Oct 21 Hockey Tip of The Day.

The High Cycle.

• I teach a small group of skills in Dedham MA on Sunday mornings. Limited to 18 skaters.Tomorrow we are full but this is what I am going to work on with them tomorrow.
• I call it The High Cycle.
• A basic low cycle drill has three forwards circling around in scoring position in the offensive zone.
• I love teaching a high cycle play. Involving a forward and a D.
• We ingrain this play into campers.
• From squirt on up to the NHL. This play needs to be mastered between the Forwards and the D.
• This play needs to be in your toolbox.
• Forwards need to know the D are an option in offense.
• The high cycle is a drop back to the D in the offensive zone.
• I was ready for this drop back pass.
• I wanted it.
• There are offensive defensemen on every team.
• The fake and deke I talked about yesterday works beautifully in this high cycle play.
• All part of the curriculum, broken down, taught and mastered.
• Repeated until kids own it.
• Torey Krug of The Boston Bruins makes this play look like poetry in motion.
• I love seeing youth players make this play.
• High level prep and college players too.
• It is obvious to me when evaluating players for tryouts and or recruiting who owns this play and who is breaking the play.
• All of these plays and skills must be taught, broken down explained, trained, practiced and repeated in order to execute properly in a game situation.
• As players master these skills they will be placed on higher level teams where their teammates are equally as skilled and the plays will not be broken so frequently as in the younger ages.
• I see players at my camps whipping hard passes and others not yet ready to receive and breaking the play. Not to worry, we take urgent care in matching players with equally skilled campers.
• Everyone will get there but not at the same time. Or not to the same level. That is ok. We are the experts and can easily identify this.
• We are there to help without biased eyes.
• Sale continues until midnight on Halloween. Homepage of the site for code and details.