Hinge and Go

Objective: Teach the hinge: when the strong side is taken away, the partner drops underneath and the puck changes sides. Setup: Two D in the zone, one token forechecker, a winger on the far wall. Coach spots pucks to D1's corner. Execution: D1 picks up the puck and walks; the forechecker takes away his up-ice lane. D2 hinges — drops below D1 toward the net — and takes a soft flat pass. D2 changes the side with one touch up to the far winger, who carries out. Coaching points: The hinge pass is SOFT — it travels ten feet, not forty. D2 opens his hips up-ice before the puck arrives so the next pass is instant. D1 sells his walk first; a lazy hinge invites the second forechecker.