Offensive habits without the puck

Good Hockey Habits by Guy Gadowsky
December 22, 2005 -- Good habits make good hockey players. University of Alaska Fairbanks head hockey coach Guy Gadowsky says that the following are hockey habits he emphasizes at the Division I college level. Most of these habits apply to all the levels. The sooner a player develops these habits the deeper they will root and the more consistent they will be. When college and pro scouts and coaches evaluate players they evaluate the consistency of many of these habits.

General Habits

Defensive Habits Playing the Puck Carrier

Defensive Habits Away from the Puck Carrier

Offensive Habits with the Puck

Offensive Habits Playing without the Puck

These hockey habits apply when playing without the puck:

1) Give Good Targets. Keep your stick on the ice and give good passing targets in an open passing lane. Move to open passing lanes. Make it easy to get you the puck.

2) Support Puck Carrier. Support the puck carrier by moving to open passing lanes, following in the open space created by the puck carrier’s movement or going at and isolating defenders so that the puck carrier has more space to move to. Passing lanes, open ice, and defender positions are constantly changing, therefore supporting players must be constantly looking, reading, and moving.

3) Never Offside. Never go offside, especially on an odd man rush. Read the play, stay under control, and stay onside even if it means stopping.

Defensemen Retrieving Dumb-ins

Bench Management

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