Passing is one of the hardest things to do. Therefore, playmakers are one of the most valuable players on their team. When I say passing is hard, I mean passing well. The difference between an average pass and a good pass is that a good pass can be easily controlled by the other player. Playmakers have to be unselfish, because somebody else looks good for their own work. For example, look at Joe Thornton, one of the best passers to ever play the sport. When Johnathan Cheechoo was paired with Joe Thornton, he went from 25+ goal scorer to a 50+ goal scorer. Just because Joe Thornton can set up anybody for a pass. Another example of a great playmaker was Paul Kariya. Playing with Teemu Selanne, he helped Selanne become a legitimate 50 goal scorer. After starting his first NHL season on fire with 76 goals, Selanne slowed down to a 40 goal scorer. When he was paired with the great playmaker Kariya, he would have two 50+ goal seasons, one 47 goal season, then a couple of 30 goal seasons. Point is, Kariya was a major reason for those 50 goal seasons. Good playmakers need the vision, need the hands, and need the desire to win.
My first tip is the most important; if you ignore it, you WILL get decked. Simply put, know what's in front of you. As a defenseman, I like to carry the puck up as I look for the breakout pass. However, I always know what's in front of me. When I carry the puck up before the pass, I skate in the direction I am looking. That way, I don't get blindsided often. Most big hits on defensemen occur when a defenseman is skating the puck up, but is not looking forward. That way, they get leveled while they are looking for the recipient of the pass. The same can be said for forwards in the neutral zone. So skate in the direction you are looking (A glance doesn't count as looking, and you can keep your head on a swivel if you can handle it) and get rid of the pass quickly. Remember not to force the pass though. If the passing lane is blocked, don't make the pass. And remember: if you have the space, rush the puck. Don't force yourself to pass to a certain person. Instead, look at that pass as one option, with others including skate the puck up farther, pass to a different person, dump the puck into the offensive zone, etc. When you make a pass, remember the Gretzky rule. That is, pass hard onto the stick if the other player isn't moving, and softer leading passes when the other player is moving. Not softer leading passes as in 10 feet in front of your intended recipient at 5 mph. Softer as in only about softer, not soft. If the other player is moving, and you can't make a safe, softer leading pass, you are forcing the pass. When you make the pass, if you can, call out the other player's name. Hopefully the other team doesn't know it, but your teammate will know it. Make sure to use the boards if nothing is open. Passing off the boards, when done correctly, confuses defensive players since they can't step up and make a hit right away. Avoid passing through the slot, and if you really need to make cross-ice passes, skate to the slot before you make the slot. Just be prepared to get hit. After you make a pass, don't stare at it; go. Dennis Potvin did give and go's better than anyone, and he's someone you should want to imitate. Skate hard after making a pass. If you make a breakout pass, take a hard stride or two, and judge whether or not you can join the rush without much risk or getting in the way. If it's a 3-on-3, jump up, but if it's a 3-on-2, don't. Really if it's already an odd man rush, you should generally stay back, though you can sometimes jump up to make a 2-on-1 a 3-on-1. When you make a pass, roll the puck across your blade; this keeps the puck flat on the ice, and makes it easier to catch. Follow through on the pass, and point the toe of your blade to where you want the pass to go. When you make a pass, don't hit the puck. Instead, slide the puck off of your blade to where you want it to go. And flex your stick when you do it. Even if you're making a softer leading pass, that doesn't mean you can pass like a 3 year old. Put some power on it by flexing your stick, but don't overdo it. This makes it easier to receive for the other player. Likewise, when receiving the pass, don't let the puck hit into your stick. Instead, receive the pass by bringing your stick in closer to you. You should know what to do anyway, it's hard to explain. Basically like reversing the motion you make when you're making the pass. When making a touch-pass, don't just slap the puck back. Receive it a little, and quickly pass it back forward. While in the motion, roll the puck across your blade a little so it stays flat. As for the exciting saucer pass, well, I'm not good at those. All I know about them is that you position your stick like you are going to take a flip shot, roll the puck across your stick, and point with your heel. Recently, I also figured out two more things about passing. First of all, it's beneficial to change the point of release before making a pass (What!?) In English, you can open up a ton of passing lanes if you move the puck before you pass. If someone's not open because of a defending player, move the puck about two feet back with your stick before making the pass and it will be much harder to defend. Or maybe switch to your backhand then make the pass; it really depends on the situation. The second thing is an extension of the Gretzky rule; it's almost exclusively for the offensive zone, but it can be for anywhere on the ice really. When I look for a pass now, I don't just look for open people; I look for big areas of open ice. Even if no one is there, if you make a pass at the right speed and in the right spot, you can give them a perfect pass; here is a decent example. Notice how Tanguay sees the gap between the Edmonton defenders, and throws the puck there; Bouwmeester was already kind of there, but if Bouwmeester was another 3-4 feet up he still could've thrown the puck to the same area with the same result if he made the pass a little softer. Basically you should look for those open spaces.
What a third paragraph? That's right, three paragraphs, a first. The third paragraph has to do with a different part of passing though; getting open for a pass. Great players can dictate other players without the puck. Gretzky almost forced his teammates to pass to him because he was always open. On the defensive side, players like Brian Leetch forced other players to go where he wanted them to. Then, when that play would receive a pass, Leetch would step up and intercept the pass, or poke the puck away. On the hitting side, any time you angle someone off, you force them to go where you want them to, whether you know it or not. Most big hits happen because a player forces another player into a vulnerable position. But lets focus on getting open for the pass. Like with the second paragraph in this post, the first tip is the most important. When you're getting open, pay attention to your surroundings, not just the puck carrier. You don't have to stare at the puck carrier to get a pass, just glance at him or call out for a pass. Instead, focus on not getting hit as soon as you get the puck. Hitters like myself like to step up and hit someone as they receive the pass because that's when their head is usually down. When the forward knows the hitter's there though, the hitters job becomes much, much harder. Second, let the other player know you're there. Call out their name loudly, but don't slam your stick on the ground. Calling out the other player's name can only be heard, not heard and seen, so you can get away with it more often. Also, who knows, maybe you'll break your stick slamming it on the ice that hard. Make yourself a good recipient of the pass by not making sudden stops, turns, etc when you're already in a good position for a pass.
Breakdown
- When making a pass, skate in the direction you are looking.
- Don't be afraid to lead the rush.
- Don't force a pass.
- Remember the Gretzky rule.
- Call the name of the player you want to pass to.
- Use the boards when you can.
- Skate towards the slot if you're making a cross-ice pass.
- Skate hard after a pass; don't stare.
- Flex your stick when you pass; don't pass like a baby.
- It's beneficial to change the point of release before making a pass.
- Look for the open spaces, not just the open players.
- Receive a pass, don't stop it.
- Force other players where you want them to go, even if you don't have the puck (Dictate the play.)
- Be aware of your surroundings while receiving a pass.
