Paul Bedford
G.M. & Head Coach
Lindsay Muskies Provincial Jr. A
Camp Co-Director
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Top 10 Tips for Defensemen
It's tough being a
defenseman …. Here are some tips that will make your job
easier:
1. Keep Gap Tight in
Neutral Zone...
- Tight gap in NZ means
playing rush at blueline, therefore not giving up easy
entry.
- Tight gap in the NZ
makes your job easier.
2. Go to Man Early and be
Aggressive in Defensive Zone...
- Be aggressive in your
own zone / man-to-man coverage.
- Delaying gives the
puck-carrier the room and the time to make your life
miserable.
3. When Defending a 2 on 1
Rush...
- Stay in the middle and
do not allow a pass. 'Sliding' may be necessary to
take away the shot and the pass across.
4. Puck out...
- Defense must get puck
out of their zone at all costs.
- If no teammate is
available for pass… go high and hard off the glass.
5. Think Pick...
- Always be ready to
'pick' a forechecker to give your partner more time to
make a play.
6. Communicate...
- Defense partners should
continually talk to each other to help each other out.
- "Lots of
time", "reverse", "right on
you" , "I got him", etc.
- Help your partner 'read
the play'… especially on the rush.
7. Stick on ice...
- Defenseman's stick must
always be on the ice… especially in their own zone
to take away the 'passing lanes'. (Body in the
shooting lane).
8. Neutral Zone Turnovers...
- Defensemen can never
turn puck over in NZ (odd man rush).
- Defensemen should always
be alert to get the puck in deep.
9. Head up...
- Make sure your head is
UP in the Offensive Zone when you have the puck.
- This helps find the open
man and see defenders / shot-blockers.
- Shot cannot be blocked.
10. Join Rush...
- Always be alert for
chances to join the rush.
- Go to net (but don't
stay).
- Never pass puck
backwards when in Offensive Zone.
Next
Tip >>>
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