Find the Third Man

Objective: Backchecking is an assignment, not a sprint — the backchecker's man is always the third one, and he calls it out loud. Setup: Three attackers rush against two D; one backchecker starts fifteen feet behind the play. Execution: The trio attacks with a carrier, a wide lane driver, and a trailing third man. D1 takes the puck, D2 takes the wide man — the trailer is the dangerous one. The backchecker identifies the third man early, calls his number out loud, and takes his stick away through the middle. Coaching points: Track through the middle of the ice — the trailer always comes through the middle. Call it LOUD: the D can't play 2-on-2 until they hear you. Take the stick, not the body — arrive in the lane with a flat blade.