Ness: Skills for the Elite Skater

by ANDY NESS

Let’s Play Hockey Columnist

Sometimes throughout my articles I like to go into detail on some of the most common basic skating skills a player will use.

For this article, I would like to dive in a little deeper into some skills that are extremely important at the higher levels. These are skills that I will do with pros as well as the college level skaters. Some of them have to do with skating, some of them are functional game used puck skills. Let’s get after it...

One of the first skills in which I would like to discuss has many different layers to it. I will basically call it board play. Next NHL game you watch, focus on how often the puck is either on the boards or yellow dasher. Whether it’s a forecheck or in the D zone, plays will usually start with guys pulling the puck off the wall, continuing to cycle, turning away from pressure, and then followed by usually a “quick strike” to the slot or soft spot in the offensive zone. Pucks are wrapped, ringed, bounced, and passed off the boards all the time. It is the skater’s job to have the skill to be able to pull the puck of the dasher and control it to be able to make a play.

Sounds easy enough but it is a very, very difficult skill. Consider this, you are playing wing in the defensive zone and the puck gets rung around the boards. While this is going on you usually have an opposing D stepping down on you so your time to pull and control the puck is very limited.

What makes this skill so hard is the fact that the puck has a ton of spin on it. The goal is to try to corral the puck as quickly as possible in order to make a play. We will work on this a ton throughout the summer. The more reps the skater gets executing this skill the easier it becomes. Guys at the highest level tend to make this skill look easy but it is an extremely difficult skill.

Branching off from that skill we will work a lot on turning away from pressure. Being able to control the how much separation he creates when he is able to turn to allude defenders. The ability to turn tight as opposed to turning like a cruise ship is a must for the elite player.

Finally, I would like to discuss the offensive zone blue line work for defenseman. This is one of the areas that D men can be most vital as well as just being more of an asset. Actually, this is probably the biggest area a defenseman can contribute to offense.

Whether it’s getting a shot on net or just making a simple pass to the forwards a good D man will find a way to make a play in the offensive zone. The first key is footwork. Every defenseman should work on “walking the blue line” or being able to move with the puck across the blue while keeping his/her head up and shoulders square.

That is one of the biggest keys is that you have to be able to see what is in front of you. A defenseman should also have the mobility to be able to move laterally to find a shooting lane (watch Cale Makar). With that in mind, defenseman should continually work on “holding” the blue line whether it’s off the dasher or bouncing off of the glass. I always tell the younger defenseman that no one cares if the puck is bouncing or rolling funny. Just find a way to hold the puck in the zone. Nothing kills a forecheck like having the puck exit the zone. Everyone has to go out, tag up, and then find a way to apply pressure again.

I have given you just a few examples of skills that we will work on at the higher levels. Sometimes in my small groups I will just pick a couple of skills and really try to hammer home the skill and create muscle memory. Like anything else, if you work on these skills, you will have the ability to execute them when they come up in a game. Good Luck!

puck while executing a hard escape or a slide-stop turn is one of the only ways to create some space.

The skating skill is the first and most important thing to learn. Once a skater is able to execute this specific turn both directions then you can add a puck. From there, we will turn it into a game-like drill.

The skater should focus on keeping his/her head up while turning tightly to the boards. Matt Barzal is one of the best at this. If you can, please watch his highlights and watch

Our POur P Our POur P Our Par ar ar ar artnertner tnertner tnerss ss s

Andy Ness is the head skating and skill coach for the Minnesota Wild. He has also been an assistant skating instructor for the New Jersey Devils, the University of Minnesota men’s and women’s hockey teams and the U.S. Women’s Olympic Hockey Team.

Let’s Play Hockey 13 7th Street S. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 phone: (320) 333-3279 E-mail: bryan@letsplayhockey.com Let’s Play Hockey 13 7th Street S, Sauk Centre, MN 56378 Phone: 320-333-3279 E-mail team articles and photos to E-mail: bryan@letsplayhockey.com editor@letsplayhockey.com E-mail team articles and photos to Founded in 1972 by Bob Utecht editor@letsplayhockey.com ISSN 0889-4795 Founded in 1972 by Bob Utecht Publisher ISSN 0889-4795 Bryan Zollman • (320) 333-3279 Publisher Bryan Zollman (320-333-3279)

Managing Editor

Bryan Zollman • (320) 333-3279 Managing Editor

Bryan Zollman (320-333-3279)

Metro Delivery Metro DistributionMetro Delivery Metro Distribution

Graphic Design

Laura Bromenshenkel, David Graphic Design Terry

Laura Bromenshenkel, Brian Israel, Assistant Editor David Terry Beth Kurtt

Columnists

Columnists Jack Blatherwick, Andy Ness, Jack Blatherwick, Kevin Hartzell, John Russo John Russo, Dan Bauer

ContributorsContributors

Dan Bauer, Tim Kolehmainen, Josh Levine, Mark Dan Bauer, Tim Kolehmainen, Josh Levine, Lichtenfeld, Kim McCullough, Andy Ness, Hal Mark Lichtenfeld, Kim McCullough, Tearse, Andrew Vitalis, Pete Waggoner Shafin Kahn Photography Susan McPherson, Greg Nayman, Mike Thill, Christine Wisch, Nick Wosika Photography Susan McPherson, Greg Nayman, Mike Thill, Christine Wisch, Nick Wosika

LET ’S PLAY HOCKEY (LPH) is a newspaper devoted to covering all levels of hockey. LPH is published 21 times Let ’s PLay Hockey (LPH) is a newspaper deper year. Deadlines for news and camera-ready advertisvoted to covering all levels of hockey. LPH is pubing are Mondays preceding each issue. Advertisements lished 21 times per year. Deadlines for news and to be typeset must be in LPH office by the preceding camera-ready advertising are Mondays preceding Friday. All editorial copy, advertisements and photos reeach issue. Advertisements to be typeset must be main the property of LET ’S PLAY HOCKEY. LPH reserves the in LPH office by the preceding Friday. All editorial right to edit submitted stories and letters to the editor for copy, advertisements and photos remain the proplength, grammar, punctuation and clarity.erty of Let ’s PLay Hockey. LPH reserves the right to Additional copies or back issues may be purchased by edit submitted stories and letters to the editor for sending $3 to the LPH office. Send subscription inquiries, length, grammar, punctuation and clarity. address changes and/or payments to: LET ’S PLAY HOCKEY 13 7th Street S. Sauk Centre, MN 56378 or call (320) 333-3279 with questions. Additional copies or back issues may be purchased by sending $3 to the LPH office. Send subscription inquiries, address changes and/or payments to: LET’S PLAY HOCKEY 13 7th Street S.

Sauk Centre, MN 56378 or call (320) 333-3279 with questions.

The opinions expressed in LET’S PLAY HOCKEY are not necessarily those of Let’s Play Hockey or Z Media, Inc., but of the individual columnists themselves.

No articles or features may be reproduced without the permission of the publisher or the editor of Let’s Play Hockey. ©2021 Z Media, Inc. All rights reserved.

The opinions expressed in LET ’S PLAY HOCKEY are not necessarily those of Let’s Play Hockey or Z Media, Inc., but of the individual columnists themselves.

No articles or features may be reproduced without the permission of the publisher or the editor of Let’s Play Hockey. ©2019 Z Media, Inc. All rights reserved. LPH is online at www.stateofhockey.com

LPH is online at www.stateofhockey.com

Let ’s Play Hockey49