By Ryan Walter /
On-ice communication can be the difference between playing poorly and playing well.
All coaches desire their players to use both non-verbal and verbal communication to help create a sense of connectivity offensively and defensively.
Teams not communicating well will often end up with two players defending the same opponent thereby allowing another opponent to be wide open.
This simple 2-on-1 drill helps practice communication on the attack as well as on the back-check.
The drill starts with a full-ice 2-on-1D (the solid O’s versus the non-solid triangles.)
As the play enters the offensive zone, the opposite color D (solid black) steps out into the neutral zone to take the next 2-on-1D coming back towards the original end.
On the coach’s whistle, as the 2-on-1 play finishes around the net, the next full-ice 2-on-1 starts in the opposite direction with one major difference: the first attacking 2-on-1 forwards must communicate who will be the one back-checker and create a 2-on-1 with a back-checker.
As the two forwards attack the D, this defenseman taking the 2-on-1 must now communicate and give instruction to the back-checking forward: “pick-up the outside player,” “Stay with him or her,” etc.
At this point, the 2-on-2 plays out and this stops the progression. The coach skates back to the opposite end to start the next full ice 2-on-1D, so that from each end, forwards will receive a chance to back-check.
When our team is ON, communication is natural and flowing. I hope that this drill helps your team to play its best game
Ryan Walter played 15 seasons in the NHL and is now a coach with the Vancouver Canucks.
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