KGHA 2020, HOUSELEAGUE Development- Lesson #2, NOVICE & ATOM

KGHA 2019.20 DEVELOPMENT
NOVICE & ATOM

DRILL TYPE DRILL NAME TIME
WARMUP 2 Phase Puck Protection 12-14
STATION #1 ABC Shooting
STATION #2 Obstacle 8’s 10
STATION #3 Circle Passing 10
GROUP Tic Tac Toe 10
6-8
HALF ICE BREAKUP

FULL ICE BREAKUP

LESSON LOGISTICS

WARMUP- will be done as one big group, breaking players up into lines of 4-6
players. Goalies are encouraged to take part in the warmup with the players
STATIONS- Players should be broken up into 3 groups of 4-6 players dependent on
team size and attendance.
WHEN GROUPING- Players should be grouped based on ability to provide the best
development environment possible

EQUIPMENT NEEDED

PUCKS PYLONS MARKERS

KGHA 2019.20 DEVELOPMENT

WARMUPà 3 PHASE PUCK PROTECTION

DRILL SET UP:
Players will break into partners for this drill, sharing one puck
Coaches will draw “circles” on the ice to designate the areas for the players to complete the
drill/protect
The drill is for the player protecting the puck with the player who is protecting the puck
providing enough pressure to make it difficult for the player BUT not actually trying to
separate them from the puck

Description: As indicated, players will break up into partners, finding an area of the ice to work
through the progressions listed on the following pages under the guidance of the coaches
The drill will be broken into three distinct phases with an emphasis on player safety, body positioning
and puck positioning throughout
Each phase will work on a distinct element and require slight variations on puck/body positioning in
order to be able to protect the puck in a safe and effective manner

KGHA 2019.20 DEVELOPMENT

2 PHASE PUCK PROTECTIONà COACHING PROCESS
NOVICE & ATOM

FOCUS: PUCK PROTECTION
KEY TEACHING POINTS

GOOD ATHLETIC STANCEà PLAYER BETWEEN PUCK AND OPPOSITION à POSITION OVER POSSESION

PHASE: #1: Body Position x2
Partner one will be positioned in front of the puck with player two behind him/her. Player two will place
his/her stick horizontally on player ones pants. Player two will move in a circular motion around the puck
forcing player one to move and use his/her body to “protect” the puck—player one may not handle the
puck during this phase. Emphasis should be placed on player two not trying to get the puck but instead
trying to help player one work on his/her skill.
PHASE #2: Touch The Puck x2
Player two’s stick is once again placed horizontally across player one’s pants. Player two will once again
move in a circular motion around the puck forcing player one to move and use his/her body to “protect”
the puck— this time however handling the puck. Players should not be skating around for these first two
phases instead they should just be rotating around the puck when needed.
PHASE #3: On the Boards x2
players will move to the boards with player two being behind player one once again, however this time
the player two will have his/her stick on the ice. Player one will have his/her shoulder on the boards with
the puck in front. When player two reaches for the puck player one will protect the puck and rotate until
his/her other shoulder is on the boards. Emphasis should be placed on safety and player one not putting
his/her body in a vulnerable position. This drill will once again be performed in a small area

STRESS THIS…
Protect yourself and then the puck! Safety should always be in the forefront when teaching puck
protection. The ability to protect the puck NEVER comes before the ability to protect yourself
When protecting the puck there are two areas that lead to success—body positioning and distance. This
refers to the players body position relating the opponent and puck AND the distance of this puck from the
opponent.
Coaches should preach keeping their body in between the opponent and the puck and getting it far (but
accessible) from their body
OWN YOUR ICE! Players protecting the puck should be able to use their body positioning, stance and
edges to own their area of the ice. In a game you are often forced to protect the puck in a small area of
the ice, so being able to control the ice at your disposable is key

REGRESSIONS
This warmup will be run by Next Gen Coaches
Regressions will be added in where deemed appropriate based of the group

ADVANCED PROGRESSIONS
This warmup will be run by Next Gen Coaches
Progressions will be added in where deemed appropriate based of the group

KGHA 2019.20 DEVELOPMENT

STATION #1à ABC SHOOTING

DRILL SET UP:
2 Nets needed per team
2-3 players will be assigned to each net
Players will shooting from 8-12 feet away from the net

DRILL DESCRIPTION:
Basic wrist shots are the focus of this drill. Emphasis should be placed on the proper
mechanics of shooting. The three zones (ABC) should be taught and weight transfer
and proper puck placement should be stressed

KGHA 2019.20 DEVELOPMENT

ABC SHOOTINGà COACHING PROCESS

NOVICE/ATOM

FOCUS: Mechanics/Technique & Developing Power

KEY TEACHING POINTS
ABC’s of Shooting à Puck Placementà Point toe of stick at targetà Weight Transfer

REGULAR SHOOTING 2-3 MINS WEIGHT TRANSFER ISOLATION 2-3 MINS

Players will shoot a series of pucks on net from a stationary As developing power is extremely important at this
position with their feet parallel to the net. Focus should be on stage of a player’s development we will isolate this.

the ABC’s of shooting which are: Before shooting, players will shift their weight to

ZONE A, “The Windup”—when winding the puck up players their front leg and then back to their back leg before

need to ensure that the puck is beginning on the heel of their using that loaded power to shoot on net. Both
stick and that their weight is loaded on their back leg weight transfer

ZONE B, “The Sweep”—when beginning their shooting REGULAR SHOOTING… AGAIN 2-3 MINS

motion players should be shifting their weight to their front After having the chance to work on their shot
leg to develop power and having the puck begin to spin as it through the weight transfer isolation players will go
travels towards the toe of the stick back to regular shooting, placing an emphasis on all

ZONE C, “The Release”—when releasing the puck players the elements discussed
should have their weight fully transferred to their front leg

and into their shot. At the end of their shot they should be

rotating their wrists over and pointing at the targeting
FRONT SHOOTING 2-3 MINS

Players will place the puck in line with their front foot to start

their shot, isolating ZONE C, “The Release” and the snap of
their wrist/toe of their stick when shooting

STRESS THIS…

Puck starts on heel of stick, comes off toe—this allows then puck to build spin and power
Tell the puck where to go! Toe of stick points at the target upon release, snapping their wrists upon release to develop power
Weight transfers from back leg to front leg—players must maintain stance when doing this to maximize power
Eyes Up—looking at their desired target
Top hand should always finish higher than their bottom hand, finishing close to their armpit on release. It is VERY important their
top hand stays high and does not finish at him
Players should be careful to not “overload”. This is when the pull the puck so far back that their arms become straightened out,
losing lots of potential power that would otherwise be in a bent arm

REGRESSIONS…

If players are struggling with particular areas of their shots coaches should look to revert back to some of the isolations, placing
more emphasis on the key teaching points within each progression

ADVANCED PROGRESSIONS…

Players who are excelling can move forward with “Toes Forward Shooting”. For this players will now shoot with their feet facing
the net, following the same rules they would in the previous progressions only now their weight will be transferring from their
outside to inside leg. This leads into players shooting in motion as “toes forward” would typically be the position players would be
shooting from in motion

KGHA 2019.20 DEVELOPMENT

STATION #2à OBSTACLE 8’s

DRILL SET UP:
One set up for every two players
Players partnered up—one player going, one player on a knee
Players going for approx. 15 seconds before rotating
Following progressions as identified on following page

DRILL DESCRIPTION:
Two pylons will be placed approx. eight feet apart with a stick in between them as
shown in the illustration. Players will weave their way through the pylons in a
pattern that can also be seen in the illustration. Coaches should make sure players
do this drill in both directions. This drill can be done in a variety of ways (as shown
above). Focus should be placed on puck protection, soft hands, handling the puck
only on the forehand or handling the puck only on the backhand.
Players “back up” sticks can be used for the middle sticks for the latter portion of this drill.
Coaches should request that they bring them to the bench at the start of practice. In a case that

backup sticks are not available pylons can be placed down instead

KGHA 2019.20 DEVELOPMENT

OBSTACLE 8’sà COACHING PROCESS

NOVICE/ATOM

FOCUS: Puck Control

KEY TEACHING POINTS
Hanging Elbowà Top hand high & off bodyà Efficiency

TIGHT TURNS 2-3 MINS FORWARDS to BACKWARDS 2-3 MINS
Players will complete the figure 8 pattern placing an Players will complete the figure 8 pattern,
emphasis on hand position & not overhandling the pushing the puck as they go forwards and
puck dragging the puck as they go backwards
PUCK PROTECTION 2-3 MINS ADD STICK 2-3 MINS
Players will complete the figure 8 pattern placing an Players will complete the pattern adding in an
emphasis on protecting the puck, releasing a hand off additional turn through the addition of a stick
their stick to increase distance and to further protect as shown in the second image
the puck

STRESS THIS…

When players are handling the puck, they should look to be as efficient as possible—with the puck only changing
sides of their stick in the middle of the two pylons as they look to change directions.
Hanging Elbow—when handling the puck players should “hang their elbow” keeping their top hand high and off the
body to allow players to be mobile with their hands
Cupping/Hiding the puck- when turning players should look to cup the puck each time
Don’t overhandle—more touches don’t equate to more success! Just as with our skating players should look to be
as efficient as possible, only changing sides of their blade when needed
Keep hands “accessible”—players should keep their hands in a position where they are able to make a play with the
puck as quickly as possible. This means players should look to NOT cross their hands over whenever possible

REGRESSIONS…

Establishing proper hand position is of the most important element of this drill, ensuring that players have the
fundamental skills to change direction with a puck on their stick. With that in mind, struggling players should place
an emphasis on the first progression of the drill… being sure to keep their top hand off their body and in a position
where they are always ready to make a play with the puck

ADVANCED PROGRESSIONS

As an advanced progression, players can progress to a forehand only progression. For this progression players will
complete the pattern keeping the puck on their forehand the entire time
When handling the puck on the “forehand only progression” players should think of where the puck is in relation to
their body. When turning on the forehand side the puck should be in front of the body, while when players are
turning on what would be the backhand side (but keeping puck on their forehand) the puck should be behind their
heels with their top hand pushed further off the body

KGHA 2019.20 DEVELOPMENT

STATION #3 à PASSING CIRCLE

DRILL SET UP:
Players will spread out around the circle
Coaches will lead players through a series of progressions as listed on the following page

Description:
Players will spread themselves out along the edge of the circle as shown in the illustration. There will
be one puck and multiple variations of the drill. Within each phase the coach will identify the
progression and the associated key teaching points/techniques

KGHA 2019.20 DEVELOPMENT

PASSING CIRCLE à COACHING PROCESS
NOVICE/ATOM

FOCUS: PASSING, HANDS OFF BODY, SOFT CATCH

KEY TEACHING POINTS
GOOD ATHLETIC STANCEà BE A TARGET à HANG THAT ELBOW! à PASS WITH PURPOSE

STATIONARY—FOREHAND 1-2 MINS
Players will complete the drill passing and receiving the puck on the forehand

STATIONARY—BACKHAND 1-2 MINS
Players will complete the drill passing and receiving the puck on the backhand

STATIONARY—TOUCH PASS 1-2 MINS
Players will complete the drill executing a touch pass each time they receive the puck

MOVEMENT—FOLLOW YOUR PASS 1-2 MINS
Players will complete the drill following their pass each time and taking the spot of the receiver

MOVEMENT—FOLLOW YOUR PASS, TWO PUCK 1-2 MINS
Players will complete the drill following their pass each time and taking the spot of the receiver. For this
progression two pucks will be within the drill to add a little “stress/chaos” for the players. Players will have to
identify a receiver who 1) does not already have the puck 2) isn’t receiving the other puck

MOVEMENT—CIRCLE DROP 1-2 MINS
Players will skate around the circle, dropping the puck to the inside of the circle to the player behind them in
line. Working on putting the puck in an accessible area for the player behind them and having the puck stop
before getting to that player. This should be done in both directions, and a second puck can be added to get
more touches

MONKEY IN THE MIDDLE 2 MINS
One player will be in the middle of the circle, with the remainder of the players standing still on the circle.
Players will move the puck around the circle, trying to keep it away from the player in the middle using quick
decision making and deception.

STRESS THIS…
Players should have their hands off the body at all times, “hanging the elbow” to put their hands in a
position where they are able to receive or pass the puck at all times
When passing players should not SLAP the puck but instead SWEEP the puck when passing
Within this sweep players should start the puck on the heel of their stick, having it travel from heel to toe,
before pointing at the target when they release the pass
When without the puck player should adjust their feet, hands and body position to always be an
attractive pass option for the passer
When receiving the pass players should look to cushion the puck and stop the energy of the spin on the
puck before moving it once again

REGRESSIONS
The technique of passing is largely based around the movements of the top hand, with the bottom hand
providing support and strength. With this in mind if players are struggling with their passes we can move
to a one hand isolation where the players will pass and receive passes with their top hand only—focusing
on the movement of the top hand and the puck travelling heel to toe at all times when passing AND the
movement of the hand to receive, cushion and stop the spin of the puck when receiving

ADVANCED PROGRESSIONS
As advanced progressions, players can catch pucks on the forehand and then pass on the backhand (or
vice versa) or add in saucer passes. Be creative!

KGHA 2019.20 DEVELOPMENT

TIC, TAC, TOE à COACHING PROCESS

DRILL SET UP:
A coach, pucks and one net will be needed for this drill
The coach will lead the players through this drill, having 1 on 1, 2 on 2 and possibly 2 on 1
versions of this drill

DESCRIPTION:
A coach will stand on the blue line and players will be divided into teams of three. Two teams of three
will enter the zone when the coach dumps a puck in. The players will have to make a TWO consecutive
passes to the coach when they have gained possession of the puck. After doing so, the player and his
team become on the offence and may attempt to score after receiving the puck back from the coach
for a second time. The team on the defense must try to gain possession of the puck and pass it to the
coach TWICE to become on the offense. The process will continue for the duration of the drill—until
one team scores or the coach deems the drill is over.

KGHA 2019.20 DEVELOPMENT

TIC TAC TOE à COACHING PROCESS
NOVICE/ATOM

FOCUS: PUCK PROTECTION, PASSING, STICKHANDLING & SHOOTING

KEY TEACHING POINTS
FUNà TEACHING POINTS FROM LESSON à FIND SPACE
PLAY!
This is a great drill to wrap up this practice as it allows the players to touch on all areas worked on
throughout the session (ie Puck Protection, Passing, Stickhandling & Shooting) with additional skills
sequenced in, in a game applicable manner

STRESS THIS…
Throughout the use of this game coaches should look to repeat and reinforce the coaching points
communicated throughout the session
Coaches should also communicate the ability for players to contain/track players on the defensive side of
the puck OR get open into space and “support the puck” on the offensive side

REGRESSIONS
If players are struggling to make two consecutive passes, we can regress to one pass to become on the
offense

ADVANCED PROGRESSIONS
In order to encourage the use of these skills in different scenarios, odd man groups are a great way to
change things up (ie 2 v1, 3 v 2 etc..)