Don't Watch Your Pass

This tip brought to you by Hockey Player Tips!

Passing Hockey Tip

Making a crisp, tape-to tape pass along the ice feels great. Passing is a huge part of the game, so when you pass the puck, it’s tempting to watch and make sure your team-mate receives the puck. If he scores as a result of your pass, you get an assist. Mission accomplished!

For Example:

Let’s say you’re playing wing and you’re deep in the corner of the offensive zone. You win the battle for the puck, then pass it back to your D-man who is open at the point. A terrific play. Of course, you also watch to make sure he receives your Crosby-like pass.

The Problem

First of all, once you’ve passed the puck, watching it does not magically increase the chances of your teammate successfully receiving the pass. If it’s a good pass, where does that leave you? Deep in the corner. Not exactly a great scoring area. As soon as your D-man receives that puck, he’s going to make a play. He’s either going to pass or shoot. By remaining in the corner, your contribution to this play is officially over. If someone scores a goal on this play, it’s NOT going to be you.

The Solution

Why not skate to the front of the net as soon as you release the puck? If you make it to open ice, you can receive the next pass back from your point-man and take a shot on net. If your D-man decide to blasts a howitzer from the point, you can either try tipping the puck in the net for a goal, or at least screen the goalie.

Should your defenceman miss the pass, you now have a little momentum to get back and help him out. All of these options are far superior than basking in the glow of your marvelous pass from the corner of the rink.

Pass and Skate.
Give and Go.
Don’t watch your pass.

You will score more goals, and be more valuable to your team.