Featured courses
- Which Hockey Position Should I Play? | Hockey Positions Guide by Jackson Chlebowy
- 3 Keys to Hockey Defense: Dominate the Defensive Zone by Jackson Chlebowy
- 4 Hockey Skating Drills for Youth Players: Building Speed, Balance, and Agility by Jackson Chlebowy
- 4 Hockey Passing Drills to Improve Team Performance: Mites to Peewees by Jackson Chlebowy
- Mastering the Hockey Forecheck: 6 Keys and Strategies by Jackson Chlebowy
- How To Coach Hockey: Creating a Winning Culture by Jackson Chlebowy
- 5 Principles of a Successful Hockey Power Play by Jackson Chlebowy
- Three Youth Hockey Shooting Drills to Score More Goals by Jackson Chlebowy
- 3 Hockey Battle Drills to Improve Compete Level and Team Chemistry by Jackson Chlebowy
- Ice Hockey Goalie Drills: Mastering the Basics by Emma Martin
- Tips and Tricks on Perfecting Your Hockey Slap Shot by Emma Martin
- 7 Effective Puck Protection Drills for Defenseman by Jacob Crabtree
- Strength and Conditioning: Tony Greco's Principles of Strength by Jacob Crabtree
- From Humble Beginnings to Highly Respected NHL Shooting Coach – A Sit-down with Tim Turk by Slava Paller
- Journey into Strength and Conditioning with NHL athletes to everyday people with Ryan Van Asten: Two time Stanley Cup Champion and Current Calgary Flames Strength and Conditioning Coach by Clarence Paller
Which Hockey Position Should I Play? | Hockey Positions Guide
For young hockey players just getting started, it can be exciting and overwhelming trying to choose where they want to play. To pick the best hockey position for you or your child, you/they have to understand their strengths and weaknesses on the ice. Each position requires a specific skill set that young players need to develop if they want to be successful hockey players. Every position plays a crucial role in the success of the team, and knowing which position best suits you/your child’s strengths, skills and instincts can make a huge difference in their development and enjoyment of the game.
Goaltender
The goaltender's job is simple, yet extremely difficult. Stop the puck from going in the net. This is not a position for the faint of heart as this player has to be prepared to stand in front of hard shots and fend off crashing forwards. Playing Goalie in hockey requires immense skill, concentration, and mental toughness. The best of the best have incredible hand-eye coordination, agility, flexibility, and composure under pressure.
A good goaltender can’t ever get caught up on mistakes or goals scored against them. Goals are going to happen, but a poor mental or emotional reaction to getting scored on can cause a snowball effect leading to more goals and mistakes.
Being a taller player may also be beneficial when playing goaltender. Having extra size and length can make it easier to cover the goal, but should not be a determining factor in choosing the position. Regardless of size, a goalie has to be agile, quick, and cerebral if they want to be successful at any level.
Necessary skills:
- Quick reflexes and hand-eye coordination
- Strong lateral movement and agility
- Mental toughness and concentration
Defense
Defensemen are the spine of your team's defensive structure. Their primary job is to defend their net and prevent the other team from getting scoring chances. This means shadowing attacking players, battling for the puck in the corners, and collecting and clearing pucks out of the zone. In today's game, there are a couple of different types of defensemen (Offensive defensemen, defensive defensemen, or some combination of the 2).
One thing that all defensemen have in common is they are tough. Whether it be battling along the wall, standing in the shooting lanes, or protecting your net, playing defense requires physicality and aggression. That being said defensemen also need to be some of the smartest players on the ice. D-men need to be aware of their surroundings, constantly scanning the ice looking for attacking players, passing lanes, and opportunities to disrupt the play.
Along with their defensive responsibilities, defensemen have to be quick decision-makers and accurate passers. The breakout relies heavily on the first pass, which often comes from a defenseman. To play the position, players have to be competent puck movers and able to handle constant pressure from forecheckers when handling the puck.
More offensive-minded defensemen should have passing, skating, and shooting skills more closely associated with wingers and centers. As a defenceman, they still have to take care of their defensive responsibilities. Offensive defensemen might be more aggressive in the offensive zone and can because of their strong skating abilities, and anticipation skills. A good offensive defenseman has to make smart decisions, or else they could give up odd-man opportunities.
Necessary skills:
- Strong skating ability (forward and backward)
- Defensive awareness and positioning
- Physicality
- Puck handling and passing skills
Winger
Wingers play along the perimeter of the ice and are often responsible for generating offense for your team. As players get older, they will better define what type of forward they are (Sniper, Playmaker, Power Forward) but for now, they should focus on practicing skills required by all of those archetypes. Skills like puck handling, shooting, passing, vision, physicality, and most importantly, skating ability.
Because wingers are mainly in charge of generating offense, they should be strong skaters with good puck-handling skills. They should have good vision and senses, able to find dangerous passing opportunities, and soft areas of the ice to attack.
Because Wingers are offensively focused, they tend to have fewer defensive responsibilities. They often play along the wall or up near the opponent's defensemen, so they should be prepared to disrupt shooting lanes and block shots. Wingers are also integral in generating pressure on the forecheck. They need to be willing to battle and chase their opponents around for the puck looking to create turnovers.
Necessary skills:
- Fast and powerful skating
- Superior puckhandling skills
- Accurate shot
- Playmaking vision and anticipation
Center
The center is one of the hardest-working players on the ice. Centers are in charge of taking faceoffs as well as patrolling the middle of the ice in both the offensive and defensive zones. A good center is the last forward to leave the Dzone and the first forward back on the backcheck. This role takes endurance and lots of hard work. In the defensive zone, centers are responsible for the slot, as well as supporting their defensemen in the corners. On offense, centers need to be intelligent, finding open ice, drawing defenders away, and setting up their teammates with good vision. Young players wanting to play center should have strong work ethic, passing and puckhandling skills, and quick and safe decision making.
Necessary skills:
- Stamina and work ethic
- Face-off ability
- Hockey IQ and ability to read plays
- Passing vision and puck support
Choosing Your Best Fit
Each hockey position requires a truly unique skill set. For young players who are new to hockey, the best way to pick what position they want to play is by trying them all! Coaches and parents should encourage every player to experiment and develop their all-around skills before picking a position. Another great way to decide what position to play is by watching the NHL. Watching the best of the best will help identify skills and habits that will give you or your child the best chance of succeeding in those roles. Once you find your position, commit to developing your skills. Finally, Don't forget to have fun! That's what playing hockey is all about.