SEE SPACE. ATTACK IT.™ Attack Open Ice before the opportunity disappears. Coach Joey™ teaches Players to recognize useful space, move with purpose, and create a better next option for the Team.
COACH JOEY™ BY AGE
U5-U7 • U8-U10 • U11-U14 • U15-U18 • Junior
U5-U7 + U8-U10 — Find Open Ice
Look for space away from crowded Players and skate into it when it helps your Team.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
Where should you move when you do not have the puck?
U11-U14 — See Space Opening
Watch defenders and teammates. Space can appear behind pressure, through the middle, or on the weak side when Players move.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
What creates open ice?
U15-U18 + Junior — Arrive at the Right Time
Time your route so you arrive when the puck carrier can use you and the defender has less time to recover.
WHAT DID YOU LEARN?
What makes attacking open ice more effective at higher levels?
Why Open Ice Matters
Hockey becomes difficult when everyone crowds the puck. Moving into useful open ice stretches defenders and creates passing, skating, and shooting options.
Keep Reading the Play
Open ice can disappear quickly. Therefore, keep adjusting your route instead of skating to one spot and waiting.
Useful Space Beats Empty Space
Not every empty part of the rink helps the play. Move somewhere the puck can reach you or where your movement creates room for a teammate.
5 Smart Ways to Attack Open Ice in Hockey
Attack Open Ice with a reason. Empty ice only matters when moving there improves the play, creates a passing lane, pulls a defender away, or gives the puck carrier another useful option.
1. Scan Before You Move
Look away from the puck long enough to identify pressure, teammates, and defenders. Useful space often appears before the puck carrier is ready to use it, so early awareness matters.
2. Move Where the Puck Can Reach You
Do not skate into space hidden behind a defender. Attack Open Ice that creates a realistic passing lane and gives your teammate a clear target.
3. Arrive With Speed and Control
Open ice can disappear quickly. Accelerate when the lane develops, but arrive under enough control to receive the puck, shoot, pass, or change direction.
4. Do Not Crowd the Puck Carrier
Support does not mean skating beside the puck. Good spacing forces defenders to cover more ice and gives the puck carrier more than one useful option.
5. Keep Moving After the Pass
If you pass the puck, find the next useful space instead of watching. Your second movement may create a return pass, a shooting lane, or room for another teammate.
Practice Attacking Open Ice
Start with a simple support drill. Give the puck carrier two moving options and ask both Players to keep a useful passing lane instead of drifting toward the puck. Then add a defender so the support Players must recognize where space appears and disappears.
Continue with Short Shifts and Backcheck Better. For more player-development resources, visit USA Hockey training materials.
Coach Joey’s Takeaway
Find the space that helps the next play. SEE SPACE. ATTACK IT.™
Coach Joey™ 10-Second Hockey Lesson™
SEE SPACE. ATTACK IT.™
ONE LESSON. ONE INSTRUCTION. ONE TAKEAWAY.™
Part of Coach Joey™ 10-Second Hockey Lessons™. Presented by The Hockey Resource™.