Tactics

Shorting the Zone: a Modern Defensive Tactic

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While the primary role of a defenseman is to stop the other team from scoring, there is a major impact they can have in scoring more goals.

We talk a ton about being proactive and finding ways we can improve our on-ice performances at both ends of the ice.

A key concept with defensemen being proactive in the modern game is shorting the offensive zone.

Old school = Sitting on the blueline, skating backward, and absorbing the rush
New school = Getting off the blueline, skating forward, and nipping the rush in the bud before it gets going

What is “Shorting the Zone”?

Shorting the zone = Defensemen moving their positioning lower in the offensive zone.

While the primary role of a defenseman is to stop the other team from scoring, there is a major impact they can have in scoring more goals . . .

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