We often look at a hockey star and think it’s all talent. Sure, they have that in abundance, but the best in the game consistently invest in the improvement of their core skills. Now, these tips will not make you Mario Lemieux or Connor McDavid, but any player who can master these 10 core skills will be a solid addition to any squad.
The Base of Hockey: Skating
Skating is the key to becoming a great hockey player, the foundation block. It seems like an obvious point, but many hockey players tend to learn until they are ‘good enough’, and then turn their focus to other skills.
But without mastering skating, your other skills will not be enough. You need to train to move faster, learn how to turn and stop on a dime, and have the perfect backup mechanisms. Edge control, balance, and speed all need to be mastered through intentional training.
Soft Hands, Quick Reactions: Stick Handling
Stick handling is fundamental in hockey. There are plenty of drills you can incorporate into your training, even if you’ve played for several years.
You don’t even need to be on the ice to improve your stick handling. Sometimes, just having a flat surface that’s okay with a few scratches is more than enough.
Here’s a simple drill: roll a ball around cones using only your wrists, nothing else. Start slowly, and ramp up once you feel comfortable.
Protect Possession: Puck Control
If your team has the puck, the other team can’t score. It really is that simple. Being able to control the puck is the final part of the trifecta, and it’s an essential skill of any decent hockey player.
You need to learn to shield and protect the puck. Use your body position to keep it away from your opponent. The main thing is that you need to know the puck without having to look at it. Even a glance can throw everything else off balance.
Keep It Moving: Passing
Passing is an elite player skill, with pundits often hotly debating who should be crowned the best passer in the game. Hockey does not like players who keep the puck for too long, no matter how talented they might be with a stick. The best teams keep the puck moving, with perfect timing and accuracy.
Passing creates chances for your teammates. It keeps the pressure on your opponent. And a puck that’s passed means you do less of the heavy lifting, conserving your energy for when it matters.
Finish the Play: Shooting
The ultimate endpoint in hockey is scoring goals. Learn wrist shots, slap shots, and backhands. Don’t just have one specialism, as each situation calls for a different shot.
To be a high-level player, accuracy is paramount. In some games, you may get just one opportunity. You need to be ready to take it, but quickly transition from handling the puck to shooting it.
Undervalued Skill: Defensive Positioning
When we’re kids on the ice, we all want to be Wayne Gretzky, the best to ever do it. It’s understandable; he was an offensive powerhouse. But don’t undervalue defense, it’s just as important.
Learn to position your body, anticipate the play before it happens. Force bad angles, break up play by simply being in the right place. Good footwork is essential, enabling you to guide play away from your team’s goal.
Disrupting Your Opponent: Checking and Stick Pressure
There are plenty of legal ways in hockey that allow you to disrupt an opponent’s star player. Learn to master these without going over the edge.
Smart pressure leads to turnovers. Combine this with a disciplined approach, using legal stick-checks and poke-checks to get the puck back for your team.
Student of the Game: Awareness
The stars of the game seem to be faster than everyone else, even if they don’t always seem to be physically imposing. This is because they know the game like a chess player, able to predict movement and what’s coming next.
Become a student of the game. Watch tape, and study what the best in the business do to stand out. Learn to love being away from the ice, investing time and effort to watch hockey with a coach’s eye.
Talk Your Way to Results: Communication
The best way to let your teammate know what you want? Tell them. Learn to communicate, when to call for pucks, how to warn teammates about a dangerous passage of play, and learn to be vocal.
This doesn’t always mean shouting louder than someone else. You need to learn to communicate by talking, yes, but also look at more subtle signals. A glance from a teammate, a shift in their body positioning, for example.
Stacking Skills: More Than the Sum
Finally, hockey success comes from blending a range of core elements, which is a skill in itself. Skating, puck control, passing, shooting, not one more important than the other. Build each core skill to a solid level, and the synergy between them will naturally lift your whole game.
You don’t need to be the most talented. And physicality and athleticism are also overrated. The best hockey players are those who invest in their training, creating an intentional plan to improve their game each time they step on the ice.
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