Table of Contents Title Page Copyright Page Foreword Preface Introduction Key to Diagrams Part I - Offensive Play for Forwards and Defensemen Chapter 1 - Breakouts Reading Pressure and Options Reacting to Support the Breakout Breakout Plays Control Breakouts Chapter 2 - Neutral Zone Counters and Regroups Counters Regroups Chapter 3 - Offensive Zone Entries Dump-In Entries Mid-Ice Entries Wide-Lane Drives The Funnel Two-on-One Attacks Two-on-Two Attacks Three-on-Two Attacks Offsides Activating Defense Into Offensive Zone Entries Chapter 4 - Attack Zone Cycling Playing Behind the Net Stretching the Zone: Low-High Plays Activating Defense in the Offensive Zone Attack Zone Plays Chapter 5 - Power Plays Power-Play Breakouts Gaining and Maintaining Possession off the Entry Zone Setup Five-on-Three Power Play Four-on-Three Power Play Part II - Defensive Play for Forwards and Defensemen Chapter 6 - Forechecking Forechecking Systems Chapter 7 - Neutral Zone Forechecking and Backchecking Neutral Zone Forechecking Neutral Zone Forechecking Systems Neutral Zone Backchecking Neutral Zone Backchecking Systems Chapter 8 - Defensive Zone Entries Handling Defensive Zone Entries Chapter 9 - Defensive Zone Coverage Defensive Zone Systems Situational Guidelines for Defensive Zone Coverag Chapter 10 - Penalty Kills Face-Offs and Penalty Kills Forechecking and Penalty Kills Pressuring the Entry Defensive Zone Play Three-on-Five Penalty Kill Three-on-Four Penalty Kill Part III - Special Game Situations Chapter 11 - Face-Offs Offensive Zone Face-Offs Neutral Zone Face-Offs Defensive Zone Face-Offs Power-Play Face-Offs Penalty-Kill Face-Offs Special Face-Off Situations Chapter 12 - Bench Management and Line Changes Managing Staff Dealing With Officials Adjusting Your Playing Strategy Managing Lines Line Changes Handling the Moment Index About the Authors Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Walter, Ryan, 1958- Hockey plays and strategies / Ryan Walter and Mike Johnston. p. cm. Includes index. ISBN-13: 978-0-7360-7634-0 (soft cover) ISBN-10: 978-0-736-07831-3 (soft cover) 1. Hockey--Offense. 2. Hockey--Coaching. I. Johnston, W. Michael II. Title. GV848.7.W35 2010 796.962’2--dc22 2009026623 ISBN-10: 978-0-736-07831-3 (print) ISBN-13: 978-0-7360-7634-0 (print) Copyright © 2010 by Ryan Walter and Mike Johnston All rights reserved. Except for use in a review, the reproduction or utilization of this work in any form or by any electronic, mechanical, or other means, now known or hereafter invented, including xerography, photocopying, and recording, and in any information storage and retrieval system, is forbidden without the written permission of the publisher. Acquisitions Editor: Justin Klug; Developmental Editor: Kevin Matz; Assistant Editor: Scott Hawkins; Copyeditor: Patricia MacDonald; Indexer: Dan Connolly; Graphic Designer: Kim McFarland; Graphic Artist: Kim McFarland; Cover Designer: Keith Blomberg; Photographer (cover): Jim McIsaac/Getty Images Sport; Art Manager: Kelly Hendren; Associate Art Manager: Alan L. Wilborn; Illustrator: Lineworks, Inc. and Alan L. Wilborn; Printer: Versa Press Human Kinetics books are available at special discounts for bulk purchase. Special editions or book excerpts can also be created to specification. For details, contact the Special Sales Manager at Human Kinetics. Printed in the United States of America 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1 The paper in this book is certified under a sustainable forestry program. Human Kinetics Web site: www.HumanKinetics.com United States: Human Kinetics P.O. Box 5076 Champaign, IL 61825-5076 800-747-4457 e-mail: [email protected] Canada: Human Kinetics 475 Devonshire Road Unit 100 Windsor, ON N8Y 2L5 800-465-7301 (in Canada only) e-mail: [email protected] Europe: Human Kinetics 107 Bradford Road Stanningley Leeds LS28 6AT, United Kingdom +44 (0) 113 255 5665 e-mail: [email protected] Australia: Human Kinetics 57A Price Avenue Lower Mitcham, South Australia 5062 08 8372 0999 e-mail: [email protected] New Zealand: Human Kinetics P.O. Box 80 Torrens Park, South Australia 5062 0800 222 062 e-mail: [email protected] E4627 Foreword Ryan Walter and Mike Johnston are great coaches who have been around long enough to really understand the game of hockey. Their book, Hockey Plays and Strategies, is a great reference for any coach, player, or fan. Hockey requires a strong blend of physical and mental skills. Players need a solid base of fundamentals—skating, shooting, and passing—before beginning to understand how to play the game. But it’s the tactical team skills that are necessary for competing and winning at a high level. And this book will help develop those tactical skills. In Detroit, we talk about a three-step process for success. The first two steps are work ethic and structure. Work ethic is self- explanatory. Structure, a focus of Hockey Plays and Strategies, protects each player. Everyone has a complete understanding of his responsibilities on the ice, which in turn makes everyone quicker. Players can be quick when they know that each teammate will do his part. This leads to an up-tempo game and therefore success. The third step in the process is skill. Without the work ethic and a solid structure, players such as Lidstrom, Datsyuk, and Zetterberg would still be extremely skilled, but they wouldn’t have the continual success they’ve enjoyed in their careers. In 2008, the Detroit Red Wings won the Stanley Cup. One of the biggest plays in game 4 was a five-on-three penalty kill when Henrik Zetterberg blocked out Sidney Crosby’s stick to prevent a goal. That play was a huge reason we went up 3-1 in the series instead of being tied 2-2, and it probably assured Zetterberg the Conn Smythe trophy as playoff MVP and assured us the Stanley Cup. That is an example of a great skill play, but it was also based on good structure. This book offers advice for both coaches and players. Coaches will learn the strategies necessary for success, and players will find advice to help them understand the demands of the game and their roles within the specific systems and strategies that coaches ask them to perform on the ice. Hockey Plays and Strategies is divided into three parts dealing with offensive play, defensive play, and special situations such as power plays, penalty kills, and face-offs. Mike and Ryan’s structure of the chapters is easy to follow—they work from the net out and from the opposition’s net back, just as a play progresses on the ice. Coaches and players alike will find guidance on the movements and tactics in the most effective offensive and defensive systems in the game. This book also compares the systems and strategies—based on execution, personnel requirements, and their unique advantages and disadvantages—so that coaches can make the best use of a team’s talents and prepare for specific opponents, situations, or player combinations. Most coaches agree that their main responsibility is to help players become the best they can be. Understanding hockey’s complicated plays and strategies is a key factor in creating successful players. A coach should always look for ways to provide the information necessary to help a group of athletes come together and succeed as a team. This book goes a long way in providing that information. Mike Babcock Preface In previous work as authors, Ryan and I focused on the leadership angle and the so-called intangibles in the sport of hockey. When approached about writing a book that involved breaking the game down into all its technical components and strategies, we were both very excited about the opportunity. The game of hockey is presently played in almost every country, with millions of participants worldwide. Although several countries claim ownership of the game, there has been significant sharing of ideas, philosophies, and strategies over the years. All countries have adapted their approach to include what they believe are the key ingredients to put them in a position to claim world titles. This book includes several strategies and tactics prevalent in the games of successful European countries while focusing on ones we have used with teams or observed being used with teams we have coached against. Understanding the tactics and strategy involved in the game is critical for on-ice success. Hockey Plays and Strategies is broken down into three primary sections dealing with offensive play, defensive play, and special situations. Does great defensive play win championships, as the saying goes? Not necessarily—if you look at the results of the major professional leagues in baseball, football, basketball, and hockey, there have been an equal number of dynasties whose teams are remembered for their offensive prowess. It is our belief that a good balance is best, and then as a coach your natural tendency will be to lean slightly toward the offensive or defensive side depending on your style and comfort level. The final section in the book discusses the strategies and tactics involved in face- offs and also discusses in detail how coaches can separate themselves from the pack with their bench-management skills. One of the greatest coaches in the game, Scotty Bowman, was always known as a master when it came to bench-management skills. The sequence for the offensive and defensive chapters works from the net out and from the opposition’s net back. Offensive chapters cover the breakout, neutral zone attack and regroups, offensive zone entry (including odd-man rushes), the attack zone, and power plays. Defensive chapters cover the forecheck, neutral zone forecheck and backcheck, defensive zone entry (including odd-man defensive play), defensive zone coverage, and penalty kill. We have attempted to explain in detail where applicable the key teaching points involved in executing the systems discussed.