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PHOTOS BY Getty Images ILLUSTRATIONS BY Mike Curti 26 // AUGUST 2021 USAHOCKEYMAGAZINE.COM Protect & Serve 3 The ability to handle and maneuver with a puck in the open ice or in traffic is a skill that everyone can always improve upon. Keep your hands away from your body when handling the puck. This will allow you a full range of motion. If you keep your hands in tight , your head is likely to be down looking at the puck. It also limits your reach. Keep your head up and use your peripheral vision to watch the puck and what's happening around you. If you're constantly looking down at the puck you're not likely to have it long. You'll lose it to an opponent, or get your bell rung. Less is more when it comes to skating through the neutral zone with the puck. When you're skating in open ice, push the puck ahead on your forehand. This will allow you to skate faster and be ready to pass or shoot quicker. Over handling the puck will only slow you down. Use your body to protect the puck. This is important in tight areas, such as in the corners or in front of the net where there's a lot of traffic. Some of the best drills to improve your puck handling and puck protection skills are games we've all played on the pond, blacktop or rink. Playing 1-on-1 or 1-on-2 keep away will help you learn to control in tight spaces with the puck while keeping your body between the puck and your opponent. F Zach Parise is a 16-year NHL veteran and a two-time U.S. Olympian. 3 The snap shot is quicker than a wrist shot and more accurate than a slap shot. The most important attribute of a good snap shot is the speed with which you can release the puck. A lot of times kids tend to bury their heads before they shoot and guess where they 're shooting. I like to take a look and see where the goaltender's at and take aim at my target. Sometimes it's not possible to get a good look at the net before you shoot. That's why you should know where you are on the ice in relation to the net. Get the puck on net and good things happen. The snap shot is released from the middle to the tip of the blade. Pull the puck into a position that feels comfortable with the toe of your stick blade. Then shoot the puck off the outer half of the blade. It's important to practice shooting in awk- ward positions. You're not always going to be in perfect position when you find the puck on your stick. That's why I practice shooting off of both feet. It's good to switch it up. In drills, try skating around pylons and practice shooting from different angles. And if you have a net at home and 10 pucks you can fire away all day. F Adam Deadmarsh played nine seasons in the NHL and on two U.S. Olympic Teams. Make It Snappy SHO OT A BETTER SNAP SHOT By Ada m Dead ma rsh IMPROVE PU CK HANDLING By Zach Pa rise