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By Kim McCullough, M.Sc, YCS

In order to be an elite level hockey player, you’ve got to be able to skate, shoot, pass, stickhandle and check effectively at high speeds. There are lots of players out there who have those skills, but do they actually know how to play their position effectively? For both forwards and defensemen, there are five position-specific abilities that you must excel at in order to play at the elite level.

I’m not talking just about “game sense” here – although game sense is critical to being able to excel at the abilities below. These are much more specific than that. I played both forward and defense at the elite level and it took a lot more than just general “game sense” to allow me to compete at that level. I had to learn the nitty-gritty details of each position.

Five skills for forwards
• Playmaking: Do you know when to move the puck and when to hang on to it (in the defensive, neutral and offensive zones)? Do you know how to support your teammates when they have the puck so they can make a play to you? Can you make a play without telegraphing where the puck is going?

• Ability to break into openings: In my opinion, your ability to read time and space on the ice is the one ability that separates good players from great players. Do you understand when you should be going full speed and when you need to slow down and “save” ice? Being able to do this effectively is absolutely crucial if you want to get to and play at the next level.  

• Defensive play: This is about more than just how you play in your defensive zone (which is absolutely critical, by the way, no matter how many goals you can score). Do you understand how to forecheck and back-check with purpose or do you just stand in the right play? Are you a reliable two-way forward who contributes on the defensive side of the puck?

• Puck protection: This is really important for defensemen as well, but it is especially critical for forwards. Can you protect the puck along the boards on the breakout to make sure you get it out? Can you win battles in the corner in the offensive zone? Do you know how to drive around a defenseman without putting the puck in a position where it can be taken away? Do you know how to manage the puck in all three zones?

• Scoring ability: Not everyone is a 50-goal scorer. You don’t have to fill the net, but do you know how to use the right shot at the right time? Do you know how to get your body in the right position to put the puck in the net quickly? 

Five skills for defensemen 
• Moving the puck: The ability for a defenseman to make a quick and smart first pass is critical. It is the key to an effective breakout and one of the things that coaches at the elite levels are looking for from every defenseman. Your ability to use your partner effectively and keep multiple passing options open are also crucial. And your ability to move the puck without telegraphing where you’re going to pass it is absolutely critical to excelling at the next level. 

• Board play: Are you able to gain and maintain control of the puck and player along the boards by using your stick and body effectively? When you pinch down the wall, do you maintain proper position and come up with the puck, body or both? 

• Net-front play: Can you use your body and stick effectively to protect your goalie and move the screen from the path of the shot? Can you tie up the player without getting out of position? And the one that is most critical in my mind:  Can you clear loose pucks without turning the puck over to the other team?  

• Neutral zone play:  Are you able to read the other team’s attack and adjust to different situations (1v1, 2v1, 3v1, 2v2)? Do you understand when to “step up” and hold the blue line? Are you able to play the body effectively – without taking a penalty? Can you control the puck and initiate the attack – instead of just throwing the puck back to the other team? That last one is a HUGE pet peeve of mine – when defensemen just throw the puck back into traffic instead of controlling the play.  

• Point play: Do you know when to pinch and when to back off? Can you play the body without taking a penalty? Can you read when you can jump in for the attack? Do you know what shot to use when – or when you should throw it into the corner to change the point of attack?

So there you have it, the most critical “position-specific” abilities for forwards and defensemen. Just like you need to be taught how to skate, shoot, pass and stickhandle properly, you also need to learn the secrets of how to execute these five key position-specific abilities effectively and at high speeds.

 

To get complete access to articles, videos and secrets that addresses the specific needs of female hockey players, visit: http://www.totalfemalehockey.com.  Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS, is an expert in the development of aspiring female hockey players.  She is a former NCAA Division 1 captain at Dartmouth and played in the National Women’s Hockey League for 6 years.  She is the Director & Founder of Total Female Hockey.