Hockey Strategy & Tactics: It's Not Just About Hitting People with Sticks

In this Edition

1. What is Forechecking and Backchecking?
2. What are Defensive and Offensive Strategies?
3. What Does it Mean to Create Open Space?
4. How do Teams Change Lines and Rotate Players?
5. What are Examples of Hockey Tactics?

What is Forechecking and Backchecking?

Team strategies play a pivotal role in ice hockey. Two key strategies that teams employ are forechecking and backchecking. In fact, these are two of the more common strategies implemented in hockey and account for the back and forth flow as teams move from their defensive zone into the offensive zone and vice versa.

• Forechecking: Forechecking refers to the aggressive pursuit of the puck in the opponent's end of the ice. It involves pressuring the opposing team's defensemen and disrupting their breakout attempts, thereby creating turnovers and scoring opportunities.
• Backchecking: Backchecking is the defensive strategy employed when the opposing team has control of the puck in the offensive zone. It involves players hustling back into their defensive positions to disrupt plays, block passing lanes, and retrieve the puck.

These two strategies are key in hockey. If a team is "good along the boards" or "they're good in the corners" it means they have good puck control along the boards (by stick, passing or physical play) and in the corners when either on the offense and defense. And in the offensive zone, if a team can control the puck along the boards and then cycle it (use passing plays to move the puck around the offensive end), they can position themselves better for scoring opportunities.

When on the offense, forwards will often use the defense to move the puck out of a congested corner (where they're forechecking) to create space for a shot. Conversely, when on defense, defensemen will use forwards to break the puck out of their end to start a drive up the ice. And this is where you'll see one play lead to another play, thus connecting plays. For example, a defenseman initiating a breakout from the defensive end could lead to a give and go which could then lead to a two-on-two, odd-man rush, etc. Forechecking can result from one of these offensive plays and backchecking can disrupt the implementation of these plays, thus why forechecking and backchecking are so important in a hockey game.  

What are Offensive and Defensive Strategies?

Let's delve deeper into offensive and defensive strategies, which shape a team's gameplay.

Offensive Strategies

• Cycle Game: The cycle game (also called cycling the puck) involves maintaining puck possession in the offensive zone by using controlled passing and player movement. It allows teams to create scoring opportunities through sustained pressure and tire out the opposing defense.
• Rush Attack: In a rush attack, players quickly transition from defense to offense, utilizing speed and precision passing to catch the opposing team off-guard and create scoring chances.
• Net-Front Presence: Net-front presence emphasizes the importance of positioning players in front of the opposing net to screen the goaltender, deflect shots, and pounce on rebounds.

Defensive Strategies

• Zone Defense: Zone defense involves players covering specific areas of the ice rather than directly opposing specific opponents. It aims to disrupt passing lanes, block shots, and maintain defensive structure.
• Man-to-Man Defense: In man-to-man defense, players are assigned specific opponents to defend, staying close to them and preventing them from getting open for passes or scoring opportunities.

A critical difference for teams is their ability to transition from defense to offense. Excellent teams will perform well under the pressure of an offensive attack – i.e., they'll know how to respond to a team's offensive attacks by containing the puck and players and without taking stupid penalties, and they will also take advantage of any opportunity to quickly transition from defense to offense. The ability to quickly transition is where you see teams begin to see mistakes made, such as getting caught too low in the offensive zone or mishandling the puck. Both of these can create odd-man rushes (e.g., a two-on-one or three-on-two), which are higher probability scoring chances for the offensive team.

Being able to execute defensive and offensive plays with consistency and fluidity is the hallmark of a mature team. Maturity could come from various places, for example, older, more experienced players, a team implementing a good playbook, great chemistry across the lines, etc. Some of these are measurable (e.g., wins, losses, faceoff percentage, etc.) and others are more qualitative (or hidden) and not included in any standard measurement/statistics (e.g., chemistry on line, alignment to team playbook, etc.).

What does it Mean to Create Open Space?

One of the most important offensive aspects of a hockey game is the ability for a team to create space. The goal of creating space is to draw players out of position and then pass the puck to a team mate for a scoring opportunity. Dominant teams control the open space really well.

Below are some examples of plays that are meant to open up space:

• Give-and-Go: In this play, a player passes the puck to a teammate and immediately moves into an open space. The teammate then quickly returns the pass, allowing the initial player to receive it in a better scoring position with more space.
• Odd-Man Rush: These are where one team has a three-on-two or two-on-one advantage as they're moving the puck down the ice. The key for the offense is to pull the defenseman out of position and get the puck to one of their team mates for a scoring opportunity – again making space for an opportunity.
• Cross-Ice Pass: The objective of this play is to move the puck quickly from one side of the ice to the other, catching the defense off guard. By making a precise cross-ice pass, offensive players can exploit the open space on the opposite side and create scoring opportunities.
• Cycle: A cycle involves players from the offensive team cycling the puck along the boards in the offensive zone. This play aims to tire out the defense and create confusion, allowing the offensive players to find open spaces or create passing lanes for scoring chances.
• Screens and Deflections: Offensive players position themselves in front of the opposing goaltender to create a screen, obstructing the goalie's view of the puck. Meanwhile, teammates take shots from the point or other areas, attempting to generate deflections or rebounds that can lead to goals.
• Overloading a Side: The offensive team deliberately loads one side of the ice with players to outnumber the defenders. This creates more passing options and opens up space for players to exploit scoring opportunities.
• Offensive Zone Rotation: Players continuously rotate their positions in the offensive zone to confuse defenders and create mismatches. This rotation helps create space as players move into new positions and exploit defensive breakdowns.
• Breakouts and Stretch Passes: These plays involve quickly transitioning from defense to offense. Defensemen or goaltenders make long, accurate passes to forwards who are streaking down the ice, allowing the offensive team to catch the defenders flat-footed and create odd-man rushes.
• Delayed or Secondary Attack: In this play, a trailing player delays their rush into the offensive zone, allowing the initial attack to draw the attention of the defenders. The delayed player then joins the rush, creating an additional threat and causing defensive confusion.

These are just a few examples of the many plays used in hockey to create space and generate scoring opportunities. Teams often employ a combination of these plays, utilizing their strategies, skill sets, and the specific game situation to maximize their chances of scoring.

How do Teams Change Lines and Rotate Players?

Effective line changes and player rotations are essential for maintaining optimal performance and managing player energy levels. Let's explore the intricacies of these tactics.

• Line Changes: Line changes involve substituting players on the ice to maintain fresh legs and strategic combinations. Coaches carefully time line changes to ensure seamless transitions while maximizing player effectiveness.
• Defensive Pairing Changes: Just like forwards, defensemen undergo strategic pairing changes to maintain optimal defensive coverage and to capitalize on different players' strengths.

On line changes, timing is of paramount importance. For example, you shouldn't change when your opponents are mounting an attack in the neutral zone; this leaves your team exposed by one man and opens up the assailable space. Likewise, when you're backchecking, you shouldn't stop on the backcheck and come off; you should continue the chase and support your defense.

On player rotations, lines (whether forward or defense) should always change together. Lines are put together for a reason, so teams should always stay together rather than screw up the rotation. This can happen, for example, if one player stays out too long.

Lastly, there are certain plays that prohibit line changes, such as icing – the offending team on an icing is prohibited from changing. Where typical line changes are between 30 seconds to 1 minute long, this can put a line on the ice for much longer, tiring them out. This makes it easier for the opposing team to open up scoring opportunities.

What are Examples of Hockey Tactics?

Hockey is full of tactical maneuvers that teams use to gain an advantage. Let's explore the most common ones.

• Dump and Chase: Dump and chase (or dump and rush) is a tactic where a team intentionally dumps the puck into the opponent's zone and quickly pursues it to regain possession. It puts pressure on the opposing defense, creates turnovers, and generates scoring opportunities.
• Cycling: Cycling involves maintaining puck possession along the boards in the offensive zone. Players pass the puck to one another while moving in a circular pattern to create scoring chances and tire out the defense.
• Breakouts: Breakouts refer to the strategic movement of players to transition from defense to offense. Defensemen initiate breakouts by making accurate passes to forwards, who then carry the puck up the ice, supporting each other and bypassing the opposing team's forecheck.

Now that you have a deeper understanding of strategies, tactics, and player rotations, you can analyze team dynamics and identify key moments during gameplay. Check out our other posts in the Puck 101 series, where we explore all things hockey!

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