(Transcribed from How to Play Hockey: Our Minor Hockey Coaching Course.)
The appropriate aggressiveness of a defensive player is often a philosophical debate rarely won or lost by either side. But no matter what, the supportive principles remain the same. Understanding these principles will allow you to make that game changing play or prevent that breakaway. As either a coach or a player, knowing these concepts will help keep you in the game.
Purpose of Video:
This video pertains specifically to the defense but it affects everybody on the ice. The two terms we are going to discuss are:
- Pinch
- Stagger or Hinge (meaning basically the same thing).
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Pinching:
In the offensive zone, pinching can happen where two defense are standing on the blue line and working about half the ice apart. As the puck comes up and one defense thinks he/she is 99-100% confident that he can get to the puck, he can leave the blue line, come down and ‘pinch’ on that puck.
There’s a rule in hockey called ‘Puck or Man’ which means the player tries to either:
- win the puck and take a shot on goal
- or make a pass, push the puck back down low or defend against the winger. Even if the puck passes by you, hold that man.
When one defensive partner is being aggressive then the other partner has to peel off a little bit and either come in behind or come underneath the teammate (in behind and underneath means the same thing).
Staggering or Hinging:
(I like to say ‘stagger’ a lot of people use ‘hinge’.)
When on a diagonal, if the puck pops loose then the defense can retrieve it. However, if the defense gets beat, then s/he can backup and hope to have some back-checkers come to help as well. This is to be hinged or staggered.
This idea of being ‘staggered’ is very common in the neutral zone. Let’s say we still attacking way. One defense has the puck. S/he will need strong side support, center mid lane support and also the back-diagonal hinged defensive support.
S/he will need this support for all the same reasons. If one player loses the puck then the defender can come and help. Additionally, if you have the puck, then the defender can come and help make the play. If those two D are flat then it’s much easier for a forechecker in the passing lane to pick off that pass. (We know what the passing lane is based on an earlier video).
Summary
To be staggered or hinged is a supportive position both offensively, when you have the puck, and defensively, if you are going to lose the puck. Pinched is to leave the blue line and aggressively force the puck back down low.
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