Defensemen

Good Defensive 1-on-1

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The key points shown in this example are as follows:

  1. Properly managed gap; two stick lengths as they cross the blue line.
  2. Good upper body posture; arms loose, but compact. Hands at the hips.
  3. Poke check, not swipe check; you can poke check and miss all day long, and still maintain proper body positioning.
  4. Stick on stick, body on body.
  5. Re-closing the gap; after the Swiss player turns back, the Russian defenseman re-closes the gap to maintain proper positioning in case of a re-entry.

D-Man Joining The Rush

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Here’s a great example of how defencemen should look to join the rush. By coming late with speed the defender completely misses him.

Beauty goal for the OT winner by my nephew, Ben Chiarot!

The Importance of “Good Sticks”

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The value of having a “good stick” sounds obvious, but many miss the fact that “good stick” doesn’t involve lunging at the opponent to knock the puck free. By simply presenting your blade in the area of the offensive player’s puck-handling (stick-to-puck) while maintaining your defensive positioning, it’s stunning how often you make them do … Read more