Defence Camps

Hockey defence training is crucial for developing the skills and mindset required to excel as a defenceman in the game. Here are some key aspects to focus on during your training:

1. Skating Skills:
   • Agility: Work on your lateral movement, quick turns, and pivots.
   • Backward Skating: Develop strong backward skating skills for effective defensive play.
   • Speed: Enhance your overall skating speed to keep up with fast opponents.
2. Stickhandling:
   • Stick Checks: Practice using your stick for poke checks, lifts, and sweeps to disrupt opponents.
   • Control: Improve your ability to control the puck, especially under pressure.
3. Positioning:
   • Defensive Stance: Learn and maintain a low, balanced defensive stance to react quickly to opponents’ movements.
   • Gap Control: Work on maintaining an appropriate distance from the attacker to close gaps effectively.
   • Reading Plays: Develop the ability to read the play and anticipate opponents’ actions.
4. Body Checking:
   • Legal Checking: Learn the proper techniques for body checking within the rules of the game.
   • Physical Strength: Build strength to deliver effective body checks and hold your ground in battles.
5. Defensive Tactics:
   • Shot Blocking: Practice proper shot-blocking techniques to prevent shots from reaching the net.
   • Clearing the Crease: Develop skills to clear opponents from the front of the net.
   • Penalty Killing: Understand penalty killing strategies and practice them regularly.
6. Communication:
   • On-Ice Communication: Develop effective communication skills with your teammates to coordinate defensive strategies.
   • Calling for the Puck: Communicate with your teammates when you are open for a pass.
7. Game Situations:
   • Scenarios: Simulate various in-game situations during practice, such as 2-on-1s or 3-on-2s, to improve decision-making.
   • Breakouts: Work on your ability to initiate breakouts and move the puck up the ice.
8. Conditioning:
   • Endurance: Hockey games can be physically demanding, so ensure you have good cardiovascular endurance.
   • Interval Training: Incorporate high-intensity interval training (HIIT) to mimic the stop-and-start nature of the game.
9. Video Analysis:
   • Review game footage to analyze your performance and identify areas for improvement.
   • Study professional defensemen to learn from their techniques and strategies.
10. Mental Toughness:
    • Stay composed under pressure.
    • Develop a resilient mindset to bounce back from mistakes.

We tailor your training to your specific strengths and weaknesses. Working with our coaches, can enhance your overall development as a hockey defenseman.