A Good Defenseman is worth their weight in gold.

Successful Coaches know this and want the 5 best D they can find on their team!

Playing defense is a very responsible position and defensemen are very intelligent individuals knowing their number one job is to prevent goals, not score them.

Any defensive mistake they make could result in a goal against and lead to a change in momentum of the game.

To help you avoid these pit falls, here’s a number of basic tips to prevent goals against and to play your position correctly so you can help your team compete in every game.

The very first thing a defenseman must be able to do is analyze the oncoming rush.

Is it a 1 on 1 situation, or a 2 or 3 on 1 situation, are the wings covered or open?

Depending on how you read the rush, you react differently to it.

If it’s a 1 on 1, the puck carrier against you, play the man, don’t even look at the puck.

Just play the man, stay in front of him and try to angle him towards the boards and a bad shooting angle. Prevent him from getting around you or going to the net for a shot.

If you create a loose puck with a stickcheck or bodycheck, your backcheckers, defense partner, or you, can go for the loose puck then lead a rush out of your end or up the ice.

If it’s a 2 or 3 on 1, 2 or 3 opposing players against you, play the puck, don’t even think of bodychecking as this will only take you out of the play and allow them to get to the net.

Stay in the middle between the players and use your stick to deflect any across ice passes.

Your goalie should always play the puckcarrier by moving out square and cutting the angle.

Your job is to try to angle him/her to a bad shooting angle outside the slot area, while still retaining your position between the opposing players to intercept any pass back to them.

Net coverage - in your defensive zone the closest opposing player in front of your net must be covered at all times. Control his stick and don’t let him get to any rebounds.

S/he is the one most likely to score not the player in the corner with the puck.

Your defense partner should go into the corner to check the puckcarrier.

If he is late arriving, play it as a 2 on 1 situation and when he arrives it’s played as a 1 on1 situation for each of you. He in the corner and you guarding the front of the net.

Do not go rushing into the corner and leave an opposing player uncovered in front of the net unless there’s a loose puck and you’re 100% sure you can retrieve it.

Corner work - if your defensive partner has the player covered in front of the net, you must go into the corner to check the puck carrier ( bodycheck if allowed, be aggressive and finish the check), or stick check (if not allowed to bodycheck) to create a loose puck.

Your backcheckers, a winger, or center, or yourself, should pick up any loose puck then lead an offensive rush out of your defensive zone.

Communication and Timing between defense partners is critical.

Let your partner know what you are doing.

“I’ve got the man out front, you take the man in the corner.”

This verbal communication will help you play your position correctly and not have 2 defensemen going after the same player, as this will always leave someone uncovered to receive a potential pass and take a quality shot on goal.

If you retrieve a loose puck in the corner or anywhere on the ice, pass the puck quickly up to an open forward with an accurate outlet pass. This will trap the opposition deep in your end and lead to an odd man rush and a quality scoring opportunity for your team.

Keep your head on a swivel at all times, looking around so you can see what’s happening.

You will be able to see where opposing players are positioned and where your players are positioned so you can react quickly to the ever changing situations and movement of the puck.

John Shorey

Author – “Hockey Made Easy”
www.hockeymadeeasy.com