Defensive Zone Concepts, Face-Offs and Drills

with Jason Tapp, Dartmouth Associate Head Coach;
Union College Goalie Coach from 2009 to 2020;
and Joe Dumais, Quinnipiac Associate Head Coach;
Union College Assistant Coach from 2011 to 2016;

Train your team to be more efficient in their defensive zone play.

Rick Bennett teaches you some of the finer points of how to play in the defensive zone. Coach Bennett covers detailed aspects of the game that most coaches would overlook. You'll learn eight key defensive zone concepts, four defensive zone face-offs (including pointers from a goalie's perspective) and three defensive zone drills. Adopting Coach Bennett's concepts will help your team limit your opponents' shots on goal and allow you to quickly exit your defensive zone.

In the first segment, Coach Bennett runs through eight key defensive zone concepts, covering the finer points of each in great detail. Among them is the idea of finishing your man after he passes or shoots the puck. He explains how it is important to stay square to the man and not lunge. The player must keep his stick on the ice to eliminate penalties.

The next segment of the video covers four defensive zone face-offs that you can adopt for your team. They will allow you to quickly exit your defensive zone and press the attack on your opponents. As an added bonus, Union Goalie Coach Jason Tapp provides a goalie's perspective during face-offs.

The final segment includes several defensive zone drills. Among them is a 3-step progression. In this drill, there are five defenders without sticks playing against five forwards with sticks. The defenders must maintain good basic concepts including proper positioning, bumping their opponents away from the net, keeping their heels to the net to hold off attackers and finishing their main after he shoots or passes the puck away. Playing without sticks forces the defenders to box out the main they are covering. The second step of the progression has defenders use sticks, but with their butt end to the ice. The final step in the progression is a full out five-on-five with defenders holding their sticks properly. This progressive process is an excellent coaching technique that enables players to easily grasp the concepts.

Let Coach Bennett give you an edge that will lead to more success for your team.

40 minutes. 2013.