The L-Support - Basic Triangle Movement drill is from Darryl Belfry's Teaching Hockey Sense Through Triangles webinar.
This simple yet effective drill helps players learn the concepts of puck support and gives them a framework to follow no matter where they are on the ice, whether they have the puck or do not have the puck. This concept will work for youth players and pro players.
Setup
- Have 3 players create an L using the face-off circle.
- On the whistle, the players start to pass the puck and move to continue to create the L-Support triangle, where the puck is in the elbow of the L.
Coaching Points
- The L-Support framework gives players guidelines to follow when they do and do not have the puck.
- The puck should be in the "elbow" of the L and players without the puck should flank the puck carrier to offer support at the tips of the L
- It does not have to be a perfect L at all times. Belfry gave the analogy that the L is a basic guideline but you can tell players that the L can be a "handwritten L" where the angles are a little messy and not a perfect 90 degree angle.
- If coaches practice this concept enough, during any small area game, scrimmage, or real game, coaches can always ask players about the L support concept. For example, "How could you have supported your teammate there?"
- Watch the full Webinar Presentation to learn more coaching points and watch youth practice clips & NHL clips to see the concept in action.
Variations
- Can have no defenders to start and then progress to 1 or 2 defenders
- Learn how to create L-Support situations all over the ice
- Can add goalies and allow players to shoot (like in the Run Ragged Small Area Game)
- Can encourage players to practice L-Support in any small area game that has at least 3 offensive players in it.
