Over the last few practices, we focused entirely on the offensive zone. The cycle was introduced and refined, players are making crisper passes, protecting the puck more naturally, and can even now enter the offensive zone immediately initiating a cycle. Everyone is progressing very well and I think the team “passing” rating improved by +10 points in just a few weeks.

Continued repetition of setting up and cycling is important, but we have a gap before we can look at things from a full-ice perspective, because offense naturally begins in the defensive zone.

For the next 1-2 skills practices, we’re going to focus on the breakout (with some offense too) before we combine the breakout and offensive cycle entry into one big drill.

Just like our prior practices, we’ll take a progressive drill approach and eventually make the complex look easy by adding layers.

We’ll spend ~65 minutes or so on breakouts, leaving ~15-20 minutes for small ice games at the end. Any drill progressions we don’t have time for will be saved for the Dec 6 practice.

This week, we’re going to have separate warm-up drills for defence and forwards.

Warm-up Drill [FORWARDS ONLY]: Continuous Breakout Passing (with a shot)

Similar to the continuous cycle drill, one the drill is initiated, everyone will rotate through both positions before going back in line.

To initiate the drill, F1 (winger) will skate hard to the boards by the hashmarks. The F2 (center) will hover in front of the crease. F1 receives a breakout pass from the coach while F2 starts to swing low and then up the ice to receive a bump-out pass from F1.

F2 skates around the cone and goes in for a shot (then goes back in line). F1 now becomes F2 and hovers in front of the crease, while the next player in line becomes F1 and skates hard to the opposite-side boards.

Rinse & repeat for maximum reps:

• Player joining the drill from the line always goes to the boards (F1 – Winger)
• Player who was along the boards receiving the breakout pass (F1 – Winger) and bumping to F2 will then become F2
• Player who receives the bump pass, skates around the cone and shoots (F2 – Center) goes back in line.
• Always alternates sides

Warm-up Drill [DEFENSE ONLY]: Continuous D-to-D and Breakout Passing

Simple but effective and important drill with defenders lined up at the hashmarks on both sides.

Coach initiates the drill by passing a puck to either line. The first player from each line will advance towards the coach, pass back to the coach once they reach the blueline, and pivot to backwards.

The coach will return the pass to either defender, and they’ll begin skating backwards making crisp D-to-D passes. Obstacles (like a net) will be in the middle to ensure defenders are looking before passing, and moving backwards (hinging) to get open.

Once both defenders are behind the goal line, the player with the puck will send a breakout pass back to the front of the line, and the next 2 defenders will go.

Main Drill #1: First Progression – Continuous Breakout to Winger Rush

Next we’ll bring defenders and forwards back together, in separate lines, running the same drill out of both ends of the ice to get more players skating to maximize reps. These next 4 progressive breakout drills are dependent on clean execution of the skills worked on during warm-up.

In this simplest progression, the coach will dump a puck into the corner. The first defender skates to retrieve the puck while the first forward skates to the boards.

The defender will look up, and make a tape-to-tape breakout pass. The forward skates over the cone and initiates a 1on1.

After a shot is taken, the coach will dump another puck into the same corner. The defender will retrieve the puck while the forward skates hard to the opposite-side boards.

Because the passing option is at the opposite site, the defender must skate behind the net in order to make another tape-to-tape breakout pass, followed by a second 1v1. Both players return to line.

Rinse & repeat, each player always goes twice (each side) before rotating.

Main Drill #2: Second Progression – Continuous Breakout to Center Bump

In the second progression, the forwards will use what they learned in the warm-up drill and 2 will go at the same time. The first forward, F1 (winger) still skates hard to the boards. The second forward in line, F2 (center) hovers in front of the crease.

The defender makes a tape-to-tape breakout pass to F1, who bump-passes to F2 who is now curling up the ice. Both F1 and F2 skate above the cone and engage the defender on a 2v1.

After a shot is made, the coach dumps another puck into the same corner. The process repeats on the opposite-side boards (again, forcing the defender to skate behind the net).

Forwards retain the same position for both sides of the drill, as in, F1 (winger) will skate hard to the boards on both sides, and F2 (center) will curl up the ice on both sides. Try to change order / positions once back in line.

Main Drill #3: Third Progression – Continuous Breakout to Double Winger Rush

This third progression involves the same number of players, except that F1 and F2 are both wingers. Once the coach dumps the puck into the corner, F1 will skate to the right boards, and F2 will skate to the left boards.

The defender will retrieve the puck, and skate behind the net, evaluating his 2 open passing options.

After a tape-to-tape pass to either option is made, both forwards will curl around their respective cone and engage a 2v1.

The coach will dump another puck into the corner to initiate the process a second time. Both times, the defender can choose to pass to either forward.

Forwards should retain their positions and skate back to the same boards for both reps.

Main Drill #4: Fourth Progression – Continuous Full Breakout to 3v2, with Pressure on D

Time permitting, we’ll get to the fourth progression of this drill, which combines the prior two.

This time, 2 defenders and 3 forwards are skating at the same time. Once a coach dumps the puck into the corner:

• D1 (first defender) retrieves the puck and skates behind the net
• D2 (second defender) skates to the front of the net
• F1 (first forward, winger) skates to the right boards
• F2 (second forward, winger) skates to the left boards
• F3 (third forward, center) hovers above the crease

For the sake of practice, D2 will turn and forecheck D1, choosing either side to go around the net (faking is also an option). D1 keeps their head up and reads which side the forecheck is coming from, and takes a couple strides to the open side before initiating a tape-to-tape breakout pass to that winger.

The winger will bump to the center, and all 3 forwards will curl around their respective cone. Both the passing and forechecking D will close the gap and engage in a 3v2.

This process will repeat twice with the coach dumping a second puck into the same corner, before rotating.

All players should retain their positions for both reps (wingers return to same boards, same forward is center for both reps, same defender forechecks for both reps) and should ensure to rotate once back in line.

Main Drill #5: 2-Pass Small-Ice Game

The last 15-20 minutes will be a small-ice (2 zones at the same time) game, either 3v3 or 4v4 depending on attendance.

Teams must make at least 2 passes to gain possession before shooting. The pass counter resets upon any turnover (and another 2 passes are required).

Either team may pass to a coach as an additional outlet. The coach should return it back to the same team. This does count toward the pass counter.