The most essential skill in hockey, which is the prerequisite to most others, is skating. The ability to skate efficiently and effectively allows a player to begin to effectively develop all other skills involved with the game of hockey – and this include the Checking skills.
The following two drills focus on the two foundational skills of Skating & Angling. The beauty of these drills lie in the fact that both can be executed with a Body Check, Body Contact, a Stick Check or no contact at all – in addition, both drills are appropriate from Novice to Junior hockey! They both simulate games conditions and will also add the element of competition on your practices!
The objective of this drill is to teach defensive player to save ice skating off the puck, limiting the puck carrier to one option.
The objective of this drill is to close quickly and angle the puck carrier to the outside while maintaining speed.
This story was featured in a recent edition of Hometown Hockey Magazine. If you are not an OMHA member, subscribe now or read the digital edition today!