12 Tips for Taking a Faceoff

 This article is from Grow The Game!


 


Yanic Perreault made millions of dollars during a brilliant NHL career because he was one of the league’s premier faceoff guys. NHL GMs value these guys the way they value goal scorers—because the more faceoffs your team wins, the more puck possessions the team has, creating a winning environment. After you check out these 12 tips, see my entire faceoff story.

1. Great knee bend.
2. Grip the stick with one hand on top of the shaft and the other hand really low on the shaft for leverage.
3. Watch the referee’s hand and try to bat the puck out of the air as he’s dropping it.
4. If you’re having trouble winning faceoffs in a particular game, at least neutralize your opponent by tying his stick up and having your winger come get the puck.
5. Believe you can win every faceoff and take tremendous pride in it.
6. All forwards should be aware of how to take faceoffs in case the center gets bumped out.
7. Develop hand and wrist strength and quickness. Purchase a wrist gripper and use it in the car. Also practicing dribbling a golf ball and work on hand-eye coordination drills.
8. Communicate with your linemates to make sure you’re all on the same page.
9. Read and react to the situation of the game. Are you down a goal? Up a goal? Short-handed, Power play? Last minute of game?
10. Practice taking faceoffs on the pond, at the end of practice or in your garage.
11. Prepare! Many coaches implement trick plays in all three zones. These are fun—and sometimes a lot of work! Coaches should practice faceoff alignment on a routine basis so that, at crunch time, all players know what to do whether the team is down a goal, up a goal or has pulled the goalie. Preparation is very important and can be the difference between winning and losing.
12. Make sure you and your linemates are ready for the hurry-up puck drop referees are instituting now.

Editor’s Note: Thank you to Jeff Serowik of Pro Ambitons Hockey for this story.