In episode 4 of The Breakdown with Dave Starman, Dave takes a look at how to improve your defencemen’s quick puck movement for game-like situations such as breakouts, neutral zone regroups, and hinges.
For Dave, it all starts with three main components of controlling the puck off of retrievals:
- Good shoulder check
- Good angle to the puck
- Using deception to buy time and space
From there, players must establish possession and move the puck quick but with control.
“Big thing for me, and it’s something that I work with a lot of young defencemen with, if you don’t have good control of the puck, don’t just throw it to you towards your partner and hand them a hand grenade. That is not the way to get out of your own zone.”
Watch as he breaks down game footage and offers drills to get your dman moving the puck with speed and efficiency.
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See also:
- The Breakdown: Involving your Defencmen in the Offensive Zone (VIDEO)
- The Breakdown: Transitioning from offence to defence (VIDEO)
- The Breakdown: Defensive zone faceoff strategies (VIDEO)
David Starman
Starman has spent 11 years as an NHL scout with Toronto, Montreal, Seattle. He is a member of USA Hockey Player Development staff in New York State and has spent 25 years as an instructor with USA Hockey Coaching Education Program.
Starman tended goal for the University of Hartford before turning to the other side of the game, becoming the youngest head coach in Central Hockey League history in 2000 when, at age 31, he took over the Memphis River Kings. Starman later guided the New York Junior Bobcats of the Atlantic Junior Hockey League and was associate coach of the New York Apple Core of the Eastern Junior Hockey League. Starman is now one of the nation’s most respected college hockey TV analysts.
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