The Single Deke

The single deke wins more one-on-ones than any other move in hockey. It's dead simple, which is exactly why it works — the defender only has a split second to react, and a clean fake leaves them committed the wrong way.

Setup

Carry the puck on your forehand, slightly ahead of your body. Approach the defender at three-quarter speed. Full speed gives you less time to read their hips. Too slow and they recover.

The Fake

Push the puck wide to your forehand — hard enough that the defender shifts their weight. The moment their stick or skate commits, pull it back across your body to the backhand. One motion. Don't hesitate between the push and the pull.

The key is your eyes. Look where you're faking. Defenders read eyes before they read the puck. Sell the fake with your whole upper body. Shoulder drops, head turns — then snap back.

Finishing

After you pull across, accelerate. This is where kids lose the play — they pull a beautiful deke and then coast. The defender recovers in under a second. Explode past them and get your shot off quick.