By Paul LubanskiI am NOT a proponent of teaching and forcing patterned, robotic-like puck movement to young players regardless of whether we are referencing so-called AAA/elite youngsters, let alone A or AA. More specifically, I believe this as it relates to Midget major on down.
In fact, I would argue that the older, more accomplished and gifted the player(s), THE LESS a coach should be drawing-up and demanding specific passing assignments.
It just doesn't make sense.
Why?
Think about it for a moment, the finest hockey in the world is played within and amongst teammates that "feel," read, see and ultimately deliver the biscuit to the most optimum place or area to create a scoring opportunity and/or defend our end.
THAT afore-mentioned fact is truly what ice hockey-- at its purest and most beautiful sense--is ALL about.
So, as coaches, if you accept that premise, stifling the potential creativity we all attempt to promote and teach to our young players is counter-intuitive to the entire process, let alone your individual mandate as coach.
Here is what I recommend:
Identify your quickest, smartest, most unselfish and "aware" players and allow that unit to free-lance on the PP. If you are correct in your assessment and selection, those players should be able to naturally leverage the open-ice granted via the opposing team having one or two-less players defending. A goal is a goal and counts one whether you made four passes leading up to it or a crafty player zipped a "no-look" pass to teammate for tap-in nine seconds into the PP.
Keep in mind that my copyrighted playing-style idea pertaining to SUPPORT, OUTNUMBERING and SMOTHERING ("SOS") the opposition is a huge factor as it relates to the potential success of your PP. In other words, if we have to use four players to win a deep-corner board-battle, then so be it.
You see, the idea is to maintain control of the puck and get it to the net quickly and often.
How do you practice the "SOS" PP?
Simple.
Five on four (or three) in the o-zone with a tremendous emphasis on lightning fast puck-movement, quick-release one-timer type shots and of course, maintaining team-control of the puck by dominating board-battles via out-numbering the other guys/girls.
Once again, if you have chosen the correct players, you will begin to see elements of cycling and one-timer/touch passing and shooting without even having to "draw" it up.
" Hockey sense" will magically surface--I guarantee it.
Suggestions for successful implementation:
-assign one of your two rear-guards the task of being the first-one back in the advent of a blocked-shot, unexpected turnover scenario.
-teach and practice an ALL-IN-ONE-MOTION catch, drag and shoot of the puck to all participants. Unfortunately, many youth coaches mistakenly feel that the hardest and heaviest shot, even though it takes a century to get it off, is the most ideal weapon on a generic PP. Sorry--not true. Accuracy, combined with the fastest-release humanly possible--is what leads to goals for us. No debating that issue.
- verbal COMMUNICATION is also necessary and can and will lead to amazingly advanced creativity. MANDATE that you hear call/whistles between the players comprising the PP unit AT ALL TIMES--no exceptions.
- IMPORTANT: all five players moving, buzzing, whizzing around, jumping into and throughout the defensive coverage and calling for the puck when a stick is open are the ultimate goals. If thses things occur simultaneously, watch how confused and manic the defenders will become!
- I would definitely practice having four players crash the net with their sticks glued to the surface hunting for rebounds. Teams that win consistently score on the PP in a variety of ways and loose-puck around-the-cage bang-ins are one of them. It requires toughness and tenacity to park in or near the "kill-zone" with confidence because the likelihood of being hit hard is strong mainly because your hands are not available for protection if your stick is on the surface where it needs to be. In general, NEVER underestimate the power of a rebound or loose-puck kill-zone goal. It always serves to deflate your opponent and energize the team that nets one.
- PP breakout would be kept extremely simple and would feature a double-flood in order to ingrain the notion that moving up and down the surface as a five-person unit is what we are striving for at all times. O-zone entry would place an accent on possession with a well-placed/timed chip, dump or rim being a last resort option.
- I would utilize PP potential participation as a carrot/reward for the best on and off-ice behavior. The goal however, would be to have ALL players log some time time on the PP as the season wears on.
In closing coaches, by now, I hope you understand and internalize precisely what I am proposing in today's written effort. It is this: promoting and combining "hockey sense" along with a mastery of core skills is your job to embrace and execute. If you take today's advice to heart--encouraging creativity vs. robotic-type, mandated-patterned puck movement--and combine that concept with individual skill development on a daily basis-- you are a great coach.
At least in my eyes you are. I do hope that counts for something.
Best of luck.
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