Decision Making Games (Full Ice)

The Chicago 5 Puck is a warm-up drill from TJ Manastersky, the Head Coach of Brock University. The drill activates a lot of players while practicing awareness, passing, skating and communication.

Setup

• 4 lines face each other in the neutral zone.
• 5 lines start with a puck (can also modify and start with 4 pucks. Starting with 5 pucks, makes it more challenging)
• On the whistle, players with the puck must find an open player on the other side to pass to. They can pass to any open player on the opposite blue line.
• It is critical that the player with the puck, scan the ice, communicate, and buy time as needed.
• Players without the puck need to be alert, have their stick on the ice, and scan the ice as well.
• This warm-up drill is continuous.

Coaching Points

• Eyes up
• Explode from the line
• Communicate
• Sticks on the ice

Variations

• Can start with 4 pucks (as shown in the drill video) or start with 5 pucks (as shown in the diagram).

Jason Lammers describes the Ramsay 3 V 3 Race. This competitive small area game incorporates racing to the puck to determine which team is on offense.

Setup

• Full ice setup with goalies in both nets.
• On each half of the ice, put 6 players on the goal line (so each side of the ice can play 3 V 3).
• On the whistle, the coach places a puck somewhere in the zone, and all 6 players race to the puck.
• Whoever gets the puck first, their team is on offense and the other team is on defense.
• Offense is trying to score. If the defense gets the puck, they work to keep puck possession before the next whistle.
• Play out 3 V 3 inside the blueline.
• On the second whistle, all 6 players on each half of the ice skate down to the other end of the ice to race for another puck. Coaches can have the players race for the previous puck that the other group was playing with, or the coach can collect the old puck and place it in a different part of the zone.
• Whoever gets that puck, their team is on offense and the other team is on defense.
• Keep score!

Coaching Points

• Race hard to get the puck!
• Offense - support your teammates and be an outlet when you do not have the puck
• Defense - keep sticks on the ice to block passing lanes
• Everyone - communicate with your teammates

Variations

• Can make this game 2 v 2, 3 v 3, or 4 v 4.
• Can create different variations within the game:
  • Can have the offensive team be all time offense and if the defense gets the puck, the defensive team tries to keep puck possession and they get a point if they make 4 consecutive passes.
  • Can have the offensive team start on offense if defense gets the puck they can tag up at the blue line and then that allows them to attack on offense.
• Can be half ice instead of full ice. Just divide the zone into two halfs and put the nets by the half-wall by the face-off circles.

The 4 v 2 Rondo to 4 v 2 Quick Attack from Alyssa Gagliardi is a 2 part activity that helps offensive players practice puck possession and quick attacking concepts while the defending team works on disrupting passing lanes.

Setup

• Set up a 4 v 2 Rondo around one face-off dot in the zone (4 offensive players around the exterior of the circle, with 2 defenders in the middle).
• Extra players and coaches are on the blue line.
  • Part 1: On the whistle, the 4 v 2 Rondo starts. The offensive team is awarded points if they are able to split the defenders. The defending team gets a point if they block a pass and recover the puck.
  • Part 2: On the second whistle, coach dumps a puck into the 4 corner which starts the 4 v 2 Quick Attack. The goal is for the offensive team to get the puck quickly, support each other, and quickly get a shot on net. The offensive team is awarded a s points for a goal and the defending team is awarded 2 points if they can get the puck and skate it out of the zone.
• Rotate players so they get chances at offense and defense.

Coaching Points

• Offensive team: 
  • Keep head up - keep your head up and scan the ice at all times to know where your teammates are, where passing lanes are.
  • Sticks on the ice - keep your sticks on the ice so you are ready to receive a pass and your teammates know where you would like the puck.
  • Support teammates - move to get open to give your teammates a passing outlet.
  • Use deception - use fakes with your eyes, stick and body to fake out the defenders and open up passing lanes.
• Defending team:
  • Keep sticks on the ice: keep sticks on the ice to block passing lanes.
  • Angle: on the 4 v 2 quick attack angle the offensive players with your stick on the ice and try to keep them to the outside of the zone.
  • Communicate with partner: talk with your partner so you are on the same page. 

Variations

• This can be set up in a variety of player formats. Can do 4v2 (as shown) or do 5v2, 5v3, 3v2, or 3v1.
• Can set this up into a 1/4 ice station. Part 1 would remain the same, but Part 2 the coach would dump the puck into the same side of the ice.
• Learn more about Rondos and additional Rondo Variations.

6 on 3 Monkey In The Middle Game from Jeff Meredith is an excellent game to practice good defensive habits and offensive puck possession skills. The defending team in the middle is allowed to have one player chase the offensive team anywhere they want, while the offensive team works to pass the puck to the opposite side. No saucer passes are allowed!

Setup

• Place 3 defenders in the middle of the zone, and have two sets of 3 offensive players on the outside of the zone (as pictured in the diagram).
• The playing area is the goal line to the blue line.
• On the whistle the game begins. The 6 offensive players are working to complete passes to the other side while the 3 defending players in the middle are looking to deflect and intercept the passes.
• Offensive rules: No saucer passes. Points are awarded for passes completed to the other side.
• Defensive rules: One player is allowed to exit the "middle area" to chase the puck.
• Continue the game for as long as the offensive players can continue making passes. The game ends and players rotate when the defensive team deflects the puck out of the zone, or gets possession of the puck.
• The game is continuous. After defense gets the puck, 3 new players jump in and everyone rotates.

Coaching Points

• Defense:
  • Keep sticks on the ice to block passing lanes.
  • The defending player that chases should angle the puck carrier to reduce passing options for them.
  • Keep skates up ice so you can see players on both sides of the ice.
• Offense:
  • Keep head up to look for passing lanes and where your support options are.
  • Utilize deception to fake out the defending team and open up passing lanes.
  • If you do not have a clear pass across, utilize your teammates on your side as an outlet.

Variations

• Can set this up to be 6v3 (as described above) or 4v2.
• Can progress and add in a goalie to make this the 6 v 3 Alley Game.

Description

The Poker 2 v 2 game from Kendall Coyne Schofield is a high risk/high reward game that involves two pucks. Players need to make decisions as soon as the game starts and be on alert as the game plays out.  

Set Up

• 1 net should be placed along each blue line in line with the neutral zone face-off circle (facing center ice) 
• Players from team "X" should be lined up along the boards near one blue line
• Players from team "O" should be lined up along the boards on the other side of the ice and opposing blue line
• Goalies should be in each net
• Pucks should be at the front of each line

Game

Play a game up to a certain amount of goals, team "X" vs team "O"

• On the whistle, 2 players from each team leave their line with one puck
• Each team is trying to score on the opposing net while defending their own net
• Players on each team determine how they try to score a goal or how they try to defend a goal
• Both players can go in attack mode, 1 player can stay back an defend or both players can attempt to defend while controlling their puck
• The entire ice surface is open for the players in the game and they can switch between attacking and defending whenever they wish
• The puck can be cleared anywhere on the ice surface
• If the goalies makes a save, they can send the puck wherever they want, which can be a lot of fun for them as the players have to chase it
• As soon as one team scores, the play is over, that team gets a point and the next 2 players in line start on the whistle
• Keep score!

Coaching Points

1. Communication - teammates needs to have a plan as soon as the whistle blows and continue to communicate throughout the game 
2. Keep Your Head Up - awareness is crucial in this game and will dictate your decision making on whether to attack or defend depending on the surroundings
3. Active stick - when defending you need to have an active stick, even if you are on the attack and the opposing team is in your vicinity you can defend while attacking

The Union Scoring Small Area Game from Topher Scott is a fun small area game where teams can score on either net. The unique setup of the nets promotes creativity, thinking outside of the box to create time & space and score goals. 

Setup

• Coach chips the puck into the zone or passes to one of the players to begin the 3 vs. 3 game.
• Players can score on either net.
• Game can be stopped when a goal is scored, the goalie freezes the puck, or the coach blows the whistle. Keep score!

Coaching Points

• Head up: Players should be aware of where the other team and their teammates are. There will be lots of creative options available if you play with your head up!
• Stick on the ice: It helps the defense angle and remove passing lanes. It helps forwards tell each other where they want a pass.
• Space: Forwards work to create time and space. Defense work to take away time and space.