Purpose: 

Players practice stick handling while skating. 

Setup: 

Players line up at the goal line. Seven cones are placed down the ice from goal line to goal line. 

How It Works: 

  • Players start at one net and skate through the cones, focusing on keeping their stick aligned with their body as they weave in and out of the cones. 
  • Players should be handling a puck the entire time they are weaving through the cones. 
  • When they reach the end of the cones, they should take a shot and then skate down and rejoin the line. 
  • Run the drill for 8-10 minutes.

Coaching Tips:

  • The drill is simple enough to use as a warm-up for everyday practice. 
  • Players should start out skating wide around the cones. As they improve, they should begin cutting in closer to the cones, making their reaction time shorter and requiring faster, cleaner footwork. 
  • To make the drill more difficult, you can put a time limit on the drill or place a goalie at the net to try to block the shot. 
  • You can also move the cones closer together to shorten the distance players have to change edges.