Equipment Needed
- Pucks
- Offensive zone
Keep pucks moving
A bulk bag of practice pucks keeps forecheck pressure reps flowing through a full unit rotation.
Shop Practice Pucks on Amazon As an Amazon Associate, FreeCoachingDrills.com earns from qualifying purchases.Setup
- Three forwards set up in their forecheck roles against a defenseman retrieving a dumped-in puck.
- Designate the first forechecker, the support forward, and the high (safety) forward.
Instructions
- The first forechecker pressures the puck carrier directly, angling them toward the boards or a predetermined trap area.
- The support forward reads the pressure and positions to intercept the most likely outlet pass.
- The high forward stays positioned to prevent a clean breakout up the middle, acting as a safety valve.
- On a turnover, all three converge to attack quickly before the defense can reset.
Coaching Points
- The first forechecker's angle of approach determines where the puck carrier is forced to go — approaching straight on gives away that advantage.
- The support forward has to read the FIRST forechecker's pressure and adjust in real time, not just skate to a fixed spot.
- The high forward's discipline (staying back rather than joining the chase) is what prevents the opposite odd-man rush.
- This system only works with clear, practiced roles — walk through each position specifically before adding a live defenseman.
Variation
Run it against a defenseman using different breakout options to test if the system adapts, or add a fourth forward for a full team forecheck look.