The Ice Hockey Coach Newsletter

The free 5 minute newsletter that specializes in drills, systems and resources for ice hockey coaches of all levels.

Author

Flanagan Coaching Group
February 01, 2025

MUSINGS FROM THE BENCH

13 Leadership Lessons from Ted Lasso

1.    Be sincere. Tell the truth, but be kind.

2.    Stay teachable. Have a growth mindset, we can always learn. Sometimes from unexpected places.

3.    See good in others. Champions come in all forms.

4.    Happiness is a choice. We have control over how we react to external situations.

5.    Winning is an attitude. Try to get better each day, enjoy the process.

6.    Have confidence in yourself. Set small goals and accomplish them. Let yourself feel good about it! 

7.    Optimists take more chances. Take calculated risks. Be like a gold paner, see the flecks of gold in the sometimes overwhelming, rushing waters.

8.    Everyone differs from everyone else. Be empathetic and meet people where they are at.

9.    Courage is the willingness to attempt. The old Gretzky adage applies here. Take the shot! 

10.  Vulnerability is a strength, not a weakness. Be yourself, share and allow others to do so as well.

11.  Doing the right thing is never the wrong thing. Stick to your values and try to do right by others

12. Be curious, not judgmental. Everyone you encounter has a story to tell, listen and be open to new ideas and ways of doing things.

13.  Be a goldfish. Learn from your mistakes, and try not to ruminate on past failures and how you have been treated by others.

SYSTEM OF THE WEEK

2-1-2 Offensive Zone Forecheck

The 2-1-2 two offensive zone forecheck is a high pressure system that allows teams to isolate the puck to one side of the ice. It attempts to take away options for switching sides with the puck, giving the forechecking team an edge on puck retrieval. It is important to engage in contact to hinder the opposing team from moving the puck away from pressure. The 2-1-2 can also be run with F3 sealing the weakside wall (opposite side from the puck area) to prevent a weakside rim from relieving forechecking pressure.

DRILL OF THE WEEK

1v0 Stretch Pass

  1. Forward 1 passes puck to Defence , then a Defence to Defence  pass back to the Forward 1 skating across. 

  2. Forward 1 receives pass and makes at stretch pass across to Forward 3 (this player is used just to start the drill, then it becomes continuous) who has skated across the Nzone and goes down for a shot on goal.

  3. Forward 2 passes a puck to Defence  (once Forward 1 has made the pass to Forward ) for a Defence to Defence pass then makes a to Forward 1 who turned back up the ice.

  4. Forward 2 then starts the drill after pass. 

QUOTE OF THE WEEK

PERFORMANCE ARTICLE OF THE WEEK