Hockey School - "Puck Support"

Puck Support is providing pass options for your teammate that has the puck by skating into open areas on the ice. It is important that players visualize the different ways they can accomplish this very important, yet often neglected, part of offensive team play. Coaches need to design drills where young players have to think about skating to open ice, using delays and leading teammates with passes.

Today’s game of speed and skill requires players to interchange positions several times each shift. No longer can a winger skate up and down the boards and be effective. Players must constantly support each other and constantly move the puck (See 2008 Detroit Red Wings!). The most effective teams and players don’t ‘rim the puck around the boards’ or ‘chip it out off the glass’, they provide support to each other in all areas of the ice and rely on sound puck movement.