8U/Mites

  • High amount of activity, low rest – should not spend large amounts of time standing in line, waiting to participate in drills
  • Station based practices
  • Lots of fun, learn by doing no coach lecturing

Individual skill improvement – 85%

Hockey sense -15%

Systems – 0%

Optimal windows of trainability

Speed – constant stopping and starting, changing directions, puck races small area

Suppleness (flexibility) – variety of activities and exercises through full range of motion

Player Knowledge – not at cognitive level for lectures on topics

  1. Puck pursuit – pressure puck aggressively, engage in battles, gain possession
  2. Puck support – learn to make themselves available to receive pass. Beginning idea of getting open
  3. Acceptable on-ice conduct – sportsmanship
  4. Allowable contact with opponents –reinforce and correct allowable types of contact with sticks and body. Sticks on ice when in puck battles to form good habits

Individual Skills

  1. Skating
  1. Ready position
  2. Edge control
  3. Forward start
  4. Forward stride
  5. Controlled stop: two foot & one foot snowplow
  6. Controlled turn
  7. Forward crossover
  8. Backward skating
  9. Backward stop
  10. ABC’s of skating (agility,balance, coordination, and speed drills)
  1. Puck Control
  1. Lateral (side-to-side) stickhandling
  2. Front-to-back stickhandling
  3. Diagonal stickhandling
  4. Attacking the triangle
  1. Passing & Receiving
  1. Forehand pass
  2. Backhand pass
  3. Receiving a pass properly with the stick
  1. Shooting
  1. Wrist shot
  2. Backhand
  1. Body contact
  1. Stick on puck
  2. Stick lift
  1. Goaltending

At this level all players should rotate at goalie and should be no full time goaltenders to develop athleticism for all participants

Off-ice activities

Exercises and games that improve agility, balance, coordination

  1. Stretching/flexibility
  2. Fun games
  3. Relays
  4. Eye-hand coordination exercises

10U/Squirts

  • Golden age of skill development 8-12
  • Majority of practice is skill development

Individual skill improvement - 75%

Hockey sense (smallarea) – 15%

Systems – 10%

Optimal Windows of Trainability

  1. Speed – constant stopping, starting, changing direction, & puck races in small area
  2. Suppleness (flexibility) – variety of activities and exercises through full range of motion
  3. Skill Acquisition and Development – prime age for skill development/sport skills

Player Knowledge

  1. Rules
  1. Face-offs
  2. Body contact
  3. Offsides
  4. Icing
  5. Checking from behind
  1. Common Infractions
  1. Unsportsmanlike conduct
  2. Body check/checking from behind
  3. Cross-checking/charging
  4. Head contact, elbowing, high-sticking
  5. Tripping/hooking
  6. Interference/holding
  1. Penalties
  1. Minor
  2. Major

Individual Hockey Skills

  1. Skating
  1. Ready position
  2. Edge control
  3. Forward start
  4. Forward stride
  5. Controlled stop: two foot & one foot snowplow
  6. Controlled turn
  7. Forward crossover
  8. Backward skating
  9. Backward stop
  10. ABC’s of skating (agility, balance, coordination, and speed drills)
  11. One-foot stop
  12. Backward crossover
  13. Mohawk turn
  1. Puck Control
  1. Lateral (side-to-side) stickhandling
  2. Front-to-back stickhandling
  3. Diagonal stickhandling
  4. Attacking the triangle
  5. Puck protection
  6. Change of pace
  7. Toe drag
  8. Give and take
  9. Accelerating with the puck (one-hand carry)
  1. Passing & Receiving
  1. Forehand pass
  2. Backhand pass
  3. Receiving a pass properly with the stick
  4. Saucer pass (forehand/backhand)
  5. Receiving pass with skate
  6. Indirect pass
  1. Shooting
  1. Wrist shot
  2. Backhand
  3. Flip shot
  4. Screen shot
  5. Deflection
  6. Off rebound
  1. Body contact
  1. Stick on puck
  2. Stick lift
  3. Poke check
  4. Gap control concept
  5. Body positioning & angling
  1. Goaltending
  1. Positioning

-Proper stance

-Angling

  1. Movement

-Forward

-Backward

-Lateral

  1. Save technique

-Stick

-Gloves

-Body& pads

-Butterfly

  1. Recovery

Team Play

  1. Offense concepts
  1. 2 on 1 situations
  2. 1 on 1 situations
  3. Triangle offense
  1. Defensive Concepts
  1. Gap control
  2. Protect center of the ice
  3. Stick on puck
  4. Backchecking
  5. Body Position: man-you-net
  6. Basic defensive zone coverage

Off-ice activities

Exercises and games that improve agility, balance, coordination

  1. Stretching/flexibility
  2. Fun games
  3. Relays
  4. Eye-hand coordination exercises
  5. Fun games
  6. Jump rope activities
  7. Off-ice stickhandling

12U/Peewees

  • Golden age of skill development 8-12
  • Majority of practice is skill development
  • Hockey sense becomes crucial (teach concepts through small area games)

Individual Skills – 65%

Hockey Sense (small area) – 25%

Systems – 10%

Optimal Window of Trainability

  1. Skill Acquisition and Development – prime window acquire and develop sport skill
  2. Speed – increase stopped by improving stride length (drills requiring high velocity for shorter intervals of time)
  3. Stamina –improve endurance, prolonged physical or mental activity
  1. Rules
  1. Face-offs
  2. Body contact
  3. Offsides
  4. Icing
  5. Checking from behind
  1. Common Infractions
  1. Unsportsmanlike conduct
  2. Body check/checking from behind/boarding
  3. Cross-checking/charging/slashing
  4. Head contact, elbowing, high-sticking
  5. Tripping/hooking/kneeing
  6. Interference/holding
  1. Penalties
  1. Minor
  2. Major
  3. Misconduct
  4. Penalty shot
  5. Match penalty

Individual Hockey Skills

  1. Skating
  1. Ready position – ability to find strong position when engaged with body contact
  2. Edge control
  3. Forward start
  4. Forward stride
  5. Controlled stop: two foot & one foot snowplow
  6. Controlled turn
  7. Forward crossover
  8. Backward skating
  9. Backward stop
  10. ABC’s of skating (agility, balance, coordination, and speed drills)
  11. One-foot stop
  12. Backward crossover
  13. Mohawk turn
  14. Lateral skating
  15. Backward cross-under start
  16. Backward two-skate stop
  17. Backward power stop (one skate)
  1. Puck Control
  1. Lateral (side-to-side) stickhandling
  2. Front-to-back stickhandling
  3. Diagonal stickhandling
  4. Attacking the triangle
  5. Puck protection
  6. Change of pace
  7. Toe drag
  8. Give and take
  9. Accelerating with the puck (one-hand carry)
  10. Change of direction
  11. Backward puck control
  12. Fakes & deception while stickhandling
  13. Puck off the boards
  1. Passing & Receiving
  1. Forehand pass
  2. Backhand pass
  3. Receiving a pass properly with the stick
  4. Saucer pass (forehand/backhand)
  5. Receiving pass with skate
  6. Indirect pass
  7. Receiving a pass with hand
  8. Surround the puck
  9. One touch passes
  10. Area passes
  1. Shooting
  1. Wrist shot
  2. Backhand
  3. Flip shot
  4. Screen shot
  5. Deflection
  6. Off rebound
  7. Snap shot
  8. Slap shot
  9. Fake shots
  1. Body contact
  1. Stick on puck
  2. Stick lift
  3. Poke check
  4. Gap control concept
  5. Body positioning & angling
  6. Stick press
  7. Angling
  8. Delivering body contact
  9. Receiving body contact
  1. Goaltending
  1. Positioning

-Proper stance

-Angling

  1. Movement

-Forward

-Backward

-Lateral

  1. Save technique

-Stick

-Gloves

-Body & pads

-Butterfly

-Slidingbutterfly

  1. Recovery
  2. Stopping puck behind net
  3. Puck retention

-Cradling

-Rebound control

  1. Game situations

-Screen shots

-Walkouts

-Wraparounds

Team Play

  1. Offense concepts
  1. 2 on 1 situations
  2. 1 on 1 situations
  3. Triangle offense
  4. Team Play in each zone
  5. Face-offs
  6. Zone entry
  7. Power-play concepts
  1. Defensive Concepts
  1. Gap control
  2. Protect center of the ice
  3. Stick on puck
  4. Backchecking
  5. Body Position: man-you-net
  6. Basic defensive zone coverage
  7. Defending the middle of the ice
  8. 1 on 1 even numbered situations
  9. 2 on 1 odd numbered situations
  10. Forechecking
  11. Man-short concepts
  12. Shot blocking

Off-ice activities

Exercises and games that improve agility, balance, coordination

  1. Quickness activities
  2. Team games
  3. Sprint workouts
  4. Light calisthenics
  5. Flexibility exercises
  6. Relays
  7. Upper Body strength, body weight resistance
  8. Off-ice skill development
  1. Slide board
  2. Stickhandling with various types of balls
  3. Shooting range
  4. Passing

14U/Bantam

  • Aim for appropriate rest-to-work ratio (use of anaerobic system)
  • Incorporate drills that teach skills related to body contact

Individual Skills – 50%

Hockey sense (small area) – 35%

Systems – 15%

Optimal Windows of Trainability

  1. Speed – increase speed by improving stride length & stride frequency (high velocity for shorter intervals of time)
  2. Stamina – improve endurance (prolonged physical or mental effort)
  3. Strength – proper weighted training
  1. Rules
  1. Face-offs
  2. Body contact
  3. Offsides
  4. Icing
  5. Checking from behind
  6. Player conduct
  1. Common Infractions
  1. Unsportsmanlike conduct
  2. Body check/checking from behind/boarding
  3. Cross-checking/charging/slashing
  4. Head contact, elbowing, high-sticking
  5. Tripping/hooking/kneeing
  6. Interference/holding
  7. Unsportsmanlike conduct, fighting & attempt to injure
  1. Penalties
  1. Minor
  2. Major
  3. Misconduct
  4. Penalty shot
  5. Match penalty

Individual Hockey Skills

  1. Skating
  1. Ready position – ability to find strong position when engaged with body contact
  2. Edge control
  3. Forward start
  4. Forward stride
  5. Controlled stop: two foot & one foot snowplow
  6. Controlled turn
  7. Forward crossover
  8. Backward skating
  9. Backward stop
  10. ABC’s of skating (agility, balance, coordination, and speed drills)
  11. One-foot stop
  12. Backward crossover
  13. Mohawk turn
  14. Lateral skating
  15. Backward cross-under start
  16. Backward two-skate stop
  17. Backward power stop (one skate)
  18. Quickness
  19. Speed
  20. Agility
  21. Power
  22. Change of direction
  23. Balance (use of edges)
  1. Puck Control
  1. Lateral (side-to-side) stickhandling
  2. Front-to-back stickhandling
  3. Diagonal stickhandling
  4. Attacking the triangle
  5. Puck protection
  6. Change of pace
  7. Toe drag
  8. Give and take
  9. Accelerating with the puck (one-hand carry)
  10. Change of direction
  11. Backward puck control
  12. Fakes & deception while stickhandling
  13. Puck off the boards
  14. Fake shot
  15. Stop & go
  16. Spin around
  1. Passing & Receiving
  1. Forehand pass
  2. Backhand pass
  3. Receiving a pass properly with the stick
  4. Saucer pass (forehand/backhand)
  5. Receiving pass with skate
  6. Indirect pass
  7. Receiving a pass with hand
  8. Surround the puck
  9. One touch passes
  10. Area passes
  11. Crisp pass
  1. Shooting
  1. Wrist shot
  2. Backhand
  3. Flip shot
  4. Screen shot
  5. Deflection
  6. Off rebound
  7. Snap shot
  8. Slap shot
  9. Fake shots
  10. Stick position in scoring areas
  11. Shots in close
  1. Body contact
  1. Stick on puck
  2. Stick lift
  3. Poke check
  4. Gap control concept
  5. Body positioning & angling
  6. Stick press
  7. Angling
  8. Delivering body contact
  9. Receiving body contact
  10. Shoulder check
  11. Receiving a body check
  1. Goaltending
  1. Positioning

-Proper stance

-Angling

  1. Movement

-Forward

-Backward

-Lateral

  1. Save technique

-Stick

-Gloves

-Body & pads

-Butterfly

-Sliding butterfly

  1. Recovery
  2. Puck handling

-Stopping puck behind net

-Passing the puck

Forehand

Backhand

-Clearing the puck

Forehand

Backhand

  1. Puck retention

-Cradling

-Rebound control

  1. Game situations

-Screen shots

-Walkouts

-Wraparounds

-Breakaways

-Line rushes (odd & ever)

-Face-offs in defensive zone

-Communication with teammates

Team Play

  1. Offense concepts
  1. 2 on 1 situations
  2. 1 on 1 situations
  3. Triangle offense
  4. Team Play in each zone
  5. Face-offs
  6. Zone entry
  7. Power-play concepts
  8. Offensive principles: pressure, transition, support
  9. Cycling
  1. Defensive Concepts
  1. Gap control
  2. Protect center of the ice
  3. Stick on puck
  4. Backchecking
  5. Body Position: man-you-net
  6. Basic defensive zone coverage
  7. Defending the middle of the ice
  8. 1 on 1 even numbered situations
  9. 2 on 1 odd numbered situations
  10. Forechecking
  11. Man-short concepts
  12. Shot blocking
  13. Defensive principles: pressure, transition, support
  14. Defensive play in each zone
  15. Boxing out and fronting an opponent

Off-ice activities

Exercises and games that improve agility, balance, coordination

  1. Speed workouts
  2. Strength workouts using body weight
  3. Range of motion exercises
  4. Aerobic & anaerobic workouts
  5. Off-ice skill development
  1. Slide board
  2. Stickhandling with various types of balls
  3. Shooting range
  4. Passing