Featured Drill: Czechia Skills Progression

Written By Guest User

By Jan Hejda

A great setup for stations or even private and small group lessons. This setup requires a small area of the ice, a tire or cone, a small barrier (not the long ones), and a smaller sized net (if available). As you start working within this setup you will most likely start to think of the limitless possibilities of drills you can do from this formation.


Areas of Focus

  • There are a lot of basic fundamentals that player get to work on in these drills.

  • Control turns

  • Control turns with pucks

  • Retreiving pucks forwards and backwards

  • Shooting (and keeping your head over the puck)

  • Single shifts


Series #1

  • Place two pucks on one side of the barrier depending on whether the player shoots right or left handed

  • Player starts with a tight control turn around tire

  • Player retrieves puck from barrier by pulling the puck towards the body

  • Player should be ready to shoot right away

  • Puck should not touch the back hand side of the stick

  • This will help player keep their head over the puck during the shot process

  • Then the player circles back around the barrier and does the same thing for 2 -3 repetitions


Series #2

  • Player will start with the puck and place another puck on the opposite side of the barrier (see diagram)

  • Player starts with a tight control turn while controling the puck

  • As they come back to the barrier they do a single shift to their forehand

  • Players should protect the puck from the barrier

  • After the barrier the puck should be in shooting position for a shot

  • Players go in front of the net and then do a tight control turn around the net

  • Player picks up the puck of the barrier by pulling it into their body

  • Player does same thing with the puck they just retrieved off the barrier

  • Repeat 2 to 3 times


Series #3

  • Place a puck on each side of the tire (see diagram)

  • This time player will start backwards and skate up to the tire

  • Player will retrieve the puck as they are skating backwards around the tire

  • Player transitions forward to the barrier and does a single shift to their backhand side

  • Players shoot shortly after they are around the barrier

  • Player swings in front of the net back towards the tire and transitions backwards at the barrier

  • Player does the same thing in the other direction

  • Repeat 2 times

TIP: You can make a game out of it by timing players and having penalties for missing the net.

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About Jan Hejda

Jan brings a wealth of experience both on and off the ice, having had a distinguished career as a professional hockey player and former Olympian.​

Over his 627-game NHL career, Jan played for the Edmonton Oilers, Columbus Blue Jackets, and Colorado Avalanche. Internationally, Jan represented his Czech Republic national team in multiple tournaments, earning gold at the 2005 IIHF World Championship and silver in 2006. He also competed as an Olympian in the 2010 Vancouver Games. ​

After retiring from professional play, Jan transitioned to leadership roles in hockey operations and coaching. At GFSA Mt. Prospect, he oversees operations, ensuring our programs continue to provide top-tier training, academics and development for athletes.​

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Parent Testimonial: Jamie Glanz