The Basics
Hockey is not one big game but a series of little games, or games within the game.
Rule #2: If you don’t have the puck, go get it. If you broke rule #1 then rule #2 comes into play.
Offense
Center: Operating up and down the middle of
the ice, Centers lead their team's attack by passing the puck between his two
wings to set up a goal. Defensively, he tries to keep the play from leaving the
attack zone. As the play approaches his own goal, it's the center's job to
hustle and break up the opposing team's plays.
Wings: These guys follow the action up and
down the rink on either side of the center. Left and right side wings pass back
and forth, trying to position themselves for a shot on goal. Defensively, they
guard the opponent's point men at the blue line.
Defense
Defensemen: The two defensemen try to stop
incoming play before any chance of scoring is possible. They block shots, clear
the puck from their own net area and entertain the opposing team's forwards with
body shots and ridicule. Offensively, they move the puck up the ice and pass to
the forwards, then follow play into the attack zone.
Positional Play
The Center
Offensive zone play
Centers position themselves in front or behind the net.
Front of net positioning If the defense has the puck, the centre should use the
opportunity to screen the goaltender. A shot can then be taken by a defenseman
and the centre can step out of the way or try to redirect the puck on its way to
the net with his or her stick.
The center can also use front of the net positioning to draw a penalty (i.e.,
cause the opposing team to commit a penalty). This is usually done by
maintaining his or her position in front of the net. Because the opposing
defense’s job is to remove players from the front of the net, the center's
perseverance may force them to become too aggressive in removing him or her,
leading to a penalty being called. Centers usually stay out of the goal crease
in order to avoid taking a penalty themselves.
Back of the net positioning' When a center's winger is being attacked along the
boards, the centre can position him/herself behind the net to receive the
pressured winger's pass. Once the centre receives a pass behind the net, he or
she can make a pass to a teammate moving toward the front of the net. The centre
can also look for a pinching defensemen to pass to.
Neutral zone play
During a rush, if the winger carries the puck towards the center, the center
should replace that winger's position and expect a pass. This causes confusion
for the opposing players. If the centre is rushing up the ice with the puck he
or she should initiate the crossover by heading towards a winger's side.
Defensive zone play
Centers position themselves in front or behind their net.
When the puck is in the defensive zone, the centre usually plays deep and is
expected to help the defensemen along the boards. The centre is the extra player
in the defensive zone who is expected to pick up any opposing player left open
in front of the net or along the boards behind the net. If the centre gains
control of the puck deep in his or her zone, he or she usually looks to pass to
a winger waiting along the side boards.
Back checking
The centre should always be prepared for a quick breakout pass by the opposing
team. The center is expected to play the deepest in the offensive zone but also
the first of the forwards to backcheck. On the backcheck, the centre should take
the first opposing player not covered (usually "the third man back").
Face-offs
It is almost always the center's job to handle face-offs for his team (i.e., the
referee drops the puck between two opposing players to commence or resume play).
Two methods of winning face-offs exist. One is to look down at the spot where
the puck will be dropped, using your peripheral vision, when the referee begins
to drop the puck, quickly sweep the puck back to your defenseman. Another method
is, rather than looking peripherally, look directly at the referee's hand, and
as soon as he moves to drop the puck, try to swiftly sweep the puck to a
teammate (usually a defenseman). It is also very important that the centre tie
up (i.e., hold or block temporarily) the opposing centre immediately after the
face-off is won or lost. Otherwise, the opposing centre can pressure the
opposing puckholder, join a rush, or create a scoring chance.
The Wings
Offensive zone play
A winger's responsibilities in the offensive zone include:
- Fighting for the puck in the corners
- Positioning themselves in front of the net
- Making plays to open teammates
Wingers should not:
- Fight for the puck in the same corner as his or her fellow
winger
- Chase the puck down low in his or her own zone
Aggression is key to being a winger; games often hinge on the grit and
determination behind players who relentlessly fight for the puck and harass
opponents. This is not always how a winger plays. He could be a winger that only
plays for assists and goals. This sort of play holds the immediate goal of
keeping the puck deep in the offensive zone, and the longer term goal of
exhausting the defense and scoring a goal.
Wingers tend to "plant" themselves in front of the net, usually to distract or
screen a goalie, attempt a deflection, throw the defense into disarray, or draw
a penalty. It is a common tactic for teams on the power play to plant a winger
in front of the net and attempt to deflect a slapshot past the goalie.
Defensive zone play
A winger's responsibility in the defensive zone is to:
- Wait for a pass from his or her teammate
- Intercept a pass to the opposing defenseman
- Attack the opposing defenseman when he/she has the puck
A winger should (typically) not:
- Play deep in his or her zone
- Help out his/her teammate along the boards
Wingers should be playing high in the zone, and always be vigilant for a
breakout pass or a chance to chip the puck offside. When a winger receives a
pass along the boards, they can exercise a number of options:
- Bank the puck off the boards or glass to get it out of the
zone
- Redirect or softly pass the puck to a rushing forward
- Shoot the puck out to the center line to another forward
who can either set up an attack, or dump the puck into the offensive zone to
summon a line change
- Carry the puck themselves to attempt a breakaway or an odd
man rush
Backchecking
Wingers are usually the last players to backcheck out of the offensive zone. On
the backcheck, it is essential that they cover the last free opposing player
rushing in. Once the puck is controlled by the opposing team in the defensive
zone, however, wingers are responsible for covering the defenseman on their side
of the ice.
Face-offs
During face-offs, it is essential for the wingers to occupy the opponent they
have been assigned. Although the centers are the only official participants in
the face-off, anyone can charge in for possession of the puck once it hits the
ice, thus making it essential that every opponent is too tied up to fight for
possession.
Once the face-off is clearly won, wingers can set themselves up into appropriate
position.
The Defense
Defensive zone play
When in the defensive zone, the defense player is responsible for keeping the
opposing forwards' opportunities to a minimum when they are on a rush, forcing
them to the corners and blocking both passing and shooting lanes. When the
opposing offence is putting pressure on the defense's team, the defense skater
usually plays closer to the goal, attempting again to block shooting lanes but
also ensure that the goalie is not screened.
A defensemen should not:
- Throw the puck across the front of his own net or clear the puck up the middle
A defensemen's responsibility in the defensive zone is to:
- If there is no
room to skate, look for open forwards and send a crisp clearing pass to start
the rush
- If no pass is possible,
use the boards, preferably the near
boards to clear the zone
Neutral zone play
In the neutral zone, the defense hangs back towards his or her own blue line,
usually playing the puck up to other teammates. According to Jay Leach, who
writes for NHL.com's "learn to play hockey" section, the defense must "Move the
puck hard and quick to the open man. Join the rush, [but] do not lead it."
Offensive zone play
In the offensive zone, the defense skaters "play the blue line." It is their
duty to keep the puck in the offensive zone by stopping it from crossing the
blue line that demarcates where the offensive zone begins. Defense players must
be quick to pass the puck around, helping their forwards to open up shooting
lanes, or taking open shots themselves when they become available. The defense
must also be able to skate quickly to cut off any breakaways, moving themselves
back into the defensive zone ahead of the onrushing opponent.
Essentially in all three zones of the rink, the defense is the backstop for the
puck. It should never go behind the defense, unless the player lets it. The
defense keeps the momentum of play squarely directed towards the opposing goal
Backchecking
The backcheck is a play in hockey where a non-defense skater moves back to play
defense by keeping an opposing player out of a play through means of checking,
stick control, and/or body positioning.
Face-offs
During face-offs in the defensive zone, most teams have their
defense players pair up with opposing forwards to tie them up while leaving the
team's forwards open to move the puck, though this is at the discretion of the
individual coach. In the offensive zone, the defense player acts in his or her
usual role, keeping control of the puck as the forwards fight for position.