Half Ice Power Play & Penalty Kill Practice

The Rondo Circle Keep Away from Coach Alyssa Gagliardi is a great activity that can be used as a passing warm-up, or as an activity to improve overall awareness and passing with your head up. Rondos are popular activities in soccer and can be modified in a variety of ways depending on the skill level and the number of players you have on the ice. Read below to learn about the setup, coaching points & variations.

Setup

• Setup a group of 3 to 8 players around a circle.
• Start with 1 defender in the middle. After a few reps, progress to 2 defenders in the middle. 
• The goal is for the offensive players to keep possession, while the defender tries to take the puck. 
• If the defender steals the puck, they become a passer, and the person they stole the puck from goes in the middle.
• Count how many consecutive passes a team can get in a row. 
• Encourage players to cheer if they get the puck through the defender's legs!

Coaching Points

• Offensive players should keep their heads up to be aware of their teammates and the defender.
• Offensive players can work on deception (looking one way and passing another way).
• Defenders should keep their sticks on the ice at all times to block passing lanes.

Variations

• Can play with as little as 3 people around the circle or as many as 8.
• If players are skilled, you can require one touch passing, backhand passing, saucer passes, etc.
• Can play in different areas of the ice, not just around a circle.
• Can add 1 to 3 defenders.
• If offensive players are struggling connecting passes, coaches can have the defenders turn their sticks upside down.
• Can start a 2 on 1 if a pass is intercepted (view example).
• Learn 15 Rondo Variations and the Benefits of Adding Rondos to Practice.

Getting shots through from the point is extremely important. It can be the difference between a wasted scoring opportunity or breakaway for the other team!

Here are 3 Different Shots for a defenceman to practice with a simple set up. The goal of this progression is to get comfortable with quickly getting the puck to an open shooting lane and not just keeping your head down and shooting right into an attacking player.

Shooting Progression # 1

• Setup: Show the coach your forehand. The coach will slide the puck to your backhand. Collect the puck with your backhand, keep your head up, move the puck to your forehand, explode to create space and get a quick shot off.
• Shot 1: Quick forehand shot.
• Shot 2: Forehand shot but aim to create more space and distance from the coach.

Shooting Progression # 2 

• Setup: Coach will pass to your forehand. Collect the puck and keep your head up.
• Shot 1: Quick shot that is pulled around the coach.
• Shot 2: Fake your forehand pull and escape to your forehand side to deliver the shot on net. 

Shooting Progression # 3

• Setup: Show the coach your forehand. The coach will slide the puck to your backhand. Collect the puck with your backhand, keep your head up, move the puck to your forehand.
• Shot 1: Quick forehand shot (same as Progression # 1, Shot 1).
• Shot 2: Fake the forehand shot, escape and set up a slapshot.

Progression Variations

1. Add additional obstacles that the players need to shoot around.
2. If you do not have a player or coach to pass the puck, the defense can retrieve a puck from a pile of pucks and backpedal to the point and then begin the progression.
3. You can add a forward breaking to the net that the D must try to pass to for a deflection.
4. Add a forward in front of the net that can work on tips.
5. Players can also work on learning how to Change Their Shot Angle to add additional deception in their shot. 

Pass Through The Circle Game is a fun small area game that practices passing, puck protection, decision making and awareness. The offensive players work together to pass through the circle to score points, while the defense tries to gain possession of the puck to score points.

Setup

• Set up a 4 v 2 game around a circle. It can be at the center ice circle or any of the in zone circles.
• On the whistle, the forwards work to keep possession and are able to score points by passing through the circle (the puck can go through any part of the circle, but it must be a completed pass to count as a point).
• Defense tries to break up the play and get the puck out of play. Defense is awarded 2 points if they skate the puck out of play and 1 point for knocking the puck out of play.
• Forwards and defenseman can skate anywhere they want in the playing area (including the middle of the circle).
• Game should go for 30-45 seconds or so before a new set of players jumps in. Keep track of how many points are scored!

Coaching Points

• Offensive players
  • Keep head up to be aware of where teammates are, defenders are, and where the open ice is.
  • Players without the puck should jump to open ice to be an outlet.
  • Players without the puck should be thinking of where they will pass the puck ahead of time if they get the puck.
  • Players with the puck should practice deception with head, body and eyes to make the defenders think the puck is going somewhere else.
• Defensive players
  • Keep sticks on the ice to block passing lanes.
  • Protect the circle and only chase the puck carrier when there is a good opportunity. 

Variations

• Can be set up at center ice circle or in zone circles (example of in zone is shown below).
• If it is too easy for the forwards to score points, add an additional defender to make it more challenging (make it a 4 v 3 or a 3 v 2 game).
• If it is too hard for the forwards to score points, have the defenders flip their sticks over.
• Can make the outside boundaries smaller or larger (the smaller the boundary the harder it is for the offensive team).

Description

The Triangle Scoring game from Kendall Coyne Schofield is a race to score first and involves moving the puck quickly and using deception with your passes and shots.  It's a great game to work on quick power play puck movement and for the defensemen/penalty killers to work on pressuring and having their stick in the proper lane.

Set Up

• 2 Nets should be set up on the goal line in an offensive zone in line with the face-off dots
• Draw a triangle from the goal line to the top of the circle - if you don't have a marker use a few cones/tires (they can act as an additional constraint for the team trying to score)
• 1 goalie in each net
• 1 puck per triangle (on the outside)
• 3 players on team "X" on the outside of the triangle
• 1 player from team "O" on the inside of the triangle
• Set up the other triangle with the opposite set of players - 3 "O"'s on the outside and 1 "X" in the middle
• Coach should be ready with a pile of pucks up top

Game

The objective of this game is for the players on the outside of the triangle to score before the opposing team does.  Each goal counts as a point and the game can go up to a certain number, with team "X" playing against team "O"

• On the whistle the game starts
• The players on the outside of the triangle are stationary, but can pass the puck through the triangle
• The objective of the players on the outside of the triangle is to score before the outside players of the opposing triangle score
• It's a race to see which team can score first
• The player on the inside of the triangle can move anywhere throughout the triangle, but not leave it
• The objective of the inside player is to clear the puck out of the triangle
• Whichever team scores first is awarded a point
• As soon as 1 side scores, the whistle blows and the next set of players moves in for each triangle
• Keep Score!

Variations

• Coaches can award a point to the team when a player on the inside of the triangle clears the puck
• Coaches can make clearing the puck and scoring different point values
• You can require one or two-touch passing/shooting
• Can allow players to skate through the triangle
• Can use the face-off circles instead of a triangle (see the Circle Scoring Game)

Coaching Points

1. Use Deception - deception can be used by using your eyes and body language to be deceptive with passing and shooting to throw off the defender and/or goaltender
2. Quick Release - to be successful, this game requires quick puck movement and quick releases when scoring opportunities present themselves
3. Active Stick - the player in the triangle needs to have a very active stick as the puck moves around and through the triangle

Description This is a great Power Play game from Kendall Coyne Schofield that encourages players to think and create movement in their zone as they are attacking.  12 players and 2 goalies are active in this setup that works on puck movement, creativity and goal scoring.

Set-Up

• 2 Nets should be set up on the goal line in an offensive zone in line with the face-off dots
• Split the zone in half from the blue line to the end of the boards (through the crease), use a marker or cones/tires
• Each half has 4 players on offense and 2 players on defense
• A goalie should be in each net
• Coach can be outside of the blue line with a pile of pucks

Game

Objective: Play a game up to a certain number, team "X" vs team "O"

• Coach dumps 1 puck in
• Each side consists of 4 players on offense, 2 players on defense and 1 goalie
• Players cannot cross the middle of the ice onto the other side
• Players on offense (4) are trying to score
• The defenders (2) are trying to get the puck to the other side to send their team on offense
• Each goal counts towards the total score
• Coach can throw in a new puck when:
  • A goal is scored
  • The goalie covers a puck
  • The puck goes out of play

Coaching Points

1. Create movement when attacking -  We don't want the attacking players to be stationary, this is a great game to help with exchanges and to encourage movement among your players on the power play.
2. Heads up -  with a two player advantage, keeping your head up to identify scoring opportunities is critical
3. Active sticks- with a 2 player deficit, having an active stick when defending is very important in this game

Variations

• Can be modified to be 4v2, 3v2, 3v1, or 2v1. 

The Sticks In Lanes Game from Topher Scott of The Hockey Think Tank is a great small area game to help the offense practice passing in the offensive zone while the defense works to block passing lanes by keeping their sticks on the ice. This is also a great drill for practicing your Power Play & Penalty Kill. This game is a 6 vs. 2 but can be set up to be more challenging for the offense by making it 4 vs. 2, or 6 vs. 3.

Setup

• KEEP SCORE (as you can see from the video, this can become a very fun and competitive drill).
• The playing area is highlighted in yellow in the diagram above.
• Have 6 offensive players set up as shown in the diagram. They can move slightly but can not skate around and must stay in their designated area.
• 2 Defenders will defend the middle of the ice.
• On the whistle, the offensive team is trying to score. They must pass the puck through the middle of the ice 2 or more times before they can shoot.
• The defenders work to break up the play.
• Switch teams after each rep and let forwards play defense and defense play offense. 

Coaching Points

Offensive Team:

• Use deception (look or fake passing one way and pass the other way) to create openings.
• Think about where you pass before the puck comes to you.
• Shoot quickly if you have an opening!

Defensive Team:

• Keep sticks on the ice at all times! This will allow you to block passing lanes or intercept passes.
• Use quick starts and stops to cover ground.

Variations

• Can make this drill harder for the offense by making it a 4 vs. 2 (view example) or a 6 vs. 3 (view example).
• Can make the playing space larger or smaller (the smaller it is, the harder it is).
• Can require 3 (or more) passes through the royal road before a shot is allowed.
• Use different point-scoring to make sure the game is exciting and competitive for the team. For example (2 points for a goal, 1 point for 2 consecutive defensive takeaways).

The 5 v 3 to 5 v 4 Power Play Game is a half ice setup to practice power-play & penalty kill concepts and techniques. 

Setup:

• Start with 5 v 3, and then progress to a 5 v 4.
• Add 2 "gates" just outside of the blue line.
• Players waiting their turn should be on the center ice line.
• On the whistle, the coach can dump the puck into the corner, or pass the puck to one of the players on the power play.
• The team on the power play tries to score.
• The team that is penalty killing works to skate the puck through one of the gates.
• The penalty kill team can not dump the puck out of the zone, they must attempt to skate through one of the gates.
• Keep score! 1 point is awarded for a power play goal, and 1 point is awarded if the penalty kill team skates a puck through a gate.
• Once the power play team is comfortable with 5 v 3 setup, you can progress to 5 v 4. If the players are struggling with 5 v 3, you can regress to 5 v 2.
• Rotate so both teams and all players get chances at power play & penalty kill. 

Variations:

• Can set this up to be 5v2, 5v3, 5v4, or 4v2, 4v3. 
• Can place players behind the gates so the penalty kill team is awarded 2 points if they skate through the gate and 1 point if they pass through the gate.

Coaching Points:

Power Play:

• Use deception when looking to make a pass.
• Players without the puck should move to open space to be an outlet.
• Work to generate scoring opportunities that practice shooting off of the pass.

Penalty Kill:

• Keep sticks on ice to block passing lanes.
• Do not make big sweeping motions with your stick.
• Do not chase the puck. Work to eliminate high percentage shooting opportunities.