In this drill we will be working on changing direct laterally QUICKLY. The players will be loading up after their stop to have quick feet in the cross over the other direction. Weight is on their toes on their outside edge on their leading foot toe and inside edge on their trailing leg toe. 

Skate forwards to the dot and stop, quick cross step left to the hash marks and stop, quick cross right to the dot and stop, skate forward to the top of the circle and stop, skate backwards to the dot and stop, quick cross step right to the hashmarks and stop, quick cross step left to the dot and stop, skate backwards to the bottom of the circle and stop. Skate forward through the circle and wait for the next rep. 

This drill focuses on quick feet and changing directions FAST/QUICK. Players must be using their inside and outside toe edges to generate quick speed. TOES POINT THE DIRECTION YOU ARE GOING TO GO ON YOUR STOPS. The direction that you lean into on your stops in the direction you will go. 

Forwards start behind the cone at the hashmarks. The leave and pick up a puck behind the net. Meanwhile the defenders must skate from the neutral zone dot, bang stick on the boards, punch turn and skate backwards to the other side of the ice to defend the rush. I will demonstrate a proper punch stop/turn. The defenders should always have their eyes on the puck carrier. The puck carrier should be working on their top speed acceleration. They should be pushing the puck to their side, pumping their arms, not chopping onions. 

PLAYERS MUST STAY ON THEIR SIDE OF THE ICE UNTIL THEY GET TO THE RED LINE!!!

4-mins 1 v 1, 4-mins 2 v 1 switch sides and repeat. 

Triangle attack game

This drill will start with three players on offense, two down low in the back door position and one player up top in the high slot. There will be one defender inside the triangle. The defender is actively moving while the offensive players and static. 

The offensive players will work the puck around the triangle to get the defender AND goalie moving, they should be trying to use deception to draw the defender in and then dish the puck off to an open player. Forwards are focusing on good passes and shooting in high percentage opportunities. If the forward shoots the puck into the defender, stop the drill and correct them on using the back door option. Offensive players 

The defender will be working on blocking passing lanes with their stick, pressuring the puck carrier WITHOUT OVERCOMMITTING!! If they skate full speed at the puck carrier and get beat and give up the back door play, please correct them on pressure without putting themselves out of position. If the defender is too effective with their stick, have them flip it and work on footwork, stops and starts and body position. 

Passing Drill

Kids line up on the boards. F1 leaves with the puck and skates to the far cone. Meanwhile F2 leaves without the puck and skates to the close cone and transitions backwards. Once F1 gets to the cone they take a couple strides and pass to F2 who has now transitioned backwards. F2 skates to the start cone backwards and goes around it, then becoming F1. This drill is continuous. SWITCH DIRECTIONS AROUND THE CONE HALF WAY THROUGH. Kids focus on making good passes, keeping top hand away from their body. Following through with their pass so that it doesn't flutter or flip. 

In this drill the players will race to the puck and battle for possession. They can either win the battle, curl out of the corner and get a shot on net or win the battle and pass to the next guy in their line to create a 2 v 1. We will work on puck protection, hard forecheck and making good passes to the player that jumps in to create the 2 v 1. 

This drill goes until the goalie covers the puck, the players score or the player that lost the original battle successfully passes to the next guy in line.