Introduction

This page presents the basics that every player on first- or second-year ice hockey team should know. It’s not an all-encompassing treatise on hockey ... just the basics.

Who am I to teach hockey? I’m an adult intermediate hockey goalie. I started playing hockey in 1995. I have coached a high school roller hockey team and a beginner-level adult ice hockey team; I have helped several players improve their skating skills. I have played in several international ice hockey tournaments. In October, 1999 as a substitute I brought my team, the Ottawa Gladiators, to Second Place in the Recreational Division of the Toronto Friendship Tournament.

Philosophy

My philosophy as an adult intermediate ice hockey player is this:

I’m in it for the fun … and it’s more fun when you win.

My own physical conditioning, practice, and play are based on that idea. It has worked for me, so I offer it to you. Try it on, see how it fits. If you like it, please use it. If it doesn’t fit, or it clashes with your style, then please put it back and try on another one.

Practice

If you think of you weekly games as your practice, then the other teams will pummel you and you will have no fun. If you think you’re good enough and don’t practice, then the other teams that do practice will get better. Then, at playoff time, they will bite you in the ass.

On the other hand, if you practice your basic skills, you will get better. Then you start winning more games and having more fun.

The Basics of Hockey

The basics of hockey are skating, puckhandling, and passing and shooting.

Skating

I’ve seen a lot of skaters who skate really hard but just don’t get anywhere. If you feel like a locomotive on a greased track, you need to adjust your stride. All it takes, really is a minor change to the basic skating technique: Bend your knees and push your foot out to the side at an angle, not straight backwards. Then you need to practice that until you overcome your current bad habit. Go to open skating sessions. Put on your hockey pants and practice skating.

If you have the puck and you’re being chased by an opponent, don’t look! I see it happen all the time: my defenseman is skating with the puck to get away from an opposing forward. Everybody is yelling, "Man on! Man on!" He turns to look … and slows down.

Puckhandling

If you find yourself missing passes and blocks a lot, then you need to practice your puckhandling. Go to a skate-and-shoot, get a puck, and do all those boring drills they taught you in hockey school. Do them a lot. You will get better. Go with a teammate or three and work on stuff together. Doing the drills will improve all aspects of your game.

If you’re leaned way forward to try to get that puck, you won’t have any power or control; neither will you be able to go anywhere. Skate for the puck; don’t reach for it.

Passing & Shooting

If your shot misses a lot, and you find yourself "practicing" your shot at warm-ups instead of warming up your goalie, then you should work on improving your shot. Go to a skate-and-shoot and practice shooting. Get a pike of pucks and work on your shots. Remember that there are several different basic types of shots: snap shot, wrist shot, and slap shot. Have someone show you them and practice them.

No, you don’t have to have a blistering slap shot. I know a lot of players who have amazingly fast slap shots, but most of them have no control over where the shot goes beyond "somewhere in that general direction." A good, accurate wrist shot is more useful than a shot that could punch a hole in the glass.

Forwards

Two Wings and a Center. Remember these basic points:

• A good goalie can always stop a direct shot ... but shoot anyway.
• In your stats, an assist counts as much as a goal. If you can’t shoot, pass.
• Always go for the rebound.

So your job is to look for a good place to be. If you don’t have the puck, then find a place where...

• You can see the goal and
• You can see your teammate who has the puck.

If you do have the puck, then either...

• If you can see the goal, shoot!
• If the goalie looks really good, pass!
• If the goalie can’t see your shot because he’s being screened, shoot!

An assist counts the same in your stats as a goal. That is a measure of how important assists are. There are plenty of hockey players who are famous for setting up plays. They have lots and lots of assists on their records, and not so many goals. These guys make rookies look good by feeding them perfect shots.

If nobody on your team has the puck, then get close to the nearest opponent. If he has the puck, try to get it away from him.

You can’t score from behind the net: only one person should ever be behind the net.

If you’re carrying the puck to the other team’s net, then look for your linemate. Know where he is so you can pass to him if you have to. If your teammate is carrying the puck, then you must provide backup. Be somewhere he can pass to you and where you can score. It is much more difficult for a goalie to stop a two-man deke than a direct shot. Knowing this and using it as your basic scoring strategy is the difference between a beer-league team and an intermediate team.

Defenders

Two defenders and a Goalie work as a unit to defend against goals and set up breakout plays.

Goalie-Defender Contract

• Goalie gets the shot and
• Defenders get the pass.

Defender, don't try to block the shot unless you're absolutely certain you will stop it. If you fumble it or deflect it, you basically cut in half the goalie’s time to react and make the save. Deflecting the shot is what you should be trying to prevent your opponents from doing!

Play your Position.

Right D, that’s everything to the right of the centerline. Left D, that’s everything to the left of the centerline. Goalie, that’s the crease. If circumstances dictate, then Defenders can switch sides. But both Ds should not be on the same side chasing the puck. If it’s not on your side, then you should be looking for the other team’s wingman who will be annoying your goalie’s backside. You can’t prevent a goal from behind the net: only one D should be behind the net. (Remember, the other team can’t score from behind the net, but they can pass to the slot.)

Pretend there's an invisible 20-foot bungee cord stretched between you and your defensive partner. If your partner is behind the net, then you should go to the front of the net. If your partner chases the puck around behind the net to your side, then take over your partner's position and you two switch sides.

Defense Triangle

Imagine a triangle between your goalie, the opponent with the puck, and the opponent who will get the pass. Defenders should never be on the line between the puck and the goalie. It’s likely that the triangle will have one corner in your zone. You should be in that corner, doing three things:

• Be ready to stop the pass.
• Drive the opponent to the boards and back.
• Let your goalie see the shot.

Basic Defensive Strategy

Successful teams always send two or three players to your net. The player with the puck will either shoot or pass. The other player will look for a place where he can see his linemate and the goalie. The teams that always blow out the weaker teams are the ones that have learned this basic scoring strategy. Interestingly, their defenders have also learned what to about it.

If you’re defending, you need to look for that open player and prevent him from getting the pass and scoring. Don’t depend on your goalie to point him out to you—he’s concentrating on the opponent with the puck. It’s your job to find tat open player. He will always be there.

If the open player is on your side, tie him up. Pick up his stick with your stick. Keep him out of the goalie’s face. Make him ineffective as a potential scorer.

If the puck carrier is on your side, tie him up if you can. Try not to screen your goalie or deflect the shot. If the goalie can’t see the shot, he can’t react to it. If you deflect the shot, that cuts the reaction time down and makes it that much more difficult for the goalie to stop it.

Breakouts

Goalies and Defenders work together to set up breakout plays. In beginner leagues, usually the goalie leaves the puck on the red line or behind the net for the defender to pick up and carry forward. If you’re behind the net and an opponent is bearing down on you, pass the puck to the side. Never never never pass the puck directly forward. An opponent will always be there to receive your pass and shoot on your goal. Look for your teammate and pass the puck to him.

Conclusion

I hope you can use what I’ve presented to help you improve your game. I would consider this page a success if you read it, use it, and outgrow it in half a season.

If you have any suggestions or comments for improving this page, please e-mail me.