CHANGE PACE. CREATE SPACE.™ Change Speed in Hockey to make defenders adjust. Skating fast matters, but changing pace can create separation, open a passing lane, or give the puck carrier an extra second to attack.
COACH JOEY™ BY AGE
U5-U7 • U8-U10 • U11-U14 • U15-U18 • Junior
U5-U7 + U8-U10 — Fast and Slow
Practice speeding up and slowing down while keeping control of the puck. Then accelerate into open ice.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
What can happen after you slow down briefly?
U11-U14 — Make the Defender Adjust
Use a change of pace to make a defender slow down, turn, or change the gap. Then attack the space that appears.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
Why change speed near a defender?
U15-U18 + Junior — Manipulate the Gap
Use pace, body position, and timing to change the defender’s distance and feet. Accelerate when balance or angle becomes vulnerable.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
What are you trying to change when you vary your pace?
Why One Speed Is Predictable
A Player skating at one pace gives defenders a steady picture. However, a controlled hesitation or sudden acceleration can force them to adjust their feet and spacing.
Keep Control While Changing Pace
Speed changes only help when balance and puck control remain intact. Stay athletic, keep your hands relaxed, and be ready to accelerate again.
Attack the Moment
Watch the defender’s feet and gap. When the defender turns, reaches, or creates too much space, accelerate into the opening.
5 Smart Ways to Change Speed in Hockey
Change Speed with a purpose. The goal is not to skate slowly for the sake of it. The goal is to make a defender adjust, then use the next burst of speed to attack useful space.
1. Change Speed Before the Defender Is Set
If the defender is still adjusting, a sudden acceleration can create separation. Players should learn to recognize that moment instead of skating at one predictable pace.
2. Use a Slowdown to Create a New Lane
A brief reduction in pace can open a passing or skating lane. Then accelerate again once the defender shifts position. The change matters because the defender must solve a new timing problem.
3. Keep the Puck Under Control
Change Speed only when you can keep the puck available for the next play. Relax your hands, stay balanced, and avoid turning a useful pace change into unnecessary stickhandling.
4. Change Speed Without the Puck
Off-puck Players can change pace to lose coverage, support the puck carrier, or arrive in open ice at the right time. Good movement can create space even when you never touch the puck.
5. Read the Defender, Not Just the Drill
In a game, the best pace change depends on what the defender gives you. Practice the skill first. Then learn when the defender turns, reaches, or leaves too much gap to attack.
Practice Change Speed With a Simple Progression
Start without pressure. Skate through a lane at a controlled pace, slow slightly at a marker, then accelerate for three or four strides. Add the puck only after the skating pattern is comfortable. Next, add a passive defender so the Player must decide when to accelerate instead of following a fixed cone pattern.
Related Coach Joey™ lessons include Short Shifts and Backcheck Better. For additional player-development resources, visit USA Hockey training materials.
Coach Joey’s Takeaway
Speed is a weapon. Changing speed makes it harder to defend. CHANGE PACE. CREATE SPACE.™
Coach Joey™ 10-Second Hockey Lesson™
CHANGE PACE. CREATE SPACE.™
ONE LESSON. ONE INSTRUCTION. ONE TAKEAWAY.™
Part of Coach Joey™ 10-Second Hockey Lessons™. Presented by The Hockey Resource™.