We are thrilled with how well the first edition of Hockey Plays and Strategies was received throughout the hockey coaching community worldwide. One USA Hockey level 4 instructor recently said about the book, “This is the best book that you can purchase to help you coach hockey at any level.” Our goal in writing this technical look at our great game was to give coaches more options as they decided what strategies best suited their team’s skill set. Instead of telling coaches which breakouts we preferred, we laid out several options so that coaches could better understand the concepts and then decide which structure would give their team the advantage.
Since the NHL Stanley Cup Final went to the best-of-seven format in 1939, the team that has won game 1 has gone on to capture the Stanley Cup 78 percent of the time (60 of 77 series), including each of the past five years. Coaching is about preparing your team to compete at its highest level, every game. Teams prepared to win game 1 at the NHL level increase their chances of achieving success.
As we participate in coaching conferences across the world, we love asking coaches at every level, “What is your pillow pain? What keeps you up at night as a coach?” Obviously, coaches have different pieces of our game that they want to do a better job at, but the overwhelming answer from coaches is that they wonder whether they did a good enough job preparing their teams for the games ahead. Great teams focus on process, not outcome. Great coaches prepare their teams to implement the processes that give them their best chance to win—and that is what this book is about.
We have some good news for you coaches: This second edition of Hockey Plays and Strategies gives you more! The game of hockey is ever evolving, and we are excited to add to our previous body of knowledge. A large chunk of the foundational structure in this book will obviously remain the same, but many of the following chapters have been added to and upgraded. We have also added two new sections—one on how to pre-scout your opponent and a second on how to get these processes, this structure, into your practices. Many of you coaches asked us for drills that would practice certain breakouts or forechecks, and now you have them.
Hockey Plays and Strategies is still broken down into three primary sections dealing with offensive play, defensive play, and special situations. Does great defensive play win championships, as the saying goes? Not necessarily. If you look at the results of the major professional leagues in baseball, football, basketball, and hockey, an equal number of dynasties were built by teams remembered for their offensive prowess. We believe that a good balance is best, although as a coach your natural tendency will be to lean slightly toward the offensive or defensive side depending on your style and comfort level.
The sequence for the offensive and defensive chapters works from the net out and from the opposition’s net back. Offensive chapters cover the breakout, neutral zone attack and regroups, offensive zone entry (including odd-man rushes), the attack zone, and power plays. Defensive chapters cover the forecheck, neutral zone forecheck, backcheck, defensive zone entry (including odd-man defensive play), defensive zone coverage, and penalty kill.
We have attempted to explain in detail the key teaching points involved in executing the systems discussed. As mentioned in the book, it is not the system you choose that will make you successful; rather, it is how effectively your players execute your team structure that gives you the advantage. When breakdowns occur, you need to know where to look to make corrections. Understanding the key teaching points will help in this area as well as allow the players to grasp the concepts easier. Our goal in writing this book is to give both coaches and players the information they need to play their best game. Enjoy!