Skill Development | Shooting & Scoring Skill

Scoring results in more enjoyment and more wins at every level. The importance of effectively shooting the puck and efficiently creating offence increases as players face more skilled defenders and goaltenders.

The Shooting and Scoring Pathway recommends no position-specific specialization until U13. Young players should focus on physical/motor skills and technical skills. By the mid-teens and beyond, emphasis for shooting should include deception skills and shooting from all areas of the ice off both the inside and outside foot.

7 basic shots used to score goals

• Wrist shots
• Backhands
• Flip shots
• Snap shots
• Slap shots
• Tips/deflections
• Dekes

Shooting concepts

Work on the shooting basics players utilize in every game and design practices to teach and reinforce these with repetitions. Mimic the shots players use and make these as game‐like as possible, progressing from skating, skating with a puck, and then shooting and scoring.

• Stationary shots
• Shots in motion
• One-timers
• Quick release
• Changing puck angles/fakes
• Shot off a pass
• Forehand to backhand
• Backhand to forehand
• Shooting for sticks

10 scoring situations

The scoring situations are broken down to 10 categories to help shooters recognize the situation and select the best way to attack it.

Shooters have to be able to read goaltending options, their teammates and the defending players’ positions while processing the situation.

1. Clear shots
2. Entries
3. Net drives
4. Breakaways
5. Rebounds
6. Low/high
7. East/west
8. Below the goal line
9. Tips/deflections
10. Screens

Hockey Canada Development Programs | Shooting and Scoring Pathway (pdf)

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