On the Ice: A Recap of Mitch Giguere’s NHL Development Camp Experience

On the Ice: A Recap of Mitch Giguere’s NHL Development Camp Experience At CoachThem, we are always excited to share firsthand experiences and insights from our team members. In this blog, Mitch recounts his unforgettable journey at an NHL development camp, offering a unique glimpse into the drills and skills that shape future hockey stars. 

Take it away Mitch! 
 

          I am back, not only with another blog but also from my first NHL development camp. The feeling of being on the ice in an NHL tracksuit with my name on it is unreal. Before digging into this blog, I would like to thank Eric Majeski (@LGP_netwolf on Twitter). All the videos for this blog are from his personal Twitter account because I did not record anything while I was at the development camp. These videos can be found online on many social media platforms, as well as plenty of other NHL teams drills. And yes, I will have a 2024 training camp blog like last year.

In this blog, we'll focus on the videos that were available online. The development camp, like those of other teams, is a crucial period for assessing the progress of young players. We won't be able to cover all aspects of the camp, but we did have three full days dedicated to skating and skills, one day for small area games, and another for a tournament. This involved a multitude of drills and a significant focus on PSD/PSF for position-specific defensemen/forwards.


*All Drills listed below are found in our FREE Marketplace. Never Draw a Drill ever again!  Each drill has a video on our Youtube. Click on the drill to access! 

 

Pittsburgh TC - SAG 3x3 Same Color



 

Let’s start with the fun part: the small area games. We began the day with a small 3v3 area game. The challenge here was communication. As you can see in the video, everyone is wearing the same color. You have to talk, or you might be minus one.
 

Pittsburgh TC - SAG 2x2 4x4



 

The challenge here is that there are numerous players on the ice with one specific role or a limited range of motion. Both players are in the circle and cannot go outside it. The players on the blue line can only move across the blue line, while the other four skaters can move freely. You’ll notice in the drill description you can switch your players on the blue line. This means you will have the same team on the same half of the ice (circle and blue line).
 

Pittsburgh TC - PSD 1x1 rims



 

How can we work on technique within a drill? This is a perfect example. The defenseman has to gap up to the coach and poke the puck. When he pokes the puck, the opposite coach will rim a puck, engaging a 1v1 down low. Adding the poke check takes only 1.5 seconds more. It’s a win-win situation. Make sure you are not standing still with the puck. You might not see it in the video, but over-exaggerate the stick handling by the coach, with wide motion. That way, the defenseman has to adjust, and it’s not a fixed option.
 

Pittsburgh TC - PSD 1x1 Wall Defending



 

A pretty straightforward 1v1 battle with a puck on the wall. The offensive player must stay alive (keep moving), and the defenseman must stop him and stay on the defensive side. At the whistle, the offensive player makes a pass to the blue line or goal line and funnels toward the net. It is not complicated, but you work on swinging your body back towards the net and boxing out.
 

Pittsburgh TC - PSF Net Front Tip



 

Everyone knows Joe Pavelski. There’s a reason why he is so efficient. It doesn’t have to be a new drill that doesn’t allow your players to get a lot of touches. You should keep it simple and straightforward, working on something with many reps and touches like this drill of tipping the puck.
 

Pittsburgh TC - PSF Shooting Catch and Release



 

It's the same as the previous drill. Sometimes, as coaches, we try to create many new things to be different, and we get away from the essentials. In this drill, the forward is standing still, have a look at his body and skates! Everything is facing the net similar to a game situation, that allows for many quality reps.
 

Pittsburgh TC - PSF Pick Up Rims and Push Off



 

There is nothing worse than being under pressure, trying to pick up a rim, and failing. This drill emphasizes picking up the puck off the wall and making a play right after. Why not include your next play within your first technical aspect? This is how you can develop hockey sense and decision-making skills.
 

Pittsburgh TC - PSF Pick Up Rims and Attack



 

We have worked behind the net in the offensive zone, but sometimes, you only have the neutral zone to work with. You can always add pressure and have more targets in front of the net. Give the player the ability to attack the net or make a pass to one of the players in front of the net while under pressure.
 

Pittsburgh TC - PSF 3 Different Shooting



 

We always try to have three pucks for every drill. If you do your research, you will find out why. This drill focuses on working on three different shots while you are in the offensive zone without stopping or using the whistle.
 

Pittsburgh TC - PSF Away From Wall and Knee Drive

 

 

This was my least favorite drill of the week, not because we don’t like the drill, but because it went on for three hours in a row. The players were cutting into our hands, shoulders, and sometimes under the chin to gain body position. The coaches got hit in every single repetition. That was funny. For the second coach (there are three parts to the drill; make sure to read the description), the player has to go on the opposite side of the stick. You can see in the clip that sometimes, we left the stick right in front of us, doing something unexpected so the players have to adjust.

That’s a wrap for my first-ever blog on the development camp. I hope you enjoyed it, leave a comment, and I might do more in the future by looking at what the other teams are doing online. In the meantime, you can always book a 1-on-1 with me via CoachThem and Calendly: Book Time

 

 

Aug 1, 2024

Blog by CoachThem Contributor, Mitch Giguere 

 

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