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Cheat Sheet

Defensive Zone Coverage

Defensive Zone Coverage

Monday, February 12th, 2024

Please Note: The Practice of the Week is usually designed to be utilized across multiple age levels. With that being said, we highly encourage you to adjust the drills based on your team's age and skill levels. These drills and practices can be modified to become more basic or more advanced.

Practice Theme: The drills in this practice are designed to help your players practice defensive zone concepts, skills, habits, and coverage.

Coaching Points (these should be reinforced in every drill):

  1. Keep sticks on the ice: always keep your sticks on the ice in the d-zone so you can block passing lanes, angle, and poke check.  
  2. Angle: Angle offensive players to the boards, and away from the slot.
  3. Awareness: constantly scan the ice to be aware of where the puck, open space, and other players are.
  4. Communicate: communicate with your teammates.
  5. Support: support your teammates if they need backup, or as a short passing outlet.
Oreo

After a warm-up, begin practice with the 3 v 3 Oreo game. Can run this out of both ends if you have full ice. Encourage all defensive players to focus on the 5 coaching points listed in the practice notes.

4 v 2 Down Low Game

If you have full ice you can run this out of both ends. This game focuses on net front defensive zone coverage & habits. Important for the defensemen in front to work on the following:

  1. Keep the heels of their skates pointed to the net
  2. Scan the ice to be aware of their surroundings & opposing players
  3. Keep sticks on the ice to block passing lanes & angle players
Wing Quadrant Play

If you have full ice you can run this out of both ends. This drills focuses on the strong side wingers defensive zone coverage & habits.

3 Puck 3 On 3

If you have full ice you can run this out of both ends of the ice. This game focuses on strong side defensive zone coverage in 3 different situations.

D-Zone Coverage Tire Drill

This drill focuses on getting back into defensive zone coverage after a broken play.

5 vs 5 Picket Fences

Finish practice with this 5 on 5 version of picket fences. This setup is a great opportunity for coaches to reinforce defensive zone habits, skills, and coverage while incentivizing scoring on both sides of the ice. Make sure all players get reps on both sides of the ice.

Setup: Coaches can set players up in certain situations, and throw the puck in both corners. Can modify where the gates are, depending on how much ice you have & what concepts you would like to reinforce. 

Game Scoring: Offense gets 2 points for scoring a goal, defense gets 1 point for skating through the yellow gates and 2 points for the green gate.

Coaching points: Encourage players to scan the ice to be aware of the players on the opposing team. Players should support their teammates and be outlets when their team has the puck.

Layered Defensive Zone Coverage