Erie Wheel Warm-Up

Setup:

• Goalies in nets.

• Four lines of players positioned in the corners.

• Pucks placed in all four corners.

Drill Description:

1. On the whistle, players from opposite corners begin at the same time.

2. O skates around the near neutral zone face-off dot (inside-out) and heads back towards the corner they came from.

3. O exchanges one-touch passes with the next player in their original line.

4. After exchanging passes with the second player in the O line, they continue across the slot area to exchange one touch passes with the first player in the X line. 

5. Player X takes the puck from the corner, skates to the middle of the ice, creating a good passing lane and passes it to O along the boards.

6. O player takes the puck down the ice and shoots on net.

7. After making the pass, player X continues around the neutral zone face-off dot.

8. Continuous.

Key Points:

• Timing: Players need to leave the corners and round the neutral zone face-off dot at the same time. They should keep their heads up and make eye contact to ensure proper timing. If the timing is off, it will disrupt the flow of the drill. Players should adjust their speed to ensure they round the face-off dots together.

• Communication: Players should communicate both verbally (when ready for a pass) and non-verbally (by keeping their stick on the ice as a passing target).

• Passing: Emphasize hard, crisp passes to ensure the drill flows smoothly and players remain engaged.

• Shots ON NET.

  
  

Progressions:

• Coaches can add a variation where players exchange the puck with the second player in line as they start the drill.

• Coaches can have players face their line at the start, then backward skate to the neutral zone, open up around the face-off dot, and pass to the player coming back toward them.

*As with any drill, it's important to assess your players' abilities, strengths, and needs, making any necessary adaptations to ensure the drill is effective for your team.