D Positioning: Position Before Possession

Position before possession is crucial to regaining control of the puck. When players understand that if they are in the right position, they will have more success to gain possession of the puck, it doesn’t matter if you are smaller, a weaker skater. If you are in the right position, the opponent will have to adjust their position, not you. Better position = winning more battles.

For this blog, we will look at position before possession from a defensive perspective and down low in the defensive zone. It's very important to be able to read the play and know what and how you want to use your body. It’s one thing to be in front of the opponent, but if you are side by side, what can you do?

Hockey is a battle of inches, sometimes you are only 1 foot away from the opponent and they still score. At the end of the day, if you want it more than the opponent, and you are willing to battle in the gritty areas, you will generally be more successful on most nights. When you go in the corner, you need to strike first, use your body and protect the puck.

Five key points when teaching this technique are:

Body position on the opponent
Get your inside leg ahead of the opponent (strike first) (knee drive)(this brings your hips in front of the opponent)
When you are in front, deception (fakes, stick or skating) will help you
Protect the puck (reading where the pressure is coming from and keeping the puck protected)
Escape from the battle.

Below, I’ve outlined a five-drill progression that you can use to help your players work on the Position Before Possession. All drills can be found in the CoachThem Marketplace so you can easily add them to your personal playbook.

NEW: Click on video icon in the rink for the Drill video!

The below Practice Plan can be found in our Marketplace under Position Before Possession.

1. Position Before Possession: Activation

Working on getting inside body position before possession.
2 players together.
Using knee out and upper body.

2. Position Before Possession: Quick Retrieve

The ability to read and react quick.
D1 and D2 are against each other. D1 playing defensive, D2 is offensive. Both cannot look behind or at the puck behind.
Coach drop a puck below the goal line (make sure you chance the spot every time).
D1 and D2 react when they see the puck coming through.
D1 have to retrieve the puck and skate with it until the top of the circle.
D2 have to keep the puck down low (you can add a shot later if you want.

3. Position Before Possession: Breakout Part 1

D1 goes to circle and make a pivot.
Coach dump a puck.
F jump when the skate of D1 touch the circle.
D1 try to break-out until the top circle.
F1 try to recover and feed F2.

4. Position Before Possession: Breakouts part 2

D1 tries to recover the puck to make a breakouts play to the coach or the F2.
F1 is trying to recover and attack the net.
Could let F2 go for a shot if the pass is completed.

5. Position Before Possession: Rebound

The ability to read and react quick
D1 and D2 are against each other. D1 playing defensive, D2 is offensive.
1- Coach shot a puck at the net. D1 box out, D2 try to tip it (it's 2-3 seconds max).
2- At the whistle (has to be quick). Coach will spot a puck in a corner, D1 and D2 have to hunt the puck.
3- D1 has to get out with the puck (top of the circle), D2 has to keep it inside and score a goal.

Blog by CoachThem Contributor, Mitch Giguere

Mitch Giguere, ChPC, an assistant coach with the Wheeling Nailers in the ECHL, affiliated with the Pittsburgh Penguins and Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins. Mitch has his High Performance 2 from Hockey Canada, Advanced Coaching Diploma from the Canadian Sport Institute and is finishing his Learning Accelerator at the Canadian Sport Institute. You can follow his popular video breakdown on Social Media for more excellent hockey content.

Written by the CoachThem Team