Attention Young D.... Kitchener has been dominant so far through the round robin at the Memorial Cup, and a lot of that success comes down to their D playing with such poise and patience regardless of what the clock reads. And yes, it's all about habits and how they prepare. Here is some appreciation for Matthew Andonovski (KIT5) and the details he demonstrates when defending a lead late in a crucial game. Watch the small habits, his routing, stick details and calmness he brings to ensure there are no gaps in the DZ. Chicoutimi dialed up the pressure in the final minutes last night and it was sequences like this from the Rangers that foiled their attack. Watch as KIT5 gains a good gap by reloading through the dotline off entry. As soon as the attacker is pushed down the wall, KIT5 closes and leads with his stick, forcing movement. As the puck is moved, KIT5 scans for the next threat and recognizes his partner is engaged on the driver through the slot. This quick scan and recognition allows KIT5 to drive over the face of the net and front the weak side driver. KIT5 makes himself big to prevent a puck getting through and gets some puck luck as the attacker doesn't get a clean touch. Finally, KIT5 collects the bouncing 50/50 puck, but through good habits of getting his hip on the closest attackers hands to prevent a turnover. Instead of swiping at the puck, he's confident, gets his toes up ice and is able to calm the bounce on his forehand before clearing it into the NZ, safely away from his net. His patience and attention to the small details control the ice and have been a big part of Kitchener's team success through their run to the Memorial Cup. Habits like this are possessed through repetition and the ability to think under pressure. Here are 2 drills we use with our young D to help them find comfort in chaos and trust their thinking. Hockey is all about capitalizing on mistakes, so sometimes the best learning is done in controlled situations where failure is just as close to finding success in a practice setting. Drill Credit - SPK D Footwork - @legeeyfbaby Belleville Senators Asst Coach

Attention Young D.... Another good clip of defenceman releases, this time off a NZ group. Notice: - DET72 pulls in pressure while still keeping his partner as a support release (aware of OTT line change) - off pass to partner, loads feet and drives back inside dots (becomes option) - evades pressure by kicking puck to backhand, loading feet to escape to open ice (eyes up scanning ice) - attacks through dots and shifts weight off opposition engagement (hands load for quick release) - gets puck on net off attack and gets rewarded Offensive friction and awareness of coverage shifts with a front foot attacking mentality.

Attention Young D... Great clip last night of releasing off the OZ blueline. Notice: - CHI55 scans off touch to find pressure and releases - cuts back to ice given and explodes with 3 hard strides to slot - hands are engaged and off body, which allows him to drive through traffic - another quick shoulder check finds support off WSdot Skilled yes, but it's the footwork and the pre-scans that open this play up for him. Nicely done!

Playing Connected Great clip of a goal from last night, highlighting support and connectivity by TBL. Notice: - multiple shoulder checks by D and support retrieval both on and off puck - D accept contact, this aids in ice opening up for BO - C supports low and slow to be secondary release, trapping F1 and F2 low - W's push up and force opp D out of zone = time and space - friction by SSW in NZ creates odd man, with WSD joining - lanes and drivers shrink D & G focus, allowing shooter to walk in Check out @MacLennan28 for his analysis on this one as well!

Face Off Friction A great example of friction and roles off an OZ faceoff from tonight's Flyers/Lightning game. Notice: - TBL86 keeps stick and hands free while gaining inside position to settle bouncing puck - inside W (TBL93) adds friction to slow up F1 to point, this also causes net D to step up - TBL74 eyes up identifies bodies to net, its a step inside dots and no dust on the net - TBL21 builds a wall with his back to gain inside position on his man, rolls off to the net with stick free to deflect Nothing screams highlight reel, but multiple habits stack and it's all about a willingness to get some bumps and win the inside game leading to a 1-0 advantage for TBL.

Massive score by the Rangers. Mike has been a strong presence and integral part to why the Rangers and their fans have such a strong passion and unity. The focus and openness he continues to share with fans is second to none. Congrats @farwell_ohl and welcome back!

Attention Young D... Quick clip highlighting the ability to add deception when tracking back in zone on puck recoveries. Focus on GUE21, habits displayed are strong: - early shoulder check through NZ - hands engaged and off body - feet drive to puck, slow coming into touch - stick set to pull in forechecker, shoulder check sells fake - hands and feet punch to the wall to create separation - its on the tape and off the tape to support the regroup back up ice Deception at its finest to keep pucks moving north. The multiple shoulder checks allow this play to happen. They both buy time and recognize releases which give him confidence to make the play while under pursuit.

We have been talking with our team lately on the importance of loads and reloads off the puck. Here is a great example of Kitchener loading and reloading multiple times in one sequence. Notice the habits and positioning of driving feet back to a defensive position after each shift of friction. Stick details and layers allow Kitchener to come up with the loose puck and attack 3v2 high on the exit. Add some skill on the finish but habits drive success.

Attention Young D... Lately my feed has been full of videos asking how a D played a 2v1. Specifically, if we leave our feet when defending. It made me think of this clip from Jackson LaCombe (ANA2) from last year's playoffs. I love this clip because of the awareness to keep his stick engaged as an extension of his body. Notice these habits: - marks speed of attack and loads through dot line - stick is set and engaged to take away pass immediately off the load to square up on the rush - subtle step to close ice before laying out - stick stays out front so hands stay free from body - eyes scan and stay engaged, which recognizes EDM97 on his backhand - free hand pushes body off ice to gain momentum to swing top hand down to feet and deflect puck away from net Effort, grit and awareness. Its not a matter if we stay on our feet or not, its all about commitment to defend and close down ice any way we can.

Attention Young D.... Great clip from the weekend, courtesy of Windsor Spitfires 08 D Drake Gram (WSR25). Lets identify the strong habits that lead to this goal: - off touch eyes are scanning, hands off body and feet drive net - off the wheel he stays inside dots and finds release to teammate on weak side ice - he identifies he can beat his man up ice and drives feet into NZ - as puck carrier shifts through middle ice, WSR25 drives into vacated lane on weak side dotline - he drives feet and gets behind coverage sneaking into net front ice, this pulls the weak side defender away from defending and supporting his partner - he keeps his stick free and wedges himself into defenders inside hip, causing friction for goaltender to battle through and defender to physically engage him - this opens ice for puck carrier to drive over net mouth, freezing goaltender and distributing the puck over the outstretch pad Habits are strong. WSR25 starts the play and ultimately ends it with a desire to drive net, cause friction and sacrifice his body to open a lane.

Attention Young D.... Digging through clips from Canada U18 & this Brock Cripps (CAN12) clip screams awareness. Notice: - drives feet out of DZ to support rush (comes through middle) = great positioning - kicks wide to cover the weak side in case of turnover, this ultimately gives him position to attack with time/space - eyes up off touch, can identify and trap SWE backcheckers on weak side - hands engaged immediately = deception - off attack loads hands and freezes SWE F, allowing him to pull and drag changing angle of his release All this is from his ability to read ice on the PK. Great awareness, strong confidence and great example of attacking ice and releasing pucks off touch. #hlinkagretzky #NHLDraft2027 #HockeyCanada

Thanks to all who supported and messaged in regards to the 32 in 32 series. The goal was to highlight transferable skills for minor hockey coaches and players with the focus being on defenseman. I will be posting a few isolated clips with a skill per video in the next few days. Stay tuned and thanks for all your support!