Beginner Skating And Puck Control Practice Plan

Start at the boards in one corner with helmets on and sticks down. Put 6–8 cones to mark two straight skating lanes from goal line to blue line.

Skate one easy lap together, then line up and practice your whistle commands: one whistle = freeze, two whistles = take a knee. Run two quick “freeze checks” so you can control traffic later.

• Cues: “Two hands.” “Knees bent.” “Stay in your lane.”
• Watch for: players returning outside the cones instead of cutting back through the middle.
• Common issue: kids drift across lanes while talking. Fix: stop, point to the cones, and restart with only 3 skaters at a time until they respect the lanes.

Use the two lanes you set with cones. Players go one at a time per lane; next player leaves when the skater reaches the first cone.

Run three passes: (1) normal stride down, glide back; (2) “airplane arms” down to feel balance; (3) glide on two feet with small knee bends every 2–3 seconds.

• Cues: “Sit in the chair.” “Quiet upper body.” “Push, then glide.”
• Watch for: shoulders staying level while the skates do the work.
• Common issue: big choppy steps and loud skates. Fix: shorten the stride—tell them to push to the side, not straight back, and make them glide for two seconds after each push.

If they’re handling this well, add a gentle weave around 2 cones at the far end; if not, keep it straight and clean.

Mark a “stop zone” with 2 cones about 10–12 feet wide near the blue line. Players start at the goal line, skate to the zone, and must stop inside it.

Progression: first rep is two-foot stop (both skates), then add a small turn after the stop, then repeat with a little more speed. Keep it controlled—no races yet.

• Cues: “Bend first.” “Turn the toes slightly in.” “Stop under you, not out in front.”
• Watch for: skates sideways and hips low at the moment of the stop.
• Common issue: they stand up right before stopping and spin. Fix: have them say “bend” out loud at the top of the circles, then stop—if they don’t say it, they redo the rep.

Water at the bench. While they drink, set 8–10 pucks along the boards and move cones into four corners for the next block.

Give one clear expectation for the puck portion: puck stays on the ice and two hands on the stick. Tell them you’ll stop the whole group if pucks start flying.

Players spread out along the boards with 3–4 feet between them, each with a puck if possible. Coaches stand in the middle to see blades and hands.

Run 20-second sets: forehand taps, backhand taps, wide-to-wide (reach), then pull to the middle and push out. Between sets, make them look up and find you before starting again.

• Cues: “Soft hands.” “Puck stays close.” “Eyes up between touches.”
• Watch for: top hand doing the steering while the bottom hand stays loose.
• Common issue: they slap at the puck and it bounces away. Fix: slow it down and require the blade to stay on the ice—“paint the ice” with the puck.

If space is tight, put half the group on the goal line and half on the blue line and alternate sets.

Set two lanes of 4–5 cones each from the goal line to the blue line, spaced so beginners can actually handle (about 6–8 feet). Two lines, one per lane.

Players stickhandle through the cones, then skate straight back outside the lane. Next player goes when the skater clears cone #2 to keep it flowing.

• Cues: “Tap-tap.” “Puck in your hip pocket.” “Glance up at me.”
• Watch for: puck stays within a stick length and the feet keep moving (no standing still to stickhandle).
• Common issue: they stare down and drift into the other lane. Fix: add a head-up task—hold up 1–3 fingers at the far cone and they must call it out as they pass.

To challenge the kids who are ready, have them switch to backhand-only between two cones, then return to normal.

Put pucks in both corners. One line in each corner. Use one net with a coach or helper goalie if you have one; if not, shoot on an empty net and focus on hitting the net.

Player skates to a puck, picks it up on the move, takes 2–3 strides toward the slot, and shoots a quick wrist shot. After the shot, they peel to the boards and go to the back of the opposite corner line.

• Cues: “Blade flat on pickup.” “Two hands through the shot.” “Shoot in stride.”
• Watch for: puck pickup without stopping their feet.
• Common issue: they stop, then shoot from the boards. Fix: put a cone ‘no-shot line’ near the boards—no shot until they get inside it.

Play cross-ice with mini nets if you have them. Make two teams in pinnies; extra players rotate in on the whistle every 30–40 seconds so nobody stands.

Rule to protect puck control: goals only count if the puck stays below the knees, and no slap shots. If the puck pops up, whistle it dead and drop a new puck.

• Cues: “Head up.” “Short passes.” “Protect it on your forehand.”
• Watch for: players using the boards as a safe outlet instead of forcing it through traffic.

This is here to let them try puck skills under light pressure without turning it into full-ice chaos.

One easy lap together, then gather at the boards with sticks down. Keep the recap short and specific.

• Ask two players to show the group your best “knee bend” stance (10 seconds).
• Ask two players to demonstrate 10 quick, quiet puck taps with eyes up once.
• Remind them what to bring next time (water, neck guard if required, tape) and the one thing you want improved: controlled stops inside the zone.

Finish with one last whistle freeze so they leave knowing you can control the rink.