If you are a centermen one of your major responsibilities on the ice is to win face-offs. Some players who are new to the game overlook the importance of this job and approach the face-off dot without much thought, but no matter what level of hockey you play the face-off win is vital for your teams success. A lost face-off could result in a goal for the other team, while a nice clean and well thought out face-off win could lead to the game winning goal. When you think of faceoffs in this manner you begin to understand how important it is to win, hopefully this will get your fired up to win more faceoffs and try some of the tips and tricks I share in the video and article below.

How to Win Face offs Video

A step by step guide to winning more face offs

1. Have a plan when you approach the face-off dot
• There are many different ways to win a face-off, how you plan to win the face off depends on where the face-off is taking place. In the neutral zone you may try something cheeky like tapping the puck forwards and blasting past the centermen, in your own end you may tie-up the other centermen and have your defence or winger come in and get the puck, in the offensize zone you could win the puck back on your fore-hand, back-hand, between your legs or even put it right on net. Never approach the face-off without a plan
2. Let your team mates know about your plan
• Think of where you want to win the face-off to, and let your players know. If you are going to win it back to the defencemen, give a little wink to the d-man so he knows the puck is coming. If you are going to tie up the centermen let your players know so they can be prepared.
3. Get nice and low
• I probably said this about 20 times in the video, haha. When you are low to the ice you can react faster to the puck drop and you will be anchored to the ice. It is important to be nice and stable when the puck drops in case the other centermen tries to push into the circle.
4. Choke up on the stick
• In the video I show you how I like to hold the stick, but it’s not just me. Watch almost any NHL player and they move their top hand about halfway down the stick, and their bottom hand right near the blade. This helps increase their reaction time, and allows them to get more power and leverage on the stick. If both players go for the puck at the same time you need to be able to out muscle the other guy, so it is important to get your bottom hand close to the blade.
5. Switch up your grip
• If you are going to win the puck on your backhand or between your legs you should modify the grip on your stick. Roll your bottom hand over and hold the stick as if you were going to cross-check someone in the teeth. This grip helps you improve your quickness and power, I show the grip in the video above.
6. Use your body!
• You don’t always need to win the puck back with your stick, there are other options. You can forget about the puck altogether and just tie up the other centerman (and have your winger or defence come in and get the puck) or you can just chop the other players stick (moving it out of the way) and then go for the puck. You can also try spinning into the face-off dot and then using your feet to kick the puck to one of your players.
7. Know your opponent
• Knowing your opponent is very helpful if you want to win more faceoffs, if the other centermen likes to go for the crisp win every time, modify your face-off plan, instead of going for the puck, just chop his stick out of the way, then get the puck. I had a centermen who would always push the puck forwards and then blast past me, I knew it was coming so I quickly closed my legs. The puck bounced off my shin pad while he flew past me, I then grabbed the puck split the D and got a shot on net.
• You can get to know the centermen by paying attention to their technique when you line up for a faceoff and while the other lines are facing off. If there is a particularly good centerman you know of try to remember what team he is on so you can be prepared the next time you play them!
8. Tape up the slash zone
• Centermen tend to break sticks more than other players, it’s because the flex zone of the stick takes so much abuse during faceoffs. I like to tape up the bottom part of my stick to avoid those little chips that eventually lead to the stick breaking mid-shot. The tape also gives you a bit of grip during the face off.

Tips From the Pro’s

David Steckel is consistently among the top NHL face-off winners, last year he was the #1 face-off winner in the league. I have embedded a video below with a few tips from David Steckel.

When you are playing organized hockey it is important that everyone on the team plays their positions and does “their job”. I like to teach each player what their job is so they understand where they need to be and what they should be doing in each situation on the ice. If just one player on the ice is out of position it can alter the outcome of the game, so it is important to understand your role on the ice is and the role of the other players. I have already written an article on the role of a winger in hockey, and in this article I will detail what a centerman should be doing in various situations on the ice.

The Responsibilities of a Centerman

In general the centerman is the “support man” this means he is helping out the other players when they are in trouble, the centerman is also considered the quaterback as he will win faceoffs, and lead breakouts. The wingers typically stick to their side of the ice, however the centermen has more freedom to roam. Even though the centerman covers the most amount of ice (and usually does the most skating) that does not mean you can just skate around and hope you get the puck. Your general duties as a centerman are to win faceoffs, cause trouble in front of the other teams net, stop players and pucks in front of your own net, score goals, make passes, help out your wingers, lead break-outs and back check.

Duties of the Centerman in the Offensive Zone

In the offensive zone (as in other zones) the centerman’s job is to offer support to the other team members. A good “general area” to hang out until you are needed is in the slot on whatever side the puck is on. Remember to always keep your feet moving and always be skating, this makes it easier to get going when you need to!

While you are in front of the net you will be reading the play, keep an eye on what the other team is doing and what your team is doing. If your winger has possession of the puck get open in front and call for a pass. Remember your other winger will also be trying to get open in front of the net so don’t block him. If your other winger is close to the net then go to the high slot, if your winger is in the high slot then go to the “backdoor” of the net or if you think your winger will get a pass and shoot just screen the goalie and be there for the garbage goal (rebounds).

If your winger does not have possession of the puck then read the play, will he get possession? If you are unsure get a bit closer so you can help him out if help is needed. Remember you are the support guy, so if your winger is getting double teamed along the boards get in there and dig for the puck to help him out.

Remeber to Give your players options if your winger has the puck and is looking for a pass either get open in front of the net, or head behind the net so your winger can cycle the puck back to you. If the winger is heading up the boards and cycles the puck back to you then look for him moving to the net, this is a great way for the winger to shake the D and then get open and then you can feed him the puck for a shot on net.

What if the other team has the puck?

If the other team has possession in the offensive zone then you should switch to defense. They will be attempting to break out and you don’t want that to happen. While on defense in the offensive zone you need to read the play, see where guys are moving, and watch where the guy with the puck is looking, this will help you predict their moves and hopefully intercept a pass or strip the man of the puck and re-gain possession. Usually when they get possession you should start moving towards the blue line, that way if they try to make a break out pass you can intercept, or at least have a bit of speed going to back-check / keep up with the play, you don’t want to get caught deep in your end with the other team breaking out.

Duties of the Centerman in the Defensive Zone

In the defensive zone your team is trying to stop the other team from scoring and you are trying to get the puck out. Just like in the offensive zone your job as a centerman is to offer support. Also similar to the offensive zone you will be hanging around the slot area, but this time for different reasons.

When the other team has the puck and is trying to score they will be trying to get open in front of the net, usually they will have a winger and a centermen, and sometimes a D-man will sneak in close to the top of the circle if the opportunity arises. This means there are 1-3 men who are looking for a puck in front of the net. On your team you have two defencemen, one is usually busy trying to get the puck, while the other is in front of the net being a BOSS and not letting people get near the net or get open. As a centermen you want to help him out and pick up anyone who might be open. Hang out in the slot, block the cross ice passes, and tie up any open man.

A lot of the goals that get scored come from cross-ice passes, one-timers, and back door tap in goals, these occur when a player on the opposite side of the ice gets open and his team mate feeds him the puck for a nice open net goal (especially if you have a slow goalie). As a centerman you want to make sure this does not happen. Try to see what lanes are open and block them, you don’t have to shadow a player, but keep your head on a swivel and take away any passing opportunities while your d-man battles in the corner to start the break-out. If your defenseman is outnumbered along the boards you can go and help him out, just make sure you aren’t leaving a man wide open in front of the net (in this scenario there would probably only be one person in front of the net and your other defensemen should have him covered anyways).

Tips for clogging up the center area and blocking passes

• Read the play and think about the ice in “lanes” what lanes are open? what options does the opposing player with the puck have? if you can get in their head you can stop a lot of plays
• Watch the eyes of the player who has the puck, they usually look before they pass so it can give you some clues to where they will be skating or passing
• You can take up a lot of ice and still stay mobile, take a look at the picture to the right. This is a good pass-blocking position. The player uses his stick to block in front, his front leg is in a position to block a saucer pass but still allow him to get up quickly if he needs to, and his back leg is kneeling which covers some ice behind him. Of all the pass-blocks I see this one is the most effective (I used this method to stop the other team from scoring an empty net goal recently!)
• Remember that this is a good technique for blocking passes, but as good if the person is taking a slapshot, for that you could read our article on how to block a shot.

What happens when your team gets the puck?

When your team gets possession in the defensive zone it is time to start the break-out. There are a number of ways to break out but it usually starts with the d-man passing to the centermen who then feeds a breaking winger, or the winger getting the puck and feeding it to the centerman.

Make sure the puck gets out of your end!

Sometimes when the defensemen gets the puck all three forwards start skating for a breakout pass, but this can cause problems. Read the play, does your d-man have a clear pass to a winger? If he does then great, start skating out of the zone for a pass from your winger. If the defensemen doesn’t have a clear pass you can circle in and get an easy short pass to start the break out. Another option is when the defense have the puck behind the net, this is your cue to skate hard behind the net and either pick up the puck, or leave it and then get a pass from the d-man, or head to center for the d-to-winger-to-centerman pass. Remember you are the support man so you should always be giving your players options for passes

Duties of the Centerman in the Neutral Zone

In the Neutral zone you are either attacking or playing defense. For the break out you will either have the puck, or looking to get the puck. If you have the puck you can pass to the head man (if that’s an option) skate with the puck into the other teams end, or if the defense have you covered just go for a dump and chase, or dump and change.

If your team mates have the puck you have a few options, if your defencemen has the puck you can skate across lanes in the neutral zone in order to give your defencemen someone to pass to, if your winger has the puck you will either get a pass from him in the neutral zone or break into the offensive zone. While breaking in the first man in should go hard to the net, and the second man in will stay high.

If the other team has the puck you are basically trying to stop them from getting into your zone. In most cases you will be playing catch-up so skate hard to get into the play and try to get in the way of passes, or sneak up on the guy with the puck and strip the puck from him. If you are in front of the play you can help the defensemen, try to either pick up the man closest to you who is trying to get open for a pass, or if you are closest to the guy with the puck match his speed and force him to the boards.

Tips for taking and winning Faceoffs

Winning the faceoff is very important no matter who’s end you are in, below I will outline a few tips that should help you win more faceoffs

• Choke up on the stick, having your lower hand closer to the blade of the stick allows you to get a lot of power on the draw and react quickly
• If you are winning the puck to the back hand turn both your hands over (like the picture to the right) this helps you pull the stick back quickly and gives you a slight advantage
• Talk to your wingers and defencemen first and let them know what you plan to do off the faceoff, usually a quick head nod will do the trick but it helps if you have a plan
• You don’t always have to win the faceoff with your stick, you can tie the man up and have a winger come in, or you can tie up the wingers stick and kick the puck back with your foot
• Watch the refs hand or elbow, if the ref holds the puck high then watch his elbow as this will move first, if the ref holds the puck lower then watch his hand. You don’t have to stare at it, but keep an eye on it in your peripheral vision. When his hand moves you should start moving to win the faceoff.
• Read the other player and try to predict what he is going to do, this may help you change your strategy and win more faceoffs.
• A good trick for faceoffs in the neutral zone is to tap the puck forwards and try to blast through the defence, it’s a risky move but it works.

In Summary

WOOH, that only took me a few hours to write and edit, hopefully I covered everything In summary the centermen will usually be hanging out in the slot / circles in the offensive and defensive zones. While in that area the centermen should be looking for opportunities to get the puck either by calling for a pass, intercepting a pass, or by recognizing a moment when his teammate needs help and then going in and getting the puck. The wingers and defence have areas they should always be, but the centermen has the freedom to roam around these areas and help out. Faceoffs are very important so the centermen should take this skill very seriously and always be working to improve his faceoff win percentage. Centermen should also be good skaters and be able to give and receive passes very well.

I think that pretty much sums up the role of the centermen, if I missed anything or you are unclear about something just let me know in the comments below and I will do my best to respond.

I thought we would take a break from the Deke of Week for the summer and stick to off-ice training, I will be including stickhandling drills and other off-ice tips so you can improve over the summer. One skill that I have gotten a lot of requests for is the saucer pass. If you can send some nice sauce across the ice it looks great, and feels even better! In this article and video I will show you how to pull off a perfect saucer pass

When to use a Saucer Pass

If you have a defencemen trying to get his stick in between your perfect pass you need to lay on the sauce! A saucer pass is perfect to use if you have to get the puck across the ice and over a few obstacles.

How To Saucer Pass

There are a few different ways that you can pull off a nice saucer pass. The easiest way to do this is to simply open the face of the blade of your stick (like a wedge) put some pressure on the puck at the heel of your stick, and then sweep it across the blade and send it when the puck gets to the toe. There is a certain grace and softness you need to possess to pull the pass off, so you will have to practice a lot.

Saucer Pass Video – Forehand, Backhand, Flip Pass, Dangle & Sauce!

Patrick Kane on the Saucer Pass

I found this on youtube and  thought it would be cool to include some pro instructions, big thanks to Bauer for tossing this up!

Tips for Laying the Sauce

• For a high saucer pass start with the blade like a wedge, and pull up a lot as you make the pass
• For a long saucer pass you can take more of a wrist shot motion
• Practice getting the puck landing flat on the ice, you don’t want any wobble!
• Make sure you get the puck to land a few feet before the players blade, you want the puck to settle down before the other player receives it
• Practice stickhandling a bit and then making the saucer pass, this will enable you to make a saucer pass in any situation

How to Flip Pass

The flip pass is a cheeky play but when you can pull it off it looks great and your team mates will love you. Usually a bank pass or saucer pass will do, but when there is no other option the flip pass is the perfect way to air mail somebody a perfect breakaway! Let’s take a look at Kopitar with a couple beauty flip passes

Kopitar with a BEAUTY Flip Pass

Anze Kopitar show’s you how it is done with a really nice flip pass to Dustin Brown

Here is Kopitar with ANOTHER beautiful and perfectly executed flip pass

Tips for the Perfect Flip Pass

• You might think you need to put a lot of power in the flip pass but this is not true, in fact if you push too hard the puck will slide right off your blade. The trick is to do a nice smooth motion
• One method is to use the toe of the blade, pull the puck back a bit, then roll your hands over, open the blade and scoop it right under the puck. Once you feel the puck on the blade give it a nice flick motion while lifting both hands up.
• Another method is to start with the blade open and a few inches off the ice, you want to have the toe pointed slightly towards the ice. Think of this motion like scooping ice cream, you want to roll your wrists while moving the blade down, get under the puck, then lift it up. This is the motion Kopitar uses in the last video
• Check the video tutorial at the top and near the end I give you some tips on the flip pass.
• Remember that you want to land this pass in front of the player so they can pick it up and go, this requires some practice so try it out when you get some ice time.

If you want to dangle the bender and snipe the tender you can subscribe to our blog for more hockey tips!

Products Used

• Dryland training Tiles – See our Hockey training tiles review
• X-passer
• X-Deviator

Thanks to Jeff Serowik, former NHL’er and owner of Pro Ambitions Hockey, Inc. for these great face-off tips.

Tips for taking a face-off in hockey:

1. Great knee bend
2. Grip the stick with one hand on top of shaft and the other hand really low on shaft for leverage
3. Watch the referees hand and try to bat the puck out of the air as he’s dropping puck
4. If you’re having trouble winning face-offs in a particular game, at least neutralize your opponent and tie his stick up and have your winger come get the puck.
5. Believe you can win every face-off and take tremendous pride in it.
6. All forwards should be aware of how to take face-offs in case the center gets bumped out.
7. Hand and wrist strength and quickness.  Purchase a wrist gripper and use in the car. Also practicing dribbling a golf ball and work on hand-eye coordination drills.
8. Communication with your other line mates, make sure your all on the same page.
9. Read and react the situation of the game.  Are you down a goal? Up a goal? Short-handed, Power play? Last minute of game?
10. Practice taking face-offs on the pond, at the end of practice or in your garage.
11. Also, Many coaches implement trick plays in all 3 zones, these are fun and sometimes work!! Coaches should practice face off alignment on a routine basis so at crunch time all players should know what to do depending on being down a goal, up a goal or if you pull your goalie. Preparation is very important and can be the difference between winning and losing.
12. Make sure you and your linemates are ready for the hurry up puck drop that referees are instituting now.

I hope this helps

Have fun,

Jeff Serowik

Note from Jeremy – Thanks Jeff for those awesome tips. I don’t have pro experience but I do play center and here are a few tips that have worked for me.

• Know your strengths – There is one spot that I can win the face-off to almost every time, so in clutch situations I try to win the puck there
• Learn how to win to all locations – As a centremen you should know how to win the face-off and put the puck to your left D, right D, and both wingers. You should also know how to chip the puck forwards and take off with the puck, and how to take a shot right from the circle.
• Watch the ref’s elbow – For some reason this always worked for me for timing. I found most refs would move their elbow before they moved anything else. Instead of watching their hand, I watched their elbow and I found that helped with timing.
• You don’t have to win the faceoff with your stick – There have been times where I would just tie up the other centremen and then kick the puck to where I want it.  This is not the fastest way to get the puck where you need it, but it is good to know about this option.
• Pull with both hands – A common trick used by a lot of NHL players is to pull with both hands. Instead of holding a stick as if you were shooting some players will flip the bottom hand around and hold the stick as if they were holding a kayak paddle. 
• Make sure your team mates know where you plan on putting the puck - there is nothing more embarrassing than winning the puck cleanly to your defencemen, only to have them miss the puck.

I hope these faceoffs tips have helped, winning faceoffs has a lot to do with hand eye co-ordination so make sure you practice a lot!

If you have any face off tips you can leave them in the comment section below

There are two wingers in hockey, right wing, and left wing. Both wing men, as well as the centermen are referred to as forwards. The forwards are offensively minded and will score the majority of your teams goals. As a winger you will mostly play on your side of the ice, right wing will play up and down the right side of the ice (to the right of the centermen at faceoff) and the left wing will play on the left side.

The responsibilities of a winger

Your general duties as a wingman are to dig in the corner, feed the centermen and defence, wreak havoc in front of the other teams net, and outsmart the other teams defensemen on both ends of the rink. I will explain more below

A wingers duties and positioning in the defensive zone

The defensive zone is your teams end of the ice (the side where your goalie is in net) When you are playing in the defensive zone your team is trying to get the puck out (break out) and get into the offensive zone (the other teams end of the ice). When you are in the defensive zone you should generally stay between the blue line and the hash marks. You want to stay in that area for a few reasons:

• To stop the other teams defensemen from getting the puck and getting a shot on your goalie.
• To get a break out pass from your own team member
• To block shots or passes if the other teams defensemen does have the puck.
• To intercept passes and break out.

When you are in the defensive zone it is your job to cover the other teams defencemen. When the other team has the puck you should keep a close eye on the defensemen as some times they will sneak in front of you, or move over to the center. When you are in the defensive zone the defensemen is your man, but it is also your job to accept passes from your own team members. If your team has the puck there are a few ways to get the pass. The easiest way to get a pass is to take a few quick strides forward and take a pass at the hash marks along the boards, now your job is to break out. The safest way to break out of your end is to bank a pass off of the boards to your center men who should be breaking out, or if the defensemen is right against the boards you can gently redirect the puck to your centermen, or your winger who should be cutting to center (Always look before passing because the last thing you want to do is give a one timer to the other teams defence!). Another option is to carry the puck out yourself, don’t try anything to fancy because if you mess up and the other team scores it will be very embarassing.

A wingers duties in the offensive zone

When you are in the offensive zone your team is trying to score a goal. You will mainly play in the corner, inside the circle, and in front of the net. When the puck goes into your corner it is your job to get it out. If the puck is in your corner you have a few options, the most common and usually the best options are.

• Carry the puck out and get a shot on net (your centermen or other winger should be there for a rebound).
• Look for a man in front of the net and set him up with a pass
• Look to see if the D is open, if so give them the puck.
• Carry the puck up the boards a bit and cycle it back. Cycling the puck may be a bit advanced, so we will cover that in another article

Sometimes when the puck is in your corner the other teams defence will get there first, as it is their job to get the puck out. If this happens you can try to take the puck from them, or tie them up and wait for your centermen to help you out. A good trick is to put your knee between their legs and press them up against the boards, this makes it hard for them to move the puck.

If the puck is in the other corner then you have a few new jobs. When the puck is in the other corner you can.

• Go to the net and look for a pass from the winger
• If your winger looks like he is going to be tied up you could skate behind the net and call for a pass
• If it looks like the other team may get the puck you could skate to the hash marks and try to cover a man / take away a pass.
• If the other team does clear the puck being closer to the blue line makes it easier to back check.
• Do not go into the other wingers corner unless you have learned a special drill in practice that calls for this. If your winger is in trouble, it is the job of the centermen to help him out.

Wingers duties in the Neutral Zone

Typically in the neutral zone you are either breaking out, or back checking. If you are on the attack you make hard passes through the neutral zone and feed the head man. This means if you get the puck out of your end you should be looking for a streaking centermen or your other winger. If there are no options try to break into their end, and if that is not an option just cross the red line and dump the puck in (then chase it, or get a line change). If your team mate has the puck and you are breaking out skate for open ice and try to get that lead pass.

If the other team has the puck in the neutral zone you are playing defense. You should be hustling to get back into position and get the puck from them / cause a turnover. Keep an eye on who has the puck, and where they might be skating to or who they might be passing to. If you see a potential passing lane try to block it.

I like to always think of the ice as lanes, lanes for them to skate and lanes for them to pass. I am always looking at the guy with the puck and thinking “what are his lanes, what are his options” I try to get in their lanes and take away options.

What about the faceoff?

For a winger you also have a role on the faceoff. When you faceoff you will be facing off against the other team. When you are on the face off both teams want the puck, but only one team can have it. This means your role during the face off is to either get the puck, or stop the other team from getting it. Talk to your centermen before the faceoff because he usually has a devious plan as to what he is going to do with the puck. Most face offs involve winning the puck back to the defensemen, when this happens your job is to tie up your man so your defensemen has time to make a play. Sometimes the centermen will pole the puck forward and have you pick it up with speed, or the centremen could tie up the other centermen and have you get the puck. This means you have to explode off of the hash mark and go right for the face off circle.

A wingers responsibilities on the power play

A power play means that the other team is playing with one less man on the ice. Your position does not change during the power play unless you have a set play with your team. When the other team is down a man they will play with two defensemen and two forwards, this means that on the faceoff there will one open spot. This means if you are on the open wing, and the centremen wins the faceoff to you, you will have some time to skate with the puck and set up a play.

Wingers duties on the penalty kill

When your team gets a penalty there will be one less man on the ice. This means that on the faceoff you need to pick a side to faceoff on. The proper side to faceoff on is the side closest to the center of the ice. If you were to faceoff on the side closest to the boards then the side closest to the center would be wide open, and give the other team more of an advantage if they win the faceoff.

When you are on the penalty kill you should think of your position more like another centermen. If the puck goes into the offensive zone either you or the centremen will go in after the puck, only one man should go deep into the offensive zone, while the other hangs back near the blue line.

When the puck is in the defensive zone most teams play in a box formation, this means your two defensemen will play down low, and the centermen and the winger play up high. The idea is your formation will look like a box, and you want to keep the other team outside of the box, and take away any passing or shooting opportunities.

If you have any other tips for positioning for forwards you can add them below. I will be adding positioning for the centermen and defence soon.

The Role of a Centerman

Want to read more about hockey positioning? Check out our article for the role of a centerman

Photo Credit: Thumbnail – Dan4th Nicholas, Breakout - U16 Panthers, Faceoff – Michael Erhardsson, Penalty Kill – C Stein

Throughout the history of the NHL there have been many pure goal scorers. From Maurice “Rocket” Richard to Alexander Ovechkin and everyone in between, all of these goal scorers have striking similarities that you can practice and implement on the ice. Even players who are naturally gifted with the ability to score goals still have to practice and train to be a true great goal scorer. Below I have listed six traits that every pure goal scorer possesses. By learning these traits you can practice at home and hopefully score more goals!

Yes there are more than 7 traits, some common traits would be speed, power, agility, shooting the puck and accuracy which every player should strive to achieve. This list details traits that really set goal scorers apart from others.

• Quick Release
  • A quick release is very important if you want to score a lot of goals.  Pavel Bure and many other goal scorers were famous for having a quick release. Many great goal scorers were able to streak down the ice and put the puck in the back of the net in the blink of an eye. The longer you take to shoot the puck the more time the goalie has to prepare and stop your shot. If you can hammer off a one timer, or shoot the puck from an awkward angle when the goalie is not expecting it you will definitely increase the amount of goals you score.
  • A great way to practice a quick release is to practice shooting the puck mid stride. Many players break their stride, pull the puck back, and then shoot. If you can fire a shot as you come full speed towards the net, many times the goalie will be wondering what that black streak was that went right by him into the net.
  • Another great skill to practice is your forehand to backhand transition. If you can quickly move the puck from your forehand to your backhand (faster than the goalie can move from one side of the net to the other) you will be able to net a lot more goals.
• Great Goal Scorers go to the Net
  • I can not count how many goals I scored hustling to the net (when a team mate had the puck) on two on ones. If you can come across the blue line with speed and hustle to the net, the defensemen has less time to think. If he lets you go then your team mate can pass you the puck and you crank it in the net. If the defensemen does cover you, it gives your team mate an open shot and you have a chance to get the rebound. Teemu Selanne was known for going to the net hard and almost always popping in the perfect saucer pass that Paul Kariya would send his way. If you have the time you can watch a video that I attached to the bottom of this post. The video show’s Selanne and Kariya highlights, and a few examples of Selanne going to the net, and Kariya setting him up.
  • Once you are in front of the net, stay there. I used to love to cause mayhem in front of the net. It would distract the goalie and keep the defensemen busy. When you are in front of the net you can deflect shots, screen shots for your team mates, and pick up rebounds. Tim Kerr was well known for his play in front of the net and managed to bank four 50+ goal seasons in a row in the NHL back in the 80′s
• Get Open
  • It is going to be hard to get a pass if you are covered. Don’t stand still – When you are in front of the net or anywhere on the ice do not let the defencemen tie you up, move around, try to get open. In fact try to never stand still while you are on the ice, it is harder to get to full speed if you are stopped.
  • Hustle – This is part of getting open, in hockey you have to hustle, never give up on the puck and work for every goal. Some of the best goals ever scored are desperate acts or players that never gave up. If you take a shot on goal, drive to the net and get your own rebound.
• Hockey Sense
  • Great Hockey players have “hockey sense” Hockey sense is the ability to read plays and create plays. Do not turn your brain off when you are on the ice. If you are always chasing the puck you will just get tired, instead you should be thinking where is the puck going. This allows you to be one step ahead of the other team, and also in the right spot to get that sought after break away pass!
  • Wayne Gretzky was well known for his hockey sense, he had a feel for a game, he knew where every player was and where they were going. This not only helps you get goals by being in the right spot to get a pass, but also makes you a great playmaker.
• Pass
  • Nobody likes a puck hog! While great goal scorers do have great hands there are always great passing opportunities and many great goal scorers are also great play makers. If you pass the puck to your players you are likely to get a pass back (As long as you get open and in position) Passing allows the game to move faster and you can create more opportunities for yourself, and your team mates to score. If you are covered by another player, you can pass to your team mate, shake the opposition and get into position for a pass.
  • Give and goes are great ways to score goals, just watch some rock’em sock’em hockey videos and you will see all kinds of amazing give and goes and tic tac toe plays
• Creativity
  • Being creative on the ice is very important if you want to be a great goal scorer. If you pull the same moves over and over than you will be an easy nut to crack. The best goal scorers can beat the defense and goalies repeatedly with new moves.
  • Think of the first time Bure came in on the goalie from the left side, dropped the puck back to his skates, kicked it back up to his stick and then popped it in the net. Sure he could have just shot the puck, but being creative is what makes great goal scorers score great goals.
  • What about the first time Jagr dropped the puck and his stick backwards between his legs and shot the puck top shelf, this is a creative move that allowed him to score in what most would think is an impossible scoring situation.
  • What about the first time when a Boston university player went behind the net, scooped the puck up on the blade of his stick, and then lacrosse style put the puck top shelf (latter repeated by Crosby in the QMJHL)
  • These are the types of plays you can practice on the ice, maybe you will not do them in a game, but if you practice all sorts of ways to manipulate the puck than you will be that much better at stickhandling the puck normaly.
• Good Goal Scorers Can Get in The Goalies Head
  • Good goal scorers are able to predict the actions of the defense and goal tenders. Knowing what a goalie is going to do, or how a goalie is going to react is key in scoring more goals.
  • Joe Sakic demonstrated this a number of times when he would be at a bad angle, move to the center, and then shoot for the post on the side he just came from. Sakic knows that goalies must cover their angles, on a bad angle shot the goalie will hug the post so Sakic would move towards the center to pull the goalie off the post, and then shoot for the opening that was just created. Getting in the goalies head, and knowing how goalies are trained and think is a great way to score more goals.

Teemu Selanne and Paul Kariya Highlights

Bonus point – PRACTICE, nobody ever made it to the NHL or beacame a great player by wishing it would happen. In order to score goals you must practice your shot in order to improve your power and accuracy.

I am also including a few tips from a coach on the OMHA forum that I am a member of.

• Practice shooting alot, better shooters score more.
• Take the puck as close to the net as possible, your odds are greater the closer you are to the goal line.
• Shoot when you have high percentage ranges and angles, pass when your teammates have them. Players who shoot from inpossible angles get the occasional goal, players who pass when at impossible angles get lots of assists (and often more goals as their linemates will reciprocate).
• Battle to win your position in the slot. Rebounds are the best source of goals for those tough enough to get them.

I hope these tips will help you score more goals through out your life. Learning tips like these helped me improve my game quite a bit and I want to help others improve as well. If you have any tips of your own then feel free to leave them in the comments section.

5 Tips That Will Help You Score More Goals This Season

One thing every player, coach and parent likes is more goals. Every hockey player loves to score goals, especially in clinch situations like the playoffs and overtime. The moments that are created when a hockey player scores a game changing, or game winning goal are the moments that will last a life time. This is why it is important to learn how to score goals. Practicing your shooting and stick handling is a great way to score more goals, however by learning new tricks and techniques you will be able to learn faster and improve faster. This is why it is important to not only practice hockey, but also research and learn how to be better at hockey, and that is why I wrote this article, to help you become a better hockey player. So here is the list I have compiled

• Shoot the Puck
  • This is nothing new but still a point that should be driven home. It is no coincidence that 10 out of the 10 forwards in the NHL with the most shots ever all have over 600 goals. Don’t try to make every goal a pretty one, every goal counts whether it is a beautiful dangle or a fluke shot that goes in. If you see a shot, take it. Even if you don’t score your team mates can pick up rebounds making more scoring opportunities.
• Be Creative
  • Shoot for different spot, you don’t have to shoot top shelf every time, if you do the goalie will be expecting this and your shot will be even easier to stop. Do something different, I found (a little to late) that a lot of good goalies love to make glove saves, you make them really mad when you slide a hard, low shot right in one of the bottom corners. Goalies expect good players to score flashy goals, try taking a quick shot down low, some goalies cannot get into the butterfly quick enough to stop it.
  • Shoot five hole – This is great if you are in close and the goalie does not have time to close his legs in time, when you are in close and you see the legs open hammer the puck through.
• Know the Goalie
  • Watching the goalie can be a great advantage to you and your team. When I was younger I would take a minute (or ask my coach or parent) to watch the other teams goalie during the warm up. The other teams goaltender will be trying to stop a lot of shots, so if you see where most of them go in then you know the goalies weak spots and you can shoot there during the game. Also a lot of the players on the other team will know their goalies weak spot and shoot for it during warm-up because they like to score goals even in the warm up.
• Read Your Players
  • Knowing your team mates is a great way to get more goals. If you know when to go to the net, when to set up for a give and go, and when to hang back for a drop pass you will definitely get more scoring opportunities.
  • Use your brain – Hockey is a team sport, don’t just go out on the ice and turn your brain off. You should ALWAYS be thinking when you play, believe it or not if you make an effort to think, you will get more goals thinking about where you should be, where your team mates are going, where the puck is going, and how the goalie will react, will help you make decisions that will lead to more goals.
• Don’t Telegraph Your Shot
  • I think this is one of the most important tips to know and practice. Many players, without knowing it, tell the goalie or defensemen exactly when they are going to shoot, or deke, or pass. Good goalies pick up on these subtle (sometimes not so subtle) hints allowing them to stop your shot, robbing you of more goals. Here are some tips that will help keep the goalie thinking
  • Don’t approach the net with the puck in front of you. If you are on a breakaway and you have the puck in front of you then the goalie will know you are going to deke, once you bring the puck to your shooting side then the goalie knows you are going to shoot. If you come in on the goalie stickhandling on your shooting side you can deke, pass, drop pass, or shoot. Giving the goalie more to think about
  • Don’t break your stride. Here is a neat little trick that many pure goal scorers possess. A lot of players come in skating, pause, draw the puck back, and then shoot. You can still score goals like this, but it gives the goalie that much more time to react. The best goal scorers can put the puck in the back of the net before the goalie can blink, this is because they do not break their stride when they skate (I will have a video demonstrating this later)
  • Try not to stare at where you are shooting. Believe it or not goalies will notice this. Take a look at where you are shooting, but don’t make it really obvious, many times this is why backhand shots go in. The player and the goalie do not know where it is going!

I hope these tips will help you score more goals in hockey. Keep an eye out for my next article called – 5 Traits Every Pure Goal Scorer Possesses. If you would like to get more articles like this when I post them you can enter your email address in the box to the left. You will get tips like this sent right to your inbox whenever they are posted on the site.

If you are reading this article then it is likely that you play hockey. Well I’m here to help; we will get right to the point. We will first look at deking out the opposing team members. Every player should know how to deke, however many players do not deke properly. This article shows the fundamentals of deking a player or goalie.

The first rule is that you should always be moving the puck. Think of it as dribbling in basketball. Basketball players continuously dribble the ball in order to keep their opposing team members thinking about what they will do next. Hockey players should also continuously stick handle the puck so that the players on the other team cannot simply skate up and knock the puck off of your stick.

I’m sure you have watched some players walk around their opponents and you wonder “how do they do that?” well there are four steps that you must know in order to properly execute a deke.

The first step is the preparation.

You must prepare yourself before you can execute a deke. Where you put the puck is dependant upon which move you would like to make. If you are trying to just skate around your opponent then a general rule is that you should protect the puck by stick handling it on the side furthest from your opponent. However If I want to deke my opponent out then I try to trick them into thinking that they are going to be able to get the puck off of me, and dangle the puck right in front of them and wait for them to make a move.

The second step in a deke is the fake or the move.

After you have the puck and the other player right where you want them it is time to make your move. There is an unlimited number of moves that you can make at this point. You must trick the other player or fake him out with this move. Some common moves are putting the puck through the other players legs, putting the puck under the other players stick, or pulling the puck to the other side of your body. One move that I like is putting the puck right in front of the other player, and then when they try to knock the puck off of my stick, I simply pull it away and skate by them.

The third step to a deke is the separation.

After you have made your move, you must separate yourself from the other player. A general hockey rule is that you should protect the puck. After you have made your move try not to stick handle the puck near the opposing player, move it to a safe place. You can use your body to protect the puck by stick handling it on whichever side of your body is the furthest from the opposing player.

The fourth and final step to a deke is acceleration.

Once you have completed steps one through three you are ready for the fourth and final step. For this step you simply must accelerate. You must accelerate in order to get away from the person that you just deked out. Once you have deked out the last player you will be facing the goalie.

Check out my next article on how to score to find out how to put the biscuit in the basket.

Do you freeze up on breakaways? Do you want to score more goals in Hockey? Read this article to learn what to do to score more goals in hockey!

If you have read my article on how to deke, you are now ready to learn how to beat the goalie. This may be easier said than done, but there are some tips that will be helpful.

First you must know the golden rule. If you are on a breakaway or a one on one with the goalie, you shouldn’t stick handle with the puck directly in front of you. If you stick handle with the puck directly in front of you the goalie knows that you are not going to shoot because there are only 2 things you can do; deke left, or deke right. In order for you to shoot you must move the puck to your side.

When on a breakaway the proper place to have the puck is on your stick side. If you are right handed then you should be stick handling the puck on your right side. If you have the puck on your stick side than you can shoot, pass, make a drop pass or deke. This will keep the goalie thinking about what you are going to do next.

Where to shoot?

You are alone with the goalie and don’t know what to do. Well the first thing you should do is look for an opening. The best places to look are the corners, and the five-hole (between the legs). Most goalies are expecting you to deke, or shoot for the top corners when you are on a breakaway. Many times you can trick the goalie by just sliding the puck by the goalie with a quick low shot to the bottom left or right corners.

A good goalie will usually know his angles and will not give you a lot of places to shoot at. If you are facing a good goalie then you will not have a lot of openings, so you will have to make your own.

You can make a place to shoot at by making the goalie move. If you want to make the goalie move then you must deke, or move the puck. The goalie is trained to line up with the puck, so when you move the puck the goalie also moves. When the goalie moves it creates openings, usually between the legs, under the arms and around the insides of the posts. With a little practice you will learn where to shoot when you deke left, and where to shoot when you deke right.

Watch the goalie. One of the best moves to do on any goalie is a fake shot. When you fake a shot most goalies will be tricked and either go down, or at the least move a little bit. This gives you a chance to look for new openings and shoot for them. A move that works most of the time is to stick handle on your shooting side. If you shoot right than you will be stick handling on your right side. When you are within 15 to 20 feet from the net fake a shot to the right side of the net (push the puck towards the goalie as if you are going to shoot it). You then stop the puck with the back hand side of the blade, move the puck to your forehand and pull it to the left side of the net. In most cases when you fake the shot the goalie will go down, then all you have to do is pull the puck over to the opposite side of the net and raise it up over the goalies pad with a quick backhand shot.

There  are many other moves that can be done on a goalie, if I get good reviews on this article then I will write about some more moves that can be done.