3 Rules of Hockey Defense

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Purpose:    Control your opponent's offense and prevent quality shots on goal

1) Make a Wedge

• Position yourself in the middle of the rink guiding your opponent to the outside lanes
• Puck handlers generally skate towards the net using available open space, if they don't choose a side lane then they will skate right into you so you don't have to do any extra work
• The wedge can begin even when there is distance (loose gap) between you and your opponent
• Reduce the angle of attack (slice of pie) that the goalie has to cover.
• Once your opponent is in a side lane (outside of the face-off dots and lower) the chance of a quality shot on goal is greatly reduced

2) Force/Guide Your Opponent to His Backhand Side

• Give or Guide your opponent to his backhand side
• The backhand shot is a weaker and less accurate shot than the forehand
• It will take two moves to get to the forehand side again and shoot

3) Make Physical Contact Between Defensive Blue Line and Top of Circles

• Don't let your opponent get across your Blue Line free
• Clogging the Blue Line can cause your opponent to go off-sides
• Contact your opponent before the top of the circles and guide him wide of the face-off dots
• A defenseman doesn't have to prevent a shot on goal, just prevent a quality shot on goal
• Don't be a goalie. Don't back down below the middle of the slot, your opponent becomes a threat at the top of the circles