January 20, 2012
Posted in BC Edition, Alberta Edition, Ontario Edition, Development
By Ryan Walter /
Especially at the higher levels, hockey coaches typically find some time to work on their powerplay during practice.
It’s always fun for me to share what NHL teams are doing and then allow you to adjust the process to the level of hockey that you are coaching.
In the NHL, practicing the powerplay always includes developing a powerplay breakout that successfully moves our team into the offensive zone.
One of the powerplay breakouts that is an NHL favourite is the Finnish Breakout.
· Start your five powerplay and four penalty kill players in the neutral zone while all other players remain on the bench.
· One coach dumps a puck into the powerplay’s defensive zone where a defenceman picks up the puck and skates behind the net, while the other defenceman skates towards the left corner.
· The powerplay centre skates towards the right corner, the left winger hovers around the hashmarks, and the right winger stretches to the far blueline on the near boards.
· The defenceman possessing the puck skates behind the net, and then with speed skates directly up the middle of the ice towards the centre-ice faceoff dot.
· The other defenceman swings in the corner and slowly skates up the boards on the right hand side.
· The centre now swings in the right corner and skates up the boards on that side. The left-winger skates up the boards to the blueline and then slashes across to the centre dot, while the right winger on the far blueline stretches from left to right across the blueline.
This Finnish powerplay breakout creates numerous passing options for the defenceman carrying the puck.
If the defenders are using a box technique, the left winger slashes to the middle of that box and is a great passing option.
If the defenders take away that centre option, this opens up the player on the boards coming with speed.
More often than not, these are the two passing options which work best.
NHL teams utilize some modification of this Finnish powerplay breakout as one of four or five powerplay breakouts in their arsenal. I am looking forward to hearing how the Finnish breakout works for your team; drop me a line at info@ryanwalter.com.
Ryan Walter played 15 seasons and coached for two in the NHL and is now president of the American Hockey League’s Abbotsford Heat. Hire Ryan to train your corporate team or speak at your year-end hockey banquet and sign up for Ryan’s free Leadership e-newsletter at www.ryanwalter.com
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