Open Practice: High Intensity Hockey Drills

Get your team ready for the heat of battle with these high-intensity practice drills used by Coach Blasi to prepare for game day. Head coach Rico Blasi shares warm-up, full ice, and small area game drills that focus not only on the team's level of competition and execution, but also - most importantly - on having fun.

The drills are explained step-by-step on a marker board and demonstrated in a live practice setting.

Warm Up Drills

Blasi walks you through two drills that get your players' feet moving while working on shooting, passing, and the transition from offense to defense. The 2x0 Back Check Support Drill emphasizes quick footwork and a strong back check that works on the transition from defense to offense.

Full Ice Drills

Blasi shares three customizable drills that focus on players' ability to identify the situation on ice and communicate with teammates. Athletes work on positioning, attacking, gap control, and net battles. The 2x2 Four Puck Drill, for example, uses battles in front of the net to teach proper technique for gaining position, crashing the net, and tips/screens in front of the goalie.

Small Area Game Drills

Using your own coaching philosophy, customize drills to work on body and stick positioning in front of the net, puck protection, stick control, creating/eliminating space on the ice, and quick feet movement necessary to gain possession. Blasi shows you how to use a common garden hose to teach your players posture in front of the net and how to protect the puck from turnovers in tight situations.

This presentation is jam-packed with drills designed to help you plan and run an intense hockey practice. All coaches know that a player's development starts and ends with a great practice. Blasi shares his key points of offensive and defensive awareness, body and stick positioning, and creating and eliminating time and space - all with an endless amount of effort.

If you're looking for drills to accelerate the pace and competitive level of your practices, this video will get you started. Blasi shares customizable drills for the intermediate-level players that target specific scenarios on ice that require high levels of focus and intensity.

Prepare your team to handle the rigors of competition by implementing high-tempo drills into your practices.

53 minutes. 2016.