maneuver you turn BOTH SKATES and begin to execute what looks like a traditional a two-foot hockey stop. However, rather than fully dig your blades into the ice, you quickly...

This breakdown is about the inside to outside move with changing pace. We breakdown two goals, one from Connor McDavid and another from David Pastrnak. Key Points: Change of Speed - changing your skating pace can lull the defenseman to sleep while they slow down to your speed. Use Deception - as you slow down, use deception to make the defenseman bite and think you...

Redirects, Deflections, and Tips are pure skill. It is a skill that can ultimately only be improved with repetition. In the truest sense, the best way to bet better at tipping pucks, is by tipping pucks. “It's a little bit of skill, a little bit of art. You need to have good hand-eye coordination, but I think the will of standing in front of the guy shooting the puck is the biggest part of it....

In this breakdown we discuss the CLOSED HIP technique. The open hip and the closed hip (10 & 2) maneuvers are essentially the same technique that are applied in different situations. The closed hip maneuver is a terrific skill that uses deception, which creates elusiveness, escape-ability and puck protection. This makes players more effective and dangerous....

Key Points: Puck is on the forehand either beside or behind the heels. This forces the defender to respect the threat to pass or shoot. Both skate blades are on the ice which allows for east-west skating deception. Head and eyes are up scanning the ice for the "best" available play. When attacking in this position you will be presented with multiple options to attack. Keeping your head and...

Sports are a microcosm of life. We have all heard this saying before, and for those of us that love sports, we know this to be true. If you break down any game, season, or career, you will find many parallels to life: ups, downs, adversity, setbacks, defeats, hard work, heartbreak, triumphs and more. Looking at the current state of the world, you could say...

As a youth hockey coach, it is crucial to figure out ways to make your practices fun and engaging.  If coaches and players enjoy coming to practice, great things will unfold throughout the season. Not only will players be more engaged during their time on the ice if they are having fun, but they will work harder, laugh louder, and the team will become closer because of it. Coaches...

Breaking the puck out of your defensive zone can be a tough and overwhelming task at any age level. In the article below, we dive into tips for centers, wingers and defencemen to keep in mind when breaking the puck out of the defensive zone, along with drills to help you practice. There is a lot of information in the article but if each player simply remembers (and practices)...

The game of hockey continues to evolve. One way it has evolved in recent years is the way that players are shooting the puck, and scoring goals. A wrist shot or a slapshot with a long windup are not as common (or effective) as they use to be. Those two techniques still have their uses, but the greatest goalscorers on the planet are working on new techniques to put the puck in the back of the...

The talent of hockey players continues to rise. Players are quicker, faster and more skilled than ever before. However, one major training component that coaches often overlook is adding in activities that force players to practice their decision making. There is a big difference between hockey drills that require a pre-determined course of action and ones where the players...

As each season passes by, the science of goaltending continues to improve and evolve. This evolution has made it harder for players to simply fire a puck and hit the back of the net. Goaltender angles and movements are scientifically measured to reduce open areas of the net. The butterfly is commonplace and goalies of all age levels are able to track pucks with t-pushes and shuffles...

Read below to view 36 fundamental skills that can be practiced with 5 cones on a small section of ice. Each skill works on a variety of edgework and puckhandling skills that can be applied in game situations. In the two videos below, Coach Ben Eaves demonstrates a wide variety of fundamental skills that were practiced in the beginning of his professional practices in...

Coaches! There is an infinite amount of ways to help your players improve their on-ice hockey game by working hard and having fun off of the ice. In this article, we are going to dive into 4 concepts and 8 tips to share with your players on how they can improve their on-ice puck control by developing an off-ice stickhandling routine. All of the exercises listed below can be done...

Do you ever question why hockey is played with 3 forwards and 2 defenseman? Is that the optimal line-up for every team? Other sports seem to have more variations in their formations so maybe the typical 3 forwards and 2 defense is not the optimal formation for all teams. For example, soccer uses all sorts of formations depending on the strength of your team, the strength of the other team, or a...

The first 10 - 15 minutes of practice is crucial for setting the tempo and getting players warmed up and engaged. The activities below are great for starting youth practices because they keep players moving, work on fundamentals, create competition, and increase the excitement level of players as you begin to practice. If you run a variety of these activities on a regular basis you...

This article is written in response to a question asked by one of our members.  They asked if we had recommendations for a selection of drills that would be good for a Bantam tryout (ages 14 and under).   The tryout is two days long and they would like to evaluate skills early in the tryout and move into game play as the tryout progressed.  Rather than just reply to one member...

Increase Speed, Explosiveness and Endurance with the Fartlek Workout! Fartlek is Swedish for "Speed Play." It is an interval workout that mixes moderate and hard efforts with a recovery period. The variable intensity of the Fartlek Workout trains the aerobic and anaerobic systems which will help increase speed, power and endurance. This dryland workout is excellent for all hockey...

The 1-3-1 power play formation has become the go to power play system for most high level teams.  Almost every NHL team is using the 1-3-1, so there must be a reason. The reason? The 1-3-1 has the ability to spread players out inside the zone, keep a player in front of the net at all times, and place shooters in key positions so they can shoot off the pass.  Power play systems...

The availability of free online resources for hockey coaches has become somewhat overwhelming in the past few years.  The amount of knowledge and effort for which anyone can post drill diagrams or publish videos has become so easy that the internet is flooded with more content than any coach could dream of using.  Ice Hockey Systems alone has over 500 animated hockey drills and...

Ice Hockey Systems has put together a list of free and paid resources that will help advance hockey coaches, players and directors for the upcoming season. Leverage these resources to improve your coaching, your players will thank you for it. 1. Free Hockey Resources Page This page is the perfect tool for any coach that is on the go and needs instant access to drills, systems, practice...

It doesn’t get much better than scoring an overtime winner in the Stanley Cup finals.  That’s exactly what Conor Sheary did last night.  The goal was scored off a set face-off play that was executed perfectly.  There are a lot of moving pieces and timing is critical, but below is a breakdown of exactly how the Penguins executed the play and took a 2-0 series lead. Crosby (Center...

We had a great time today sitting down with Hall of Famer Denis Savard. In the webinar Denis not only shows off the latest Stanley Cup ring, he also discusses keys to breakouts and power play breakouts.  In addition to discussing the systems he also offers up some great drills to compliment these systems. Chris Howard (Ice Hockey Systems President) gives a quick overview of IHS and some...

Below we dive into 5 drills that are great for evaluating your players at tryouts. This segment will focus on 5 hockey drills that will allow you to look for crucial elements in both the skill and compete level of each player. Remember that a scrimmage is an absolute must for any higher level tryout and that the drills in this post should be used to evaluate specific skills, compete level and...

With ten active players on the ice, a regulation ice sheet of 200’ x 85’ and with just four or five shifts per period that last less than a minute, where do players find extra time and space when playing? In this blog I will discuss skills and tactics players use to gain strategic advantage by managing or developing time and finding and creating space. Extra time and space on the ice...

“Yup, he’s lost the room! ...they just aren’t listening to him anymore...”. As students of the game we have all heard these phrases describing a situation where a coach and his struggling team are failing to communicate. Often these coaches, who once held their player’s attention and focus with every word, no longer appear to understand one another. Performance is lost and as Mr. Trump says... “...

“364 more days until next year’s tryouts – I gotta toughen up.”  That famous line from Happy Gilmore rang through my head the day after my tryouts in 2007.  I did not bring my A-game, something wasn’t right, I didn’t have the intensity or energy that I needed, I disappointed them.  I didn’t fall all over the ice or complain about the net being regulation size, hell I didn’t even...

The blue line is the most strategic area of the ice.  Gain the blue line with possession and you can generate scoring chances.  If you hold the blue line and force the other team to give up possession you will give up less scoring chances.  Here are a couple of ways to attack the blue line and maintain possession in the offensive zone. Strong side soft chips This play can be...

The ADM model set forth by USA hockey and their endorsement for small area games has made this term much more popular among youth hockey coaches, especially here in the United States.  There are a wealth of games that are great fun and great for development and I think it is important to choose games that are relevant to your purpose.  The small area games listed below focus on tight...

Planning for a small private session is tough sometimes because there are so many thing to work on and so many good hockey drills available.  An hour never seems like enough time. In these sessions it is helpful to pick out a particular skill and choose only drills that compliment this skill.  The hockey drills outlined below are geared for an hour long session and focus on...

It can be tricky to come up with unique, usefull, and fun hockey drills to use in a summer session where you only have a couple of players.  These are hockey drills you can pass along to players to do at stick and puck as well.  Two people are required for each one of these hockey drills because of they all incorporate lots of passing.  The diagrams for each hockey drill are at the...