5 Best Hockey Defenseman Drills

The 5 best hockey defenseman drills help develop backwards skating skills, shot blocking skills and strength in front of the net. These are just some of the skills that defensemen need which are not as critical to forwards. Be sure to include the 5 best hockey defenseman drills in your coaching and training routine.

1. Blocking Shots. The entry into the list of the 5 best hockey defenseman drills that deals with shot blocking is done in two parts. At no time do you actually blast shots at a defenseman, but you teach them how to block shots as safely as possible. The first part of the drill is to have a forward stand in the middle of the blue line. The defenseman comes across the zone and the coach blows the whistle. The whistle is the indication that a pass has been made to the forward. The forward silently counts to three and then slaps his stick on the ice. The defenseman must drop to block the shot, with his head turned for proper technique, as soon as the sound of the stick slapping the ice happens. This teaches timing on blocking shots. The second part of this drill is to have the defenseman slide along the ice and then get up before hitting the boards. The quicker the defenseman can get back up, the quicker he can get into the play.
2. Two on One. An odd-man rush such as a two on one can be a tense time for a defenseman and his goalie. In this drill a defenseman has to skate backwards as two forwards, one with a puck, simulate a two on one break. The defenseman must learn to read the forwards to determine when, or if, they are going to pass. The defenseman also learns how to let the goalie take the shooter in this entry into the list of the 5 best hockey defenseman drills.
3. Penalty Kill. Defensemen play a key role in killing a penalty, and one of the top 5 best hockey defenseman drills teaches the proper way to clear the zone on a penalty kill. It is an extremely simple drill that is designed to create good habits on the ice when players have to react instantly. The defenseman takes off from the blue line towards the back of the net. As he takes off, a forward shots the puck into the zone along the boards so it winds up going behind the net. The defenseman intercepts the puck, brings it out from behind the net and shots it off the boards and out of the zone. This gets defenseman into the good habit of using the boards to clear the zone on a power play.
4. Positioning. The positioning drill requires three forwards and two defenseman. One forward is behind the net, the second is in front of the net and the third is at the blue line. The forward behind the net starts off with the puck. One defenseman is assigned to cover the forward behind the net and watch for the pass out to the front, while the other defenseman is supposed to try to move the forward from in front of the net while watching for the forward at the blue line. At any point, the forward from the blue line can try to move in to the slot to take a pass. The defenseman must get control of the puck and shoot it off the boards and out of the zone.
5. Point Shot. This is another extremely simple, but extremely vital, entry on the list of the 5 best hockey defenseman drills. This drill requires two defenseman; each placed on opposite sides of the blue line facing the net. Each defenseman is given three pucks. When the coach blows the whistle, the defenseman are to take alternating shots on goal from the point. This drill helps increase accuracy and consistency with point shots.