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Fore Checking

Fore checking refers to skating done in the offense zone in order to recover possession of the puck after a dump or turn over. Fore checking is all about anticipating what the puck carrier will do next. Knowing your opponents skill level will help you figure out what they might do next. Strong skaters will skate the puck up where the weak ones will pass the puck.  The fore checker must always keep eye to eye contact with the puck carrier. The puck carrier will tip you off to where they plan to pass the puck by the direction in which they look so, by watching the puck carriers eyes you can anticipate where he/she is going to pass the puck. This gives you a chance to intercept it and gain possession.

 

 

Hip Checking

Hip checking is best delivered along the boards. Hip checking is when a player goes into a slight crouch stance and uses his hips against an opposing player to separate him/her from the puck. If you end up hitting them below the knees you will be charged with a penalty of clipping. Remember to stay low and curled when you hit them so you can stay on your feet.

Here are a couple of videos on hip checking.

 

Shoulder Checking

Shoulder-checking is the most common form of body checking. The player swings his/her hips toward the opposing player trying to make them become off balanced and then using his/her shoulder with elbows tucked in to separate him/her from the puck. Remember not to use your elbows or this will cause you to get an elbowing penalty.

Body Checking.

Body checking has a variety of techniques like hip checking, shoulder checking, side checking, back checking, front checking, and fore checking. Side checking is the most common form of body checking. To accomplish this you drive your shoulder, upper arm, hip and elbow, equally into the opponent to stop them from carrying the puck down the ice. 

The purpose of body checking is simply to separate an opponent from the puck while maintaining your balance and position without committing a penalty. It also gives you the chance to gain possession of the puck and take it in for a goal.

Front checking is another form of a body checking. Front checking is accomplished by using the front of your body while facing the front of the other player and taking them into the boards. In a front check you want to use the entire body to check the opposing player to gain possession of the puck or to allow a team mate to gain possession of the puck. Remember to always have your head up. Here is a video showing examples of legal and illegal body checks.

Cross Checking

Cross checking is when you have both hands on the stick and you extend your arms to check an opposing player. Remember this is an illegal move and will earn you a penalty. They will call you on either a major or a minor penalty depending on the severity of the infraction.

Sweep Checking

Sweep checking is the most popular fore check used by forwards. This type of checking uses your stick to keep the opposing player from sending a pass or by knocking the puck away from them. This is accomplished by swinging your stick in a sweeping motion in front of the opposing player.  The ideal of the sweep check is to force the player to the outside.  Never approach the puck carrier head on because he/she could get around you and score a goal.  Always angle the puck carrier while sweeping your stick. You can accomplish the angling by using forward or backward cross overs.

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Hook Checking.

The hook check is accomplished by placing your top hand on the stick then bend one knee and bring the shaft of your stick down where it is nearly flat on the ice. Hook your stick blade in the direction of the puck.  The curved part of the stick should cup the puck and drive the puck away from the opponent.  This type of stick checking is the most difficult to use.

Lift Checking

Lift checking is the act of lifting the opposing teams stick to gain possession of the puck. A lift check is done for two reasons. The first reason is not to allow them to score a goal when they are positioned in front of the net. The second reason is to take the puck away and take it in for a goal yourself. Lift checking is done when you put your stick under their stick and lift up. This form of checking is another type of stick checking.

Press Checking

The press check is opposite of the lift check. The press check is when you use your stick to stop or control the movement of an opponents stick by placing your stick on top of their stick and pressing it down so that it can not move.

Poke Check.

A poke check involves using your stick to poke at the puck to knock it away from the opposing player. To accomplish a poke check place your top hand on the stick with palm down. The stick will face down and closed. Keeping your elbows tucked in toward your sides and use the other hand to keep your balance. Then poke the bottom of your stick blade at the puck using your top hand to get the puck away. With the poke check avoid sweeping your stick,the purpose of the poke check is to poke the puck not sweep it. Remember to always play the body after poking the puck away.

Stick Checking

Stick checking is the use of your stick to interfere  with an opponents stick to gain possession of the puck. There are many types of stick checking like left, poke, sweep, press and hook checking. Each type will separate the opponent from the puck and gain you the advantage. In the next few posts we will take a look at each of these types of stick checking.

Girls Checking in Hockey.

Up to 1990 girls were allowed to check in hockey after that it was disallowed. The debate has been a hot topic in last few years about weather girls should be allowed to check. There are people who believe girls should not check because they would get hurt or that it would promote violence in girl’s hockey. There is speculation that if checking is allowed back in girl’s hockey that there would be fewer girls involved in hockey due to the increase of physical demand and the worry of injury.

Others believe that putting checking back in girl’s hockey would only benefit the program. One reason is that it would teach the girls to play with their heads up instead of down. Some girls have the tendency to play looking down, not up, in which case it causes more injuries because they're concentrating on the puck and not on where they are going or what is happening around them. This leads to them getting hurt from getting pinched up on the board and not being prepared for it. In boys hockey they are all always anticipating the next hit so they tend to skate with their head up and can prepare for the hit or can see were the next open player is at on the ice. Girls are two times more likely to suffer from a concussion than their male counterpart. Another reason for allowing checking into girl’s hockey according to some is that it would bring more excitement to the game; this would then bring in more spectators to the game.

I believe that girls should be allowed to check in hockey. If you don't think that there isn't hitting and shoving going on in girls hockey, then you are sorely wrong. Girls seem to know when the referees are not looking and get a cheap shot on each other. When they are going for a puck on the boards, the arms are moving and bodies are trying to separate the other player from the puck and it gets to be quite physical. There is hip checks going on and pinching against the board going on all the time. The reason I think checking should be allowed in girls hockey is because they will teach them to skate with their heads up and less injuries will occur because they are anticipating the next hit, they will see where they are going, who’s open, and who's coming after them. There would also be less hitting that is done on the sly, behind the officials back, and this will help in girls having fewer injuries also. The bottom line is that I think it would make for better players and would reduce the amount of injuries in girl’s hockey. Isn't that as parents of girls in hockey one of our major concerns? If not allowed to check girls at least should be taught how to check and to receive one properly. This is important in kid’s sports and my kid’s sports.

Goalie Fingers Up Glove Position

Fingers up position for a goalie helps cut the trajectory of the puck when it is coming at you. The other benefit is that when a puck comes at his shoulder he can move more freely to snatch the puck out of the air. There are other benefits to the fingers up position which will be demonstrated in this video.

Goalie Leg Extensions

This video will show you how important it is to use a leg extention instead of a leg kick to stop the puck. The leg extention directs the puck to the corners and the leg kick puts it back in front of the  net, so it is very important to alway extend the leg instead of the kick.

Goalie Tips and Tricks 2.

Positioning is very important to a goalie he/she must always stay square with the shooter and never lose sight of the puck. In ice hockey the goaltender is the only player who can play in the crease until the puck has entered then it is fair game to all. They are also the only player that can fall on the puck, use their glove, and any part of their body to stop the puck from going into the net.

The goalie should stand on their feet as long as they can before going down this will limit the shooters options in scoring a goal. The best thing for a goalie is to try to catch the puck if at all possible. This prevents the puck from sliding bye or rebounding back for another shot. You might see a goalie tap his/her stick on the goal post. What they are doing is checking to see how much net is available and where they are positioned without looking so that they don't take their eyes off the puck. While watching the puck the goalie should check out the position of the blade on the opposing player. If the blade is open and slightly pointed upward the player is going to take the shoot. If the blade is flat or parallel to the ice the player is going to deke or fake you out.

 When the player is behind the net with the puck the goalie must stay close to the post closest to the puck with pads against post and stick at a 45 degree angle to deflect the puck when it is shot at them. The 45 degree will deflect the puck outward not up and toward the net. Drop to the butterfly position with the stick in the down position when being screened by the opposing player. This will increase your chances of seeing the shot and it will reduce the angle of the shot so the screening player can't deflect it.

Remember goalies you are to be in consent communication with your teammates. This will help them and you by telling them who to shut down first and that they are screening you out. Goalies have one of the hardest positions in hockey and it takes the team to win or lose the game not just the goalie.  More to come on ice hockey goalie tips and tricks. 

Stick on Stick Defense.

This video will show you how to play stick on stick defense by playing the man.

Ice Hockey Defense Strategy - Part Three

Here is a video about how the defense can use behind the net for protection and to give a better break out pass.

Ice Hockey Defense Strategy - Part Two

Here is the second part of ice hockey defense strategy hope these tips help you play abetter game.

Get to know your defense partner and how he/she plays. This will help you become a strong defense team because you know their strong points, weak points, and they know yours. Defense is a very important part of winning or losing a game. When my son played defense his partner and him know exactly where the other one was at all times, this made them a very effective part of the team. When one was up, the other was back, then when the other one moved back, then he was up. They played like a well-oiled team and it was fun to watch.

As a defense player you must get to know your goalie and his/her weaknesses. This way you will be able to help them on their weak side and keep the puck out of the net .Remeber always talk to your goalie throughout the game, they see things that you can't see and are able to give you hints on who needs to be shut down quicker and who is the strongest players on the opposing team. Make sure not to screen the goalie, the goalie must keep his/her eyes on the puck at all times. When in a face off on your end make sure to ask the goalie if he/she can see the puck because most of the time they can't.

Defense players remember it is your job to keep the puck in the opposite side and to always defend your goalie. Defense is one of the keys to winning or losing the game and is a very important position. So please parent, spectators, coaches and team mates, remember to tell them thank you for doing such a great job.