Picking Up Rims with Front Pressure

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This video demonstrates a drill on picking up rimmed pucks with front pressure, emphasizing checking the pressure early, protecting the puck, and making quick decisions on whether to drive wide or cut to the middle.

Setup

  • Part 1: Pucks in the corner with players lined up on the blue line.
    • On the whistle, a coach or player rims the puck along the boards as a player from the blue line loops down to get the puck. They look up at the pressure from the coach or player to decide to cut to the middle, or to the boards, and then drive to the net to take a shot.
  • Part 2: The drill starts the same, but there are two rims that will occur.
    • After the first rim, the player shoots the puck and then goes to defend against the player that was in front of the net, who will be collecting a rimmed puck. The offensive player is trying to shoulder check, collect puck quickly and drive to the net to take a shot.
    • The player progression goes - 1st, Collect puck from blueline to shot -> 2nd, be the defender in the second rim -> 3rd, be the forward in the second rim.

Coaching Points

  • Check shoulder early: Always look before receiving the puck to anticipate pressure and decide your next move.
  • Protect the puck: Keep the puck away from the defender, either by shielding it along the boards or moving it to the middle.
  • Hands off the body: Maintain proper stick handling with hands out, giving yourself space to control the puck.
  • React to pressure: If the defender pressures the inside, take it outside and drive wide; if the outside is closed off, cut back inside.
  • Keep your head up: Be aware of the ice, looking for potential passes or shooting opportunities.
  • Move to the puck: Don’t wait passively—move towards the puck based on its speed and spin to maintain control under pressure.

Variations

  • Can replace the coaches with players.
  • Can start the drill the same but add a second offensive player so it becomes puck support situation and the player with the puck quickly gets the puck off of the wall and looks for a pass.
  • Can work on picking up rims with back pressure.

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