DEVELOPMENT PRINCIPLES
A major component to our development program is the skill progression from one year to the next. Below is a list of the key principles for each respective level. These help provide players, parents and coaches with a clear set of goals and objectives which help everyone better understand what we are building towards. You will notice that there are no list of the number of wins or loses. Our success is not focusing on wins; our success is focusing on what it takes to win.

There are 5 common skills that we will be recognized for at each level:

1. Passing tape to tape
2. Supporting the puck
3. Attacking the blue line with speed
4. Communicating on the ice
5. Great Defensive one on one skills

Here is a detailed list of 7 skills/principles that your players need to be exposed to by the end of the year:

1. Skating skills: [all levels]

• Proper Stance: Head and shoulders up and level at all times, start the stride from the middle of the body and finish it with full extension. The deeper the knee bend, the longer the stride, the more balance, explosiveness and power the player will have.
• Stopping – both feet together, both sides left and right
• Starting – to the left, right, and V starts. Head and shoulders up, butt down low, explode out forward or backward – not up.
• Forwards skating – Head and shoulders up, knees bent, arm swing is up and back not side to side. A general rule of thumb for holding the stick- one hand through the neutral zone, two hands on their sticks in offensive and defensive zones – sticks on the ice.
• Backwards skating – Head and shoulders up to use entire skate blade, tendency is to get up on the toes. Knees bent, full strides.
• Pivot and transition – forwards to backwards, backwards to forwards on both left and right, lean in with hips while maintaining head and shoulders level, stick on the ice.
• Forward Cross-Over – left and right, leaning in with hips while head and shoulders are level.
• Backward Cross-Over – left and right, pulling the ice with inside foot (Cross unders), head and shoulders level – not hunched over.

2. Passing: [all levels]

• Sweep passes – forehand and backhand, start the puck on the heal of the stick blade and sweep/spin the puck so it travels flat along the ice to your target. The faster and more accurate the pass, the greater opportunity and more time teammates will have to make the next play.
• One touch passing – forehand and backhand
• Saucer passing – forehand and backhand
• Receiving passes – hands out off the body, stick on the ice and square to the passer, knees bent and head up, catch it on back leg so that it can be moved quickly, cup the stick blade over the puck. Have an idea of what your options are before the puck is on your stick.

3. Stick Handling: [all levels]

• Proper grip, top hand is on top of the stick, roll the wrists to cup the puck on the forehand and backhand, knees bent, head up – keep the puck out in front of you so that you can use your peripheral vision to keep the puck under control and keep your head up at the same time to see where the next play is.

4. Shooting

• Wrist shot – [all levels]
  Start puck on heel of stick, head up looking at the net not the puck, knees bent to transfer weight through the shot, follow through high to shoot high, follow through low and turn blade over to shoot low. Do not need to stick handle first and bring it way back to shoot, quick release is the key.
• Backhand shot – [all levels]
  Start puck on heel of stick, head up looking at the net not the puck, knees bent to transfer weight through the shot, follow through high to shoot high, follow through low and turn blade over to shoot low. Do not need to stick handle first and bring it way back to shoot, quick release is the key.
• Snap shot – [pee wee and up]
  Pull the puck in and release, the quicker the better, flex the stick
• Slap shot – [pee wee and up]
  Primarily used for clearing the zone or one-timers, other than that it is the least accurate and slowest shot to get off.
• Slap shot – [pee wee and up]
  Quicker release, good power and accuracy
• Pro shot – [pee wee and up]
  2 inch backswing behind the puck, quick snap and 2 inch follow through – used from the hash marks down

5. Team Principles

• Establish a team dress code for games and tournaments
• Basic nutrition – no simple sugars or fried foods before a game, hydrate hours prior to the point that urine is transparent.
• Team stretching routine [pee wee and up]
  • Minimum 45 minutes prior to the game, need 25 minutes to warm up and partner stretch, builds a consistent routine, working and supporting each other to avoid the risk of injury and perform at higher level.
• How to talk on the ice, good communication is key especially in the defensive end. Here are some key words: – [all levels]:
  • "Time"– no pressure, take your time and set it up
  • "Help"– fell down or got beat, need help
  • "Go"– skate hard in same direction
  • "Switch"– see a pick coming, switch assignments
  • "Control"– take time to set up the puck behind our net
  • "Out"– high and hard off the glass out of our end
  • "Cut"–cut behind the approaching player
  • "Change"–get the puck in deep and get off
• Bench Management – [squirt and up]
  • No yelling at referees or other players at any time
  • Changing on the fly – 30 to 40 second shifts
  • Players always sitting down with sticks ready
  • Knowing when a penalty is a "good" penalty (stops a goal)
  • Knowing the clock – goalies 10 second rule, check the clock each time before taking the ice.
  • No swearing or trash talking opponents
  • Players need to tap each other on the shin pads between line changes, tap the goalies pads after every goal (for or against), and support each other in the corners and in front of the net.
• Have all the players thank the referee and opposing coach after the game
• Group outings – [all levels]
  • Out of town tournaments, Medieval Times, Pizza parties, Sleep overs, Paint balling, Go-Karting, Bowling, Movies, Black Hawk games, Midget Major games

6. Defensive skills

• Angling – [all levels]
  • Check the stick and pinch off your opponent on the boards, separating the man from the puck, moving forwards
• Checking from behind – [all levels]
  • Technique and safety on how to do it properly and avoid getting hit.
• Body Checking – [squirt and up]
  • Giving Shoulder checks open ice, on the boards
  • Containing the man
  • Receiving checks
  • Safety
• Shot blocking – [all levels]
  • Shin pads into the puck, body to his body, slide through the man
• Face offs: Center locks the opposing center each time, win, lose or draw.
  • Defensive Zone loss – [all levels]
    • Center locks the center, wingers lock out the opposing defensemen, defensemen lock out opposing wingers
  • Neutral Zone loss – [squirt and up]
    • Center locks the center, strong side winger forces the play, weak side winger locks, defensemen step up
  • Offensive Zone loss – [squirt and up]
    • Center locks the center, one winger forechecks, one winger locks their winger, defensemen hold the line
• Defensive Zone – [all levels]
  • All 5 players below the defensive – line in our end when the puck is below the line, weak side winger is in the slot for low support, defensemen take the forwards, center picks up the loose puck.
  • Rebounds in front of the net – eliminate the stick, the man, then the puck
• First backchecker – [pee wee and up]
  • The first forward back in the zone, regardless if it is the center or wing, is the low many until the puck clears the zone.
• 1 on 1 and 2 on 1 principles – [all levels]
  • No sweep checks ever! Poke check – stick on stick - while maintaining defensive side positioning (between opponent and our net). Divide the rink in half, force the widest and lowest shot possible and take away the middle of the ice as an option to pass or skate.
  • Always stop and start in our end, no curls or turns, do not turn your back on the puck while maintaining defensive side positioning on your man
• Always keep your stick on the ice and in passing lanes
• 3 on 2 principles – [Squirt and up]
  • Strong side D has 2 on 1, weak side plays it 1 on 1 – good gap control
• Penalty kill [Squirt and up]
  • 4 man defensive zone (1-3)
  • 3 man defensive zone (triangle)
  • Forechecking 1-1-2 weak side lock
  • 30 second shifts - goal is to rotate through 4 shifts
• Forecheck – [Squirt and up]
  • 1-3-1 aggressive when they have control in both offensive and neutral zone
  • F1 takes the man, waits for support; F2 plays the puck – all zones

7. Offensive Skills

• "Bump" – [Mite and Squirt]
  • On offense, bumping the puck off the boards, skating around the opponent and picking up the puck on the other side in full stride.
• Supporting the puck – [all levels]
  • We want players to come across the ice on 45 degree angles to support the puck instead of skating straight up the ice. Follow your passes and try to always give the puck carrier a passing option.
• Attack the Blue line with SPEED – [all levels]
  • F1 – drives the puck wide
  • F2 – drives the net creating room for trailer
  • F3 – trails the play in the high slot
• Cut back – [all levels]
  • When attacking the blue line, if there is no pass, no shot, no ice ahead, curl back towards the boards and attack again – either that or dump the puck in deep and change the lines.
• Breakout –"Cut" – [all levels]
  • A defenseman carries the puck behind the net, cuts back towards the boards and fires a tape to tape pass to the winger supporting low in the corner. Center mirrors the defensemen and cuts across to support the winger receiving the pass, weak side winger cuts across to support the center and be an outlet. – get winger to use indirect pass under pressure
• Face off – Defensive Zone [all levels]
  • Board side defenseman and center box out their opponents, net side defensemen swings in to pick up the puck, winger supports low.
• Face off – Offensive Blue line – "BLUE"
  [Squirt and up]
  • Center drives forward, board side winger cuts across behind and attacks the line.
• Face off – Offensive Zone – "RED"
  [Pee Wee and up]
  • Center wins the puck back, net side winger boxes out opposing winger, defense bring the puck to the middle for a shot or chip pass low.
• Face off – 6 man "RED"
  • Three players in front, middle guy pops out for one-timer
• Face off – Defensive Zone "STRETCH"
  • Inside winger drives out for long bomb pass
• Scissors – [Squirt and up]
  • Defensive Zone – on the boards with the winger
  • Neutral Zone Regroup - with the defensemen
  • Offensive Zone – on the blue line with the defensemen
• Power Play – [Squirt and up]
  • High pick
  • Out number them on the puck at all times
• Power Play – [Pee Wee and up]
  • Low pick
  • Breakout
• Scoring – [all levels]
  • Shoot for goalies skates on bad angles, quick release and on net are most important
  • Cycling – support on the boards, rotate
  • Shooting in stride

Core Systems:

At the NHL level, it took the Vancouver Canucks a full season to master one forechecking system. Keep in mind they practice every single day, for two full hours and are some of the smartest, most dedicated professionals in the world.

As an amateur club, practicing once or twice a week, with players missing all the time for various reasons, there is no way we can think that our kids are going to get this in one week, one month or even one year. This is why having core systems and principles each year is so important to the long term success of the club.

In the past, kids were being subjected to different coaches every year or two, with different breakouts, power plays, forechecks, philosophies, etc. They would waste half of the season trying to understand a system, and then at the end of the year when they finally have a better grasp of it, they move up a level to a completely new system and start all over again.

This holds back our kids from ever reaching their true potential as players, spending time worrying out there if they are in the right place instead of focusing on improving their individual skills as a player and playing the game hard. Now, with this new direction, we can build on the past experience from one year to the next and properly develop consistent instincts and tendencies. The game is too fast to think, you have to react.

In order to be effective, we needed to develop systems that were suitable for all levels, for all surfaces, and for all situations. Like anything in life, the more simple the process the more effective the results.

It is a highly educated and professional approach to amateur hockey, once mastered; it will prove to be one of the most effective development programs in the world.

We are already well on our way, however, the true potential of this club will not be realized for another 3 to 4 years. Right now, we are building the foundation for the highest levels of athletic excellence; it is a very exciting place to be.

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