Ice Hockey
Ice Scanning Shoulder Checks
Build the habit of regular shoulder checks to read the full ice surface
10 min
6 x 45-second possession drills with scan cues
Beginner
Demonstration video coming soon
Instructions
- 1Skate with the puck in a small area with a coach calling out random numbers to check for.
- 2Take a shoulder check every few seconds without slowing your feet or losing the puck.
- 3Identify open teammates or pressure and verbally call out what you see.
- 4Increase pressure and space demands as scanning frequency improves.
What to focus on
Frequent head checks without losing puck control or speed.
Common mistake
Keeping the head down on the puck and never scanning the ice.