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By Mike MacMillian, MinnKota Coach-in-Chief
Illustrations by Mike Curti
When working in an offensive system, there are five concepts to remember: Support, Read-n-React, Time and Space, Creativity, and Puck Possession. These five concepts must be taught correctly to allow your team to be successful offensively. This segment of Coaches' Playbook, will focus on three areas of the ice where offensive team play takes place: Defensive Zone, Neutral Zone and Offensive Zone. All offense starts when the puck is turned over by the opposition and we transition into our offensive system.

Breakouts

Breakouts start once the defensive team gains control of the puck and attempts to move out of the defensive zone. Breakouts involve communication between all players to be successful. Each player must be in the proper position to support the puck carrier. Defensemen should initiate the breakout. As a coach, keep the breakouts simple and remember to successfully run one option before going on to the more complicated.

Tips for Players
  1. Support the puck and defenseman
  2. Wings get low and move feet on breakout
  3. Center swing to puck side
  4. Defenseman create time and space
 Tips for Coaches
  1. Keep systems simple
  2. Teach breakout concepts first
  3. Breakout patterns must work with coverages
  4. Build in concepts to regular drills

Breakout - Drill

Breakout Patterns
The following breakout pattern allows you to move the puck to the open ice, creating time and space and allowing the forwards to support the puck with their feet moving before leaving the zone.

Defenseman to Defenseman to Center/Wing
Defenseman 1 passes to defenseman 2, who passes the puck to the center. Time and space is created by moving the puck to D2 in open ice. If the center is covered, D2 can move to weakside wing, who is supporting low. Once the center receives the puck, he reads the forechecking team and can move the puck to either wing.

Neutral Zone Play

Regroup

This is an area of the ice where a good creative team can take advantage of its speed to transition from defense to offense.

Tips for Players
  1. Come back to the puck for support
  2. Always present a good passing target
  3. Once in control of the puck, move through the zone with speed
 Tips for Coaches
  1. Practice passing drills that emphasize timing and support
  2. Develop a system that is creative and simple to follow
  3. Don't allow players to go offsides. Encourage regrouping and using their defensemen during drills

Neutral Zone Play - Drill

The Stretch

The stretch regroup allows for up-tempo transition from defense to offense. The system will allow teams to stretch the neutral zone, creating more time and space. All players in the stretch should gain speed and spread out the defensive team.

Key Points
  1. Puck must move quickly and with crisp, sharp passing
  2. Weakside wing must read the strongside defenseman with the puck
  3. Timing and speed will be necessary to spread out the opposition
  4. Center and strongside wing must support with speed to fill open lanes

Offensive Zone

Attack

Once the offensive zone is gained, the goal should be to create a quality scoring chance by using puck protection and offensive support, read -nreact skills, and always having outlet passes available. You want to keep possession of the puck and remain in control. Keep zone entry patterns simple, emphasizing the following guidelines as a player and a coach:

Zone Entry Play - Drill

Weakside Wing Trail

Center passes to the right wing and then drives to the net for a possible return pass. Right wing (strongside) drives wide and reacts to the defense. If the weakside defense doesn't pick up the center, he may try to pass to him. If the weakside defenseman does pick up the center, he may pass to the left wing (weakside), who has moved into position for a pass.

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