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M H J O N L I N E . C O M | J A N / F E B 2 0 2 5 12 by Steve Mann Puck Battles Tips losing puck battles and can't get posses- sion back, chip the puck out of the zone or get a whistle for icing. We want some sort of containment to get that forward contained in an area, like along the wall, so you're not chasing the puck trying to defend with good stick position." "In the offensive zone," Roeser con- tinued, "you want to try to outnumber the defense, so turning a 1-on-1 puck battle into a 2-on-1, so if the puck comes loose, you're there to retrieve it. Sometimes, we've dumped the puck in, and if we lose the race to the puck, now we're trying to get it back. If we win that battle, now we can get some good scoring opportunities, some good posi- tive zone time and dictate the play." Not all puck battles are created equal. "If you're killing a penalty, working on the perimeter, you can force and MAINTAINING CONTROL OF THE PUCK IS AN OF TEN OVERLOOKED, but absolutely critical, element of hockey that can be the difference between winning and losing. "It's simple–if you have the puck, the other team doesn't," said East Ridge High School Girls Hockey Head Coach Andy Roeser. "You can control what happens next, prevent the other team from scoring, start offensive breakouts, change lines and keep your players fresh. It's a huge advantage." The most effective way to gain pos- session is to win puck battles. Roeser, also a USA Hockey Coach Developer, believes the goal is the same regardless of what zone you're in. "You're trying to get the puck and dictate the play" he said. "Winning those puck battles can definitely help change momentum in a game." THE MOST COMMON PUCK BATTLES Puck battles are most often taking place along the boards and in the corners. How they impact the game depends on whether your team is on the defensive or offensive end of the ice. "They are super important in the defensive zone, where you're trying to gain possession away from the offensive team and hopefully exit the zone," Roeser said. "You don't want to be pinned in your defensive zone for a long time, as defending is hard work. So, players can get really tired if they're Photo / James Butler then win a puck battle that could result in a free icing and take the pressure off," he said. "Or, if you can get a loose puck, you can chip or skate it out too and change penalty killers. The defen- sive zone and penalty kill puck battles tend to be the most important because of what is at stake." WHERE THERE'S A WILL, THERE'S A WAY It might seem that the bigger and stronger player is going to win most puck battles. But it's also about having proper positioning, technique, compete level and awareness that help level the playing field. "There are some people that have tenacity and the ferocious mindset that when they go into a wall battle, they're going to win," he said. "That's Use your body to take the opponent's hands away and protect the puck. Mindset, Technique & How to Improve with Andy Roeser