ICE HOCKEY TRAINING Reading time : 9 min Updated October 14, 2026
Contents
The puck is worked on in the order Hockey Canada writes: standing still, then moving, then against an opponent. The federations list the skills level by level, from U7 to U11. They name seven basic shots and four areas goals are scored from. And the slap shot is not on the youngest players' lists: the SIHF and England Ice Hockey frame it expressly.
Standing still, then moving, then against an opponent
Hockey Canada puts the puck progression in three sentences: if you cannot do it standing still, you cannot do it moving, and you cannot do it to beat an opponent. Its skills lists, by level:
U7: standing still, stance, narrow and wide hands, side-front-side, toe drag to the front and to the side; moving, narrow and wide carries, open-ice carry on the forehand and the backhand, weaving with the puck, toe drag.
U9: the same, plus “Attack the triangle”.
U11: the same, plus the individual offensive tactics: body fakes, stick fakes, dekes, moves in combination and net drives.
Hockey Canada's puck-control pathway adds that more than 80% of the game is played in the offensive or defensive zone, hence the small-space work: lanes, agility, puck protection (forehand and backhand, one hand and two hands, top hand or bottom hand), creativity (“Figure it out”), stations. Its teaching progression: stationary, moving, 1 on 0, 1 on 1, 2 on 1 then 2 on 2.
The puck of the youngest
The puck itself changes with age, and the federations write it:
Federation
The youngest players' puck
Hockey Canada
U9 and below: not less than 113.4 g (4 oz) and clearly identified (Rule 3.8(a)); U7: blue 4 oz puck preferred; U9: blue 4 oz or black 6 oz
Hockey Québec
M7: 4 oz, blue
USA Hockey
8U and below: 4 to 4.5 oz, blue, required (Rule 306(b)); 10U: lightweight blue strongly recommended
FFHG
U9: blue puck; U11 and U13: black, 163 g
SIHF
U9: light blue pucks, “zwingend”, mandatory
ÖEHV
U9 and U10: light pucks mandatory, with children's sticks and goals; U11: black puck
For the youngest, USA Hockey's 8U plans open the session with five minutes of free puck time and call for blue pucks, mini-nets, ringettes, soccer or tennis balls.
Passing and receiving
U7: standing still, forehand pass, backhand pass, bank pass; moving, forehand and backhand pass.
U9: “Pass and follow” is added on the move.
U11: the forehand saucer pass standing still, and “Pass & follow” and “Cross & drop” on the move.
A 2002 workbook of Hockey Canada's predecessor, the Canadian Hockey Association, an old edition and half of it blanks to fill in, lists as the most important individual skills of the power play: pass selection, one-touch, redirection, the fake shot pass, the shot pass, the saucer pass and deception.
U9 and U11: forehand wrist shot, backhand sweep shot, shots in motion, forehand and backhand flip shot; at U11 tips and deflections are added.
Hockey Canada's shooting pathway: seven basic shots (wrist shots, backhands, flip shots, snap shots, slap shots, tips and deflections, dekes) and concepts to add one at a time: stationary, in motion, one-timers, quick release, changing the puck angle, shot off a pass, forehand to backhand.
Hockey Canada places goals in four areas: in tight, the wide alley by the dot, the slot and the point, and describes ten scoring situations: clear shots, entries, net drives, breakaways, rebounds, low and high shots, east-west plays, plays below the goal line, deflections and screens.
The slap shot: the gate
Hockey Canada's U7, U9 and U11 lists do not carry the slap shot. The SIHF allows it at U14 (Art. 108.4) and in the Junior Women's League U16, and sanctions it with a small penalty in the U9 and U12 3-on-3 formats (Art. 116). England Ice Hockey prohibits it at U10 where the goals face down the ice. No text read from Hockey Canada, USA Hockey, the FFHG or the ÖEHV takes a position.
The drills of this guide
Puck handling: standing still, then moving
A puck-handling station that follows Hockey Canada's order of teaching: if a player cannot do it standing still, he or she cannot do it moving, and cannot do it to beat an opponent.
Drill detail
How it runs
A puck-handling station that follows Hockey Canada's order of teaching: if a player cannot do it standing still, he or she cannot do it moving, and cannot do it to beat an opponent. Stationary moves come first, then carrying the puck on the move. A free area or a zone, one puck per player (blue pucks, balls, ringettes or other objects for the youngest, as in the USA Hockey 8U plans); no opponents at first. Stationary: stance, narrow and wide hands, side-front-side, toe drag to the front and to the side. Moving: narrow and wide carries, open-ice carry on the forehand and the backhand, weaving with the puck, toe drag.
Players
1 or more
Coaching points
Order of teaching: standing still, then moving, then against an opponent (Hockey Canada puck control). Forehand and backhand equally: work both sides from the first minute. FFHG École: stick grip first, then driving an object with the stick, then controlling the puck in motion. No position specialisation before U13: every player handles the puck in every drill (Hockey Canada). Kit: a certified helmet with full face protection for juniors (U18 and younger by birth year at the FFHG, the SIHF and the DEB; every division at Hockey Canada except Senior and Major Junior, and all players at Hockey Québec; below Adults at USA Hockey) and a neck laceration protector (all FFHG categories; all SIHF leagues, training included; BNQ-certified in Hockey Canada minor and female hockey and for all players at Hockey Québec; every USA Hockey classification except Adults). Mouthguard: required by USA Hockey from 12U to 18U and by the FFHG in U19 and U20, optional at Hockey Québec.
Harder
Add a passive defender, then a one-on-one: Hockey Canada's order is stationary, moving, 1 on 0, 1 on 1, then 2 on 1 and 2 on 2.
Easier
Use a ball or a ringette instead of a puck, and stay standing still.
skateropponent
Puck protection in a confined space
A keep-away in a small space: one player protects the puck with the body and the stick while a partner tries to win it with stick checks only.
Drill detail
Set out
A confined space (a circle or a marked square) · one puck per pair
What it trains
Protecting the puck with the body and the stick in a small space: forehand and backhand, one hand and two hands, top hand and bottom hand, while the partner tries to win it with the stick.
Published frame
Stick checks only, no body contact: this is step 2 of Hockey Canada’s checking progression. Swap on a signal.
How it runs
A keep-away in a small space: one player protects the puck with the body and the stick while a partner tries to win it with stick checks only. It trains the protection skills Hockey Canada lists: forehand and backhand, one hand and two hands, top hand and bottom hand. A confined space (a circle or a marked square; no dimension is published); one puck per pair. The carrier keeps the puck inside the space, protecting it on the forehand and the backhand, with one hand and with two hands, with the top hand and with the bottom hand. The partner tries to win it with lift and press stick checks and no body contact. Swap on a signal.
Players
2 or more
Coaching points
Stick checks only, no body contact: this is step 2 of Hockey Canada's checking progression (head to head 1 on 1 in a confined space) and stage 2 of Hockey Québec's contact programme. The carrier protects with the position of the body and the stick, and keeps the head up to see the checker. Hockey Canada: over 80 % of the game is played in the offensive or defensive zone, so small-area skills matter (Puck Control overview). Contact in the game follows your class: body checking is banned up to U13 at Hockey Canada, up to 12U at USA Hockey, from U9 to U13 at the FFHG, in the SIHF U9, U12 and all Animation (A) classes, and in girls' and women's hockey at Hockey Canada and USA Hockey. Where your class allows checking, this drill stays free of it. Kit: a certified helmet with full face protection for juniors (U18 and younger by birth year at the FFHG, the SIHF and the DEB; every division at Hockey Canada except Senior and Major Junior, and all players at Hockey Québec; below Adults at USA Hockey) and a neck laceration protector (all FFHG categories; all SIHF leagues, training included; BNQ-certified in Hockey Canada minor and female hockey and for all players at Hockey Québec; every USA Hockey classification except Adults). Mouthguard: required by USA Hockey from 12U to 18U and by the FFHG in U19 and U20, optional at Hockey Québec.
Harder
Two carriers and one checker, or a smaller space.
Easier
A passive checker who only holds the stick on the ice, and a larger space.
goaltenderskaterpuck carryshotthe other choicemarker
Dekes and moves in combination
A carry-and-finish drill on the individual offensive tactics Hockey Canada lists from U11: body fakes, stick fakes, dekes, moves in combination and net drives.
Drill detail
Set out
A zone with a net, a marker or a passive defender · a goaltender if one is available
What it trains
The individual offensive tactics Hockey Canada lists from U11: body and stick fakes, dekes, moves in combination, net drives. Carry the puck at the marker or the passive defender, beat it and finish.
Published frame
In order: stationary, moving, 1 on 0, then 1 on 1: the defender stays passive until the move is clean. The stick on the ice or stick checks, never body contact.
How it runs
A carry-and-finish drill on the individual offensive tactics Hockey Canada lists from U11: body fakes, stick fakes, dekes, moves in combination and net drives. One player at a time carries the puck at a marker or a passive defender, beats it and finishes at the net. A zone with a net, a marker or a passive defender; a goaltender if one is available. Carry the puck at the marker or the passive defender, use one fake, a deke or a combination of moves, then drive to the net and finish. Each player goes on both sides.
Players
2 or more
Coaching points
Order: stationary, moving, 1 on 0, then 1 on 1 (Hockey Canada puck control): the defender stays passive until the move is clean. Hockey Canada's U11 list names the individual offensive tactics: body fakes, stick fakes, dekes, moves in combination, net drives. The defender holds the stick on the ice or uses stick checks only: body contact is not part of this drill. Contact in the game follows your class: body checking is banned up to U13 at Hockey Canada, up to 12U at USA Hockey, from U9 to U13 at the FFHG, in the SIHF U9, U12 and all Animation (A) classes, and in girls' and women's hockey at Hockey Canada and USA Hockey. Where your class allows checking, this drill stays free of it. Kit: a certified helmet with full face protection for juniors (U18 and younger by birth year at the FFHG, the SIHF and the DEB; every division at Hockey Canada except Senior and Major Junior, and all players at Hockey Québec; below Adults at USA Hockey) and a neck laceration protector (all FFHG categories; all SIHF leagues, training included; BNQ-certified in Hockey Canada minor and female hockey and for all players at Hockey Québec; every USA Hockey classification except Adults). Mouthguard: required by USA Hockey from 12U to 18U and by the FFHG in U19 and U20, optional at Hockey Québec. If a goaltender takes part, he or she wears the full goaltender kit (see the goaltending drills).
Harder
Make the defender active with stick checks only, then add a second attacker (2 on 1) and a decision.
Easier
No defender (1 on 0): markers only, and a slower carry.
skaterpassskatingpuck
Passing and receiving: stationary, then moving
Pairs pass and receive a puck, first standing still and then on the move: forehand and backhand passes, the bank pass off the boards and pass and follow.
Drill detail
Set out
A zone or a free area · one puck per pair · no opponents at first
What it trains
Passing and receiving stationary, then on the move: forehand and backhand passes, the bank pass off the boards, then pass and follow, where the passer follows the pass.
Published frame
Passing and receiving are one skill: the receiver’s blade matters as much as the passer’s; alternate forehand and backhand. Standing still first, then moving, then against an opponent.
How it runs
Pairs pass and receive a puck, first standing still and then on the move: forehand and backhand passes, the bank pass off the boards and pass and follow. At U11 the forehand saucer pass is added. A zone or a free area, one puck per pair; no opponents at first. Stationary: forehand pass, backhand pass and bank pass between two players. Moving: forehand and backhand passes while skating, then pass and follow, where the passer follows the pass. From U11, add the forehand saucer pass, stationary.
Players
2 or more
Coaching points
Passing and receiving are one skill: the receiver's blade matters as much as the passer's; alternate forehand and backhand. Order of teaching: standing still, then moving, then against an opponent (Hockey Canada). Everyone passes from every position: Hockey Canada asks for no position specialisation before U13. Kit: a certified helmet with full face protection for juniors (U18 and younger by birth year at the FFHG, the SIHF and the DEB; every division at Hockey Canada except Senior and Major Junior, and all players at Hockey Québec; below Adults at USA Hockey) and a neck laceration protector (all FFHG categories; all SIHF leagues, training included; BNQ-certified in Hockey Canada minor and female hockey and for all players at Hockey Québec; every USA Hockey classification except Adults). Mouthguard: required by USA Hockey from 12U to 18U and by the FFHG in U19 and U20, optional at Hockey Québec.
Harder
Add a defender in the middle, then pass on the move in a 2 on 1.
Easier
Short passes along the boards (bank passes) with a ball or a ringette.
skatershotskatingpuck
Wrist shot and backhand: from a stand, then in motion
A shooting station on the forehand wrist shot and the backhand sweep shot, first from a stand and then in motion, with the flip shot added once the basics hold.
Drill detail
Set out
One end zone with a net or a mini-net, and a target if possible · one puck per shooter
What it trains
The forehand wrist shot and the backhand sweep shot, first from a stand and then in motion, with the flip shot added once the basics hold. No slap shot at this age.
Published frame
One shooter at a time. If a goaltender is in the net, he or she has time to get set before each shot: this is not a rapid-fire drill.
How it runs
A shooting station on the forehand wrist shot and the backhand sweep shot, first from a stand and then in motion, with the flip shot added once the basics hold. No slap shot at this age: Hockey Canada's U7, U9 and U11 lists do not carry it, and the SIHF and England Ice Hockey restrict it in their youngest formats. One end zone with a net or a mini-net, and a target if possible; one puck per shooter. Stationary: forehand wrist shot and backhand sweep shot at the net or the target. In motion: the same shots while skating in, then the forehand and backhand flip shot (listed from U9). Take the shots one player at a time.
Players
1 or more
Coaching points
Shoot at a small target or at the net. Hockey Canada names four scoring areas: in tight, the wide alley by the dot, the slot and the point. If a goaltender is in the net, he or she must have time to get set before each shot: this is not a rapid-fire drill (USA Hockey goaltender games). Slap shot: not at this age. The SIHF allows it from U14 and treats it as a small penalty in the U9 and U12 3 on 3 formats; England Ice Hockey U10 bans it where goals face down the ice without dividers. Kit: a certified helmet with full face protection for juniors (U18 and younger by birth year at the FFHG, the SIHF and the DEB; every division at Hockey Canada except Senior and Major Junior, and all players at Hockey Québec; below Adults at USA Hockey) and a neck laceration protector (all FFHG categories; all SIHF leagues, training included; BNQ-certified in Hockey Canada minor and female hockey and for all players at Hockey Québec; every USA Hockey classification except Adults). Mouthguard: required by USA Hockey from 12U to 18U and by the FFHG in U19 and U20, optional at Hockey Québec. If a goaltender takes part, he or she wears the full goaltender kit (see the goaltending drills).
Harder
Shoot off a pass, then forehand to backhand, then add a rebound.
Easier
Stationary shots at a target on the boards with a ball or a soft puck.
goaltendershotmarker
Shooting from the four scoring areas
A shooting drill organised on Hockey Canada's four areas where goals are scored: in tight, the wide alley by the dot, the slot and the point.
Drill detail
Set out
One zone with a net and four marked shooting spots (in tight, wide alley by the dot, slot, point) · a goaltender if one is available
What it trains
The four areas where Hockey Canada places the goals: in tight, the wide alley by the dot, the slot and the point. Each player goes through all four, with the shot the situation calls for.
Published frame
A goaltender in the net has time to get set before each shot: this is not a rapid-fire drill. The slap shot only where the federation allows it.
How it runs
A shooting drill organised on Hockey Canada's four areas where goals are scored: in tight, the wide alley by the dot, the slot and the point. Players rotate through the four with the shot the situation calls for. One zone with a net and four marked shooting spots (in tight, wide alley by the dot, slot, point); a goaltender if one is available. Players shoot from each area in turn with wrist, snap, backhand and flip shots; the slap shot only where the federation allows it. Add the pathway's concepts one at a time: a shot off a pass, in motion, a quick release, changing the puck angle, forehand to backhand.
Players
1 or more
Coaching points
Slap shot gate: the SIHF allows it from U14 (Art. 108.4) and in the Junior Women's League U16, and treats it as a small penalty in the U9 and U12 3 on 3 formats; no other federation text on it was found. A goaltender in the net must have time to get set before each shot: this is not a rapid-fire drill (USA Hockey goaltender games). Hockey Canada's seven basic shots are wrist, backhand, flip, snap, slap, tips and deflections, and dekes. Players shooting in motion do so without contact: no defender in the shooting lane. Kit: a certified helmet with full face protection for juniors (U18 and younger by birth year at the FFHG, the SIHF and the DEB; every division at Hockey Canada except Senior and Major Junior, and all players at Hockey Québec; below Adults at USA Hockey) and a neck laceration protector (all FFHG categories; all SIHF leagues, training included; BNQ-certified in Hockey Canada minor and female hockey and for all players at Hockey Québec; every USA Hockey classification except Adults). Mouthguard: required by USA Hockey from 12U to 18U and by the FFHG in U19 and U20, optional at Hockey Québec. If a goaltender takes part, he or she wears the full goaltender kit (see the goaltending drills).
Harder
Add a screen and a rebound (see the finishing drill), and shoot off a pass at pace.
Easier
Wrist shots only, from the slot, at a target.
goaltenderskatershotpuck
Rebounds, tips and screens
A finishing drill around the net: shooters score on rebounds, tips and deflections and in front of a screening teammate, against a goaltender.
Drill detail
Set out
One zone with a net and a goaltender · pucks at the point and in the slot · a shooter, one or two teammates at the net
What it trains
Finishing around the net: rebounds, deflections and screens, three of Hockey Canada’s ten scoring situations. The shooter shoots, the teammates go for the rebound and the tips, the goaltender plays the rebound.
Published frame
The goaltender has time to get set before each shot. Players at the net play the rebound with the stick on the ice: no contact with the goaltender is part of the drill.
How it runs
A finishing drill around the net: shooters score on rebounds, tips and deflections and in front of a screening teammate, against a goaltender. These are the rebounds, deflections and screens of Hockey Canada's ten scoring situations, and USA Hockey files its rebound game under scoring intensity around the net. One zone with a net and a goaltender; pucks at the point and in the slot; a shooter, one or two teammates at the net. A shooter takes a shot from the point or the slot; the teammates at the net go for the rebound and for tips and deflections; the goaltender plays the rebound. Rotate the roles after each round.
Players
3 or more, including 1 goaltender
Coaching points
The goaltender must have time to get set before each shot: this is not a rapid-fire drill (USA Hockey goaltender games). Hockey Canada introduces tips and deflections at U11; rebounds, deflections and screens are three of its ten scoring situations. Players at the net use the stick on the ice for the rebound; no contact with the goaltender is part of the drill. Contact in the game follows your class: body checking is banned up to U13 at Hockey Canada, up to 12U at USA Hockey, from U9 to U13 at the FFHG, in the SIHF U9, U12 and all Animation (A) classes, and in girls' and women's hockey at Hockey Canada and USA Hockey. Where your class allows checking, this drill stays free of it. Kit: a certified helmet with full face protection for juniors (U18 and younger by birth year at the FFHG, the SIHF and the DEB; every division at Hockey Canada except Senior and Major Junior, and all players at Hockey Québec; below Adults at USA Hockey) and a neck laceration protector (all FFHG categories; all SIHF leagues, training included; BNQ-certified in Hockey Canada minor and female hockey and for all players at Hockey Québec; every USA Hockey classification except Adults). Mouthguard: required by USA Hockey from 12U to 18U and by the FFHG in U19 and U20, optional at Hockey Québec. Goaltender kit: a helmet with a mask a puck cannot penetrate and, for U18 and younger, a stick blade must not penetrate it either (IIHF, SIHF, DEB); a neck laceration protector as for skaters (BNQ-certified throat protector at Hockey Canada in minor and female hockey, even with a mask attachment; HECC-certified at USA Hockey).
Harder
Add a second shooter and a defender who uses stick checks only.
Easier
One teammate at the net and rebounds only, without screens or tips.
One-touch passing and redirections
A passing drill on the individual skills an old Hockey Canada power-play workbook (CHA 2002) lists as most important: pass selection, one-touch passes, redirection, the fake shot pass, the shot pass, the saucer pass and deception.
Drill detail
How it runs
A passing drill on the individual skills an old Hockey Canada power-play workbook (CHA 2002) lists as most important: pass selection, one-touch passes, redirection, the fake shot pass, the shot pass, the saucer pass and deception. The shot is its « pay-off skill ». One zone with a net; groups of three or four players around the net and the half-boards; a goaltender if available. Players pass and receive without stopping the puck when the lane allows: one-touch passes, a redirection of a pass toward the net, a shot pass, a saucer pass over a stick, and a fake shot before a pass. Rotate through each skill in turn and end the sequence with a shot.
Players
3 or more
Coaching points
Pass selection comes first: choose the pass, then the speed (the first skill in the workbook's list). The shot is the « pay-off skill »: end each sequence with a shot. No current federation text read prints a passing curriculum for this age; this list comes from an old Hockey Canada workbook. A goaltender in the net must have time to get set before each shot (USA Hockey handbook). Kit: a certified helmet with full face protection for juniors (U18 and younger by birth year at the FFHG, the SIHF and the DEB; every division at Hockey Canada except Senior and Major Junior, and all players at Hockey Québec; below Adults at USA Hockey) and a neck laceration protector (all FFHG categories; all SIHF leagues, training included; BNQ-certified in Hockey Canada minor and female hockey and for all players at Hockey Québec; every USA Hockey classification except Adults). Mouthguard: required by USA Hockey from 12U to 18U and by the FFHG in U19 and U20, optional at Hockey Québec. If a goaltender takes part, he or she wears the full goaltender kit (see the goaltending drills).
Harder
Add a passive defender in the lane, then pass at game pace.
Easier
Stationary passes first, then the same passes on the move, as in Hockey Canada's order of teaching.
Frequently asked questions
Do small games really give two to six times more puck touches?
Hockey Canada's multipliers differ from one of its pages to another (two or three times for puck touches, four or six times for shots): they are promotion figures. The one measured figure read comes from a Finnish and Swedish study hosted by the IIHF: per player per minute of game time, 0.3 pass attempts and 0.2 shot attempts in 5-on-5 on full ice, against 0.9 and 0.7 in 3-on-3 on a quarter of the ice.
At what age are fakes taught?
Hockey Canada's U11 list is the first to name the individual offensive tactics: body fakes, stick fakes, dekes, moves in combination and net drives. The U7 and U9 lists stop at handling and carrying.
Is the slap shot banned for young players?
Not by a general rule: it is not on Hockey Canada's U7 to U11 lists, the SIHF sanctions it in U9 and U12 3-on-3 and allows it at U14, and England Ice Hockey prohibits it at U10 under conditions. Your federation's text decides.
Sources
Hockey Canada: Puck Control and Shooting and Scoring overviews (2020-21), U7, U9 and U11 skills pages, Playing Rules 2026-2028 (Rule 3.8). USA Hockey: 8U plans (ADM), 2025-29 rules (Rule 306). SIHF: Reglement Spielbetrieb NAFS 2026/27 (Art. 108, 114, 116). England Ice Hockey: U10 rules 2026-27. FFHG: cahier des charges U9 U11 U13 2026/27. ÖEHV: DÖNAM 2026/27. Study: Lundby and Väliaho, FIHA and SIHA, hosted by the IIHF (2020). Power-play workbook: Canadian Hockey Association, 2002 (old edition). Content checked on 14 October 2026.
After “Puck skills, passing and shooting in ice hockey”, plan the session
The generator is right on the session: plan by the players’ age band and the duration, pick a theme. Paak builds a minuted five-block outline (warm-up, two work blocks, a game and a cool-down) from this same library of 44 drills.
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