Playing D in a non-contact league

[nesford2457]

I play D in a non-contact beer league and find it very difficult. Since I am unable body check anyone people contantly just shield the puck with there body and wait until I go after there stick to quickly pull or drag the puck around me. Anyone have an opinion on better ways to play D without hitting?

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[Jerry Lundegaard]

step up and give them no room to move. if it's a beer league, they should let you play the body without putting your shoulder into his chest

 

[DJnet65]

There are only leagues that are no checking leagues, there is no such thing as non-contact hockey.

 

[Jarick]

Gap management, take away the middle of the ice, play them tight, steer them into the wall, etc. It's definitely a different mindset and strategy, but it's very possible to play strong defense without body checking.

 

[ponder]

Watch Lidstrom

 

[nesford2457]

There are only leagues that are no checking leagues, there is no such thing as non-contact hockey.

Any advice hockey God?

 

[Pez68]

Any advice hockey God?

Watch guys like Duncan Keith or Niklas Lidstrom play defense.

 

[Turboflex*]

You can still use your body mostly the same way, push people away, block them off. You just cant knock people down with your shoulder.

 

[nesford2457]

Watch guys like Duncan Keith or Niklas Lidstrom play defense.

I apreciate the advise and although these D you guys are listing don't primarely use there bodies to get the forward off the puck the forward still has think about it and play as if they will be body checked. In the league I play in there is no checking and the forwards know it. When they come in the zone they hold the puck on there forehand far to the outside while turing there body twords the indside putting the puck almost in line with there outside shoulder making it very difficult to poke or even swipe at the puck. When I make a play at the puck they either quickly drag the puck tight to there body make a small cut and i'm toasted, or they take a quick wrister using me as the screen.

 

[nesford2457]

You can still use your body mostly the same way, push people away, block them off. You just cant knock people down with your shoulder.

I try this the only two problems I have is one, the refs are so inconsistent in my league some refs won't let you even come in contact with the guy while others will call nothing. Two when I try this I find myself backing off to much afraid of knocking the guy over and just end up looking like an idiot.

 

[predfan24]

If they are protecting the puck on their forehand and you are forcing them to the wall then the shot they take is going to be at a bad angle. Don't try to go around his body and fish for the puck. Of course you are going to get burned then. Just keep pushing him towards the boards and he will eventually run out of room.

 

[Skraut]

Yes, that was the hardest thing for me to learn. Non Checking does not mean Non Contact.

• Use your body. Don't be afraid to use it to guide them into the boards. If there's a gap between you and the boards, and they go for it, don't be afraid to shrink that gap. They chose to go there.
• Know what they're going, and get their first. If your opponent is streaking down the wing, he's going to make a break for the net, usually about the time he hits the faceoff dot. Don't follow him, go where he's going, charge at the corner of your net. You'll get there first, and be in a position to make him make the move.
• If they're planted in front of the net don't be afraid to move them out of the way, it's YOUR net. Just get behind them, put your stick on them and push. Don't hit them with the stick, but it to guide them out from the front of your net.
• Lift their stick. Even if the puck is nowhere near them, lift their stick. Get them thinking about you, what you're going to do, not about the puck and what they're going to do with it.
• When all else fails, fall back. It's a lot better if the player goes around you if you're in the slot close to the crease because he doesn't have much space to get a shot off on goal. If he goes around you at the blue line, your goalie will start cursing you out.

 

[Turboflex*]

you can still stand them up just be a bit more gentle and don't follow through, that way they dont go flying and you don't get a penalty, you are still allowed to do some blocking.

 

[Hoser]

As others said, watch Lidstrom.

I don't know; to many people playing D is about lining people up to be hit, and to me that's the wrong way of going about it. The Dion Phaneuf school of defence so to speak. A lot of people will tell you that goalie is the most important position on a given team but I think it's defence. Play it right and you'll give up few scoring chances and help your forwards create many.

Don't forget that you dictate the play, really. For example the opposing forward isn't protecting the puck because he wants to, he's protecting it because he has to! Use your position to cut off his lanes of movement and passing. Get in his way. Force him to either run into you or run into the boards. He'll have to pass the puck (giving you a chance to take it from him), take a crappy shot from a bad angle that your goalie should save, or cut across into open ice (which should give you a better chance to take the puck from him).

 

[Briere Up There*]

Keep your stick in the path of their stick and follow their body.

 

[jorbjorb]

still play the man still use your body

just dont body check
play physical still

 

[Jarick]

In that case, I'd back off them a bit and play more to the inside of the ice, and as they start to go wide, turn to skate hard at them to try and push them to the boards.

 

[Skraut]

In that case, I'd back off them a bit and play more to the inside of the ice, and as they start to go wide, turn to skate hard at them to try and push them to the boards.

Yep, nothing wrong with a good board squeeze. Just because you can't hit them into it doesn't mean you still can't put them into it.

 

[RobertKron]

I apreciate the advise and although these D you guys are listing don't primarely use there bodies to get the forward off the puck the forward still has think about it and play as if they will be body checked. In the league I play in there is no checking and the forwards know it. When they come in the zone they hold the puck on there forehand far to the outside while turing there body twords the indside putting the puck almost in line with there outside shoulder making it very difficult to poke or even swipe at the puck. When I make a play at the puck they either quickly drag the puck tight to there body make a small cut and i'm toasted, or they take a quick wrister using me as the screen.

I'm not really seeing the problem. Ignore the puck and maintain positioning. They'll still have to skate through you to get to the net. Maintain your gaps and use body positioning to keep them to the outside. Their only options are to pass, shoot from outside, or skate through you. Just because you can't smash a guy doesn't mean that you have to let him walk right through you.

As a defenseman, if body checking is the basis for your defensive game, you're in trouble anyway regardless of the rules.

 

[mobilus]

Don't watch the forward's chest, don't watch the puck... watch his feet. For all his toe dragging, head faking and shoulder dropping.... he's going to go in the direction his feet are facing. Stay between his toes and your net, and his options are cut. Watching his feet also allows you to see the puck with your peripheral vision. You can poke check as a secondary act, but primary remains keeping yourself between his toes and the net.

 

[ean]

Defensive zone:
-On 1 on 1's, play the body, if someone tries to dangle you don't even look at the puck, just play the man's body, meaning hands directly to face.
-Clear the crease. Repeated, solid crosschecks to the back between padding should do the trick. Remember, no contact doesn't mean no chris pronger.

Offensive zone:
-Pinch. A lot. Especially if you're the last D back. Then blame forwards for not backchecking.
-Shoot high. Like head high. Trust me, forwards like it there for deflections.

 

[RobertKron]

Defensive zone:
-On 1 on 1's, play the body, if someone tries to dangle you don't even look at the puck, just play the man's body, meaning hands directly to face.
-Clear the crease. Repeated, solid crosschecks to the back between padding should do the trick. Remember, no contact doesn't mean no chris pronger.

Offensive zone:
-Pinch. A lot. Especially if you're the last D back. Then blame forwards for not backchecking.
-Shoot high. Like head high. Trust me, forwards like it there for deflections.

To add the the second D-zone point, you're clearing the crease so that you can stand in front of your goalie. Don't let that other guy have your spot!

 

[Jarick]

Offensive zone:
-Pinch. A lot. Especially if you're the last D back. Then blame forwards for not backchecking.
-Shoot high. Like head high. Trust me, forwards like it there for deflections.

That's like the template for how I play defense.

Actually I'm fairly conservative on the pinch, but I still blame the forwards. And when I play forward, I blame the defense when it was my turnover

I am though the KING of the head shots. Last game I played D, I got one of our guys in the shoulder, one of them in the chest, and one of them ducked out of the way. I also hit the crossbar and missed two shots high and wide.

 

[ChiTownHawks]

Yep, nothing wrong with a good board squeeze. Just because you can't hit them into it doesn't mean you still can't put them into it.

Yeah this would be my advice as well. I like to kind of pinch them into the boards to slow them down. As long as you keep your feet moving you should be fine. The key is to not stop your feet at all. If you are stationary you will get called for interference.

 

[predfan24]

Defensive zone:
-On 1 on 1's, play the body, if someone tries to dangle you don't even look at the puck, just play the man's body, meaning hands directly to face.
-Clear the crease. Repeated, solid crosschecks to the back between padding should do the trick. Remember, no contact doesn't mean no chris pronger.

Offensive zone:
-Pinch. A lot. Especially if you're the last D back. Then blame forwards for not backchecking.
-Shoot high. Like head high. Trust me, forwards like it there for deflections.

If all else fails. Blame your teammates for not hustling and dangerous slewfoots seem to work.