Purpose

Defensemen work on their forward and backward skating skills.

Setup

  1. Defensemen pair up along one side of the ice.

How it Works

  1. Coach blows his whistle.
  2. The first defenseman skates forward while his partner the second defeseman mirrors his moves while skating backward.
  3. At the opposite end of the ice, the players switch and now the second defenseman skates forward while the first defenseman skates backward and mirrors his moves.
  4. Run the dril so that each pair gets 3-5 reps.

Coaching Tips

  • As players improve, you can introduce a puck into the drill and have the forward skating player stick handle.
  • You could also have the backward skating player swipe at the puck.