SEE THE OTHER SIDE.™ The Weak Side can open when defenders and attention follow the puck. Coach Joey™ teaches Players to scan beyond the puck and recognize useful space on the other side.
COACH JOEY™ BY AGE
U5-U7 • U8-U10 • U11-U14 • U15-U18 • Junior
U5-U7 + U8-U10 — Look Away From the Crowd
If everyone is around the puck, look for open ice on the other side.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
Where might open ice appear when Players crowd the puck?
U11-U14 — Find the Far-Side Option
Scan for a teammate away from pressure. Moving the puck across the ice can force defenders and the Goalie to move.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
Why can the far side be useful?
U15-U18 + Junior — Move the Defense Before You Attack It
Use puck movement and player movement to pull defenders toward one side. Then recognize when the weak-side lane opens for a pass, shot, or attack.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
What creates many weak-side opportunities?
Why the Weak Side Opens
Defenders naturally shift toward the puck because that is where the immediate threat is located. As a result, space can develop away from the puck, especially when several defenders collapse to one side.
Scan Before You Receive
A Player who sees the weak side early can move the puck before defenders recover. Therefore, shoulder checks and head-up habits are important even when the puck is on the opposite side.
Do Not Force the Cross-Ice Play
The weak side is useful only when the lane is available. For example, a cross-ice pass through multiple sticks may be worse than a simple support pass. Read the risk and the reward.
5 Smart Ways to Find the Weak Side in Hockey
The Weak Side is not automatically open, but it often becomes useful when defenders collapse toward the puck. Players must scan early enough to recognize that space before it disappears.
1. Scan Away From the Puck
Do not let the puck consume all your attention. Brief shoulder checks can reveal defenders, teammates, and open ice on the opposite side.
2. Move Before the Pass Is Available
If you wait until the puck carrier looks at you, the lane may already be gone. Anticipate when pressure is pulling defenders away from your side.
3. Keep a Useful Passing Lane
Open ice behind a defender is not truly open if the puck cannot reach you. Adjust depth or angle until the lane is playable.
4. Time the Route
Arriving too early allows defenders to recover. Arriving too late wastes the opening. Good Weak Side movement often depends on timing more than speed.
5. Do Not Force the Cross-Ice Play
The weak side is an option, not a command. If a defender closes the lane, keep possession and find the next useful play instead of forcing a dangerous pass.
Practice Seeing the Weak Side
Use three-on-two or small-area games that reward Players for scanning and changing sides. Ask the puck carrier to identify both strong-side and weak-side options before choosing the play.
Continue with Get Open, Make a Target and Short Shifts. For more player-development resources, visit USA Hockey training materials.
Coach Joey’s Takeaway
The puck is important, but the whole rink matters. SEE THE OTHER SIDE.™
Coach Joey™ 10-Second Hockey Lesson™
SEE THE OTHER SIDE.™
ONE LESSON. ONE INSTRUCTION. ONE TAKEAWAY.™
Part of Coach Joey™ 10-Second Hockey Lessons™. Presented by The Hockey Resource™.