Vegas Forecheck Details... Rewatching Game 4 of the WCF and absolutely love the details on this clip from Vegas. Watch as they hunt pucks late in the 3rd period. Their ability to attack sticks, take away hands and reload above pucks is exceptional. Once they gain possession, now it become a coverage nightmare for COL. Vegas shifts the plain of attack from low to high and everyone goes in motion. The high scissor cycle between VEG61-VEG6-VEG52 creates a sudden mismatch of coverage for a scoring chance, and although the threat is neutralized fairly quickly off the shot attempt, Vegas had Colorado on their heels. EVERYONE runs their route regardless if they get a touch. It's that buy in that has Vegas feeling confident as they await the winner of CAR-MTL. With our young players, we consistently coach on the puck skills. But little do we dedicated time in practice to focus on the habits off puck. Lets be honest, practice ice and time management are a hot commodity in minor hockey, I get it. But what if we can build in supports to our core drills to ensure we still focus on touches, but at the same time support the growth OZ Routing and IQ instead of standing in line... Below, I have attached 3 drills that focus on supporting routing skills off puck. Nothing flashy but something to think about. The focus is on running your routes to completion. I am always seeking more when it comes to drill design so feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

Attention Young D... With the Mens World Hockey Championships heading into Quarter Final play today, lets highlight Dylan DeMelo (CAN2) with 3 quick clips packed with successful habits. These aren't your highlight reel plays, they are the strong habits that quietly win hockey games and for any young defenseman, adding this to your tool belt will gain you confidence from your coaches. For those that haven't watched much of the Winnipeg Jets this season, DeMelo put together another strong defensive season. Averaging just under 21 minutes per night, DeMelo took another massive step towards being one of the leagues most underrated defenders, earning him his first opportunity to represent Team Canada. The three clips below are from Canada's game on Tuesday vs Czechia. In the first clip, CAN2 does a great job closing gap on the PK off entry. Watch as he loads his feet and uses his stick as a gate to force the attacker into bad ice. As soon as he recognizes the attackers toes are facing the wall, he immediately closes for a hit pin, smothering out the play. In the 2nd clip, CAN2 does a good job on recovery, looking to move puck north back up to support in NZ. Turnover happens in NZ and CAN2 recognizes he needs to gap tight, holding dotline and setting his stick. He recognizes the dot is his hard point and engages to limit attacker from driving through. Again good stick forces outside to corner. Attacker turns back up the wall and CAN2 gets back to dot to own his ice. Play ends up dissipating but good habit to reload multiple times in DZ. In the final clip, we see CAN2 play aggressive in NZ. Love how he steps to close and forces attacker back outside dot lane. He recognizes new threats in mid lane and off dump, turns to close out the driver. Good use of body position, driving the attacker towards the back post. The main point is taking away the drivers hands and stick. Again, not the highlight reel plays that get you views, but the small habits that limit opportunities and frustrate the opposition. Small friction adds up over time and DeMelo does a great job owning his role and the ice. To summarize, stick details matter significantly. Closing "the gate" with your stick and forcing attackers to bad ice stifles attacks and causes the opposition to force pucks. If you found these helpful, I have attached a couple drills below we use to take away hands early off entry plays and net drives. Drill credit on WJT 1 & 2 to @deandesilvahoc1 Head Coach - Kirkland Lake Gold Minors

Attention Young D.... Kitchener has been dominant so far through the round robin at the Memorial Cup, and a lot of that success comes down to their D playing with such poise and patience regardless of what the clock reads. And yes, it's all about habits and how they prepare. Here is some appreciation for Matthew Andonovski (KIT5) and the details he demonstrates when defending a lead late in a crucial game. Watch the small habits, his routing, stick details and calmness he brings to ensure there are no gaps in the DZ. Chicoutimi dialed up the pressure in the final minutes last night and it was sequences like this from the Rangers that foiled their attack. Watch as KIT5 gains a good gap by reloading through the dotline off entry. As soon as the attacker is pushed down the wall, KIT5 closes and leads with his stick, forcing movement. As the puck is moved, KIT5 scans for the next threat and recognizes his partner is engaged on the driver through the slot. This quick scan and recognition allows KIT5 to drive over the face of the net and front the weak side driver. KIT5 makes himself big to prevent a puck getting through and gets some puck luck as the attacker doesn't get a clean touch. Finally, KIT5 collects the bouncing 50/50 puck, but through good habits of getting his hip on the closest attackers hands to prevent a turnover. Instead of swiping at the puck, he's confident, gets his toes up ice and is able to calm the bounce on his forehand before clearing it into the NZ, safely away from his net. His patience and attention to the small details control the ice and have been a big part of Kitchener's team success through their run to the Memorial Cup. Habits like this are possessed through repetition and the ability to think under pressure. Here are 2 drills we use with our young D to help them find comfort in chaos and trust their thinking. Hockey is all about capitalizing on mistakes, so sometimes the best learning is done in controlled situations where failure is just as close to finding success in a practice setting. Drill Credit - SPK D Footwork - @legeeyfbaby Belleville Senators Asst Coach

Attention Young Defencemen: I've been watching a ton of video on Jalen Chatfield (CAR5) over the past 3 seasons, and the habits that have led him to being trusted with big minutes each night. His ability to consistently cut ice, angle and defend by using his stick as a gate out of the corners and off the wall limit chances against regularly. But it's this habit, where he gains position before possession both for his partner and then on his own retrieval that I want to highlight. Yes, he is a physical player, but his choice to gain position, initiate contact, pull the defender in while cutting hands and not forcing a quick puck around the wall are all small habits. Instead of forcing the puck and giving it off for someone else to handle, CAR5 takes a hit to make a play so Carolina has time to be in a better position to get the puck safely north. So many times our young D panic and rush passes thinking its an opportunity to make a perfect play or simply that "someone else can make this play". But here is an example of confidence in our physical ability and patience to allow our supports to be in better position. Using our body, creating friction and taking a hit sometimes leads to team possession, coach trust and ultimately more minutes. I've attached 2 quick drills we use to aid in the focus on position before possession below. Credit to @Mitch_Giguere from Behind the Bench.