Teams and coaching staffs constantly talk about how much pressure they want to apply versus how passive they want to be in the neutral zone area. Whether the forecheck starts off a face-off, a turnover, or a puck that is dumped out of the zone, there is a lot of space to cover in the neutral zone. Therefore, a strategy must be employed to shut down possession plays through this area.

If you pressure, opponents have less time and may make mistakes, or they may take advantage of the extra space to work with. Conversely, if you sit back, opponents have more time to read and make a play but less space to work with. What do you do? Coaches have several options when designing the neutral zone forecheck.

All neutral zone forechecking systems must allow the ability to shift quickly as the puck moves from one side to the other. The key player is F1 with regard to his angle and stick placement. With his stick on the ice and proper skating angles, F1 can take away passing lanes from the opposition and steer them into a space where they don’t want to go. F1 can also move the stick into different lanes to take away options. When the puck is moving up ice and then back or passed from side to side, both defensemen must be good at regaining their gaps. Teams that tighten their neutral zone gap (the distance between the defending defensemen and the attacking forwards) create havoc for attacking forwards trying to enter the offensive zone. Another key skill of strong neutral zone forechecking teams is that all three forwards are able to skate backward and face the play to make their reads easier. You should practice this with all five defensive players moving in unison....