🧠 Hockey IQ Breakdown: “Attacking the Stick Side” — How Elite Forwards Force Turnovers
Win the puck before the battle even starts — elite forecheckers attack the stick, not the body.
By Geoff Schomogyi (Instagram | Facebook)
In this Hockey IQ breakdown, we dig into one of the smartest habits high-level forwards use to kill breakouts: attacking the defenseman’s stick side.
When a defender shows you his stick, he’s exposing the weak point in his retrieval. Elite forecheckers eliminate it instantly — one clean stick lift, and the entire play collapses.
🔍 What Is “Attacking the Stick Side”?
Most young forwards chase the puck or go hunting for the body — and it costs them turnovers they should be creating.
Smart players understand something different:
When a defenseman’s stick is exposed, that’s the side you attack.
It’s the weak point in his retrieval and the quickest path to a turnover.
Attack the stick, and you:
Neutralize his ability to retrieve the puck
Force turnovers before contact
Prevent him from rolling the puck to safety
Stay legal while staying aggressive
Turn 50–50 loose pucks into clean scoring chances
This is forechecking with intention — eliminating the defender’s tool, not just his space.
🎥 VIDEO: “Attacking the Stick Side” — Neutralize the Defender Before He Touches the Puck
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Final Takeaways
🔧 How to Execute It
Angle to the stick side
Never pressure the back; pressure the exposed blade. That’s the weak point.Match his hands
Stick on stick — not stick in space. Meet the blade where his hands control it.Jack the stick early
Lift before he rolls the puck to his feet or pulls it off the wall.Accelerate through contact
Stick lift → two hard strides → win possession. Don’t stop your feet.Recover onto the puck
The goal isn’t the lift — it’s clean possession turned into offense.
Simple. Repeatable. Devastating when done with pace.
🧠 Why It Matters
Attacking the stick side flips the forecheck from reactive to proactive.
Instead of waiting to see what the defender does, you immediately remove his ability to make a play.
For coaches, this habit develops:
More intelligent pressure
Turnovers without unnecessary contact
Players who anticipate instead of chase
Forecheckers who create offense from defensive mistakes
It’s one of the most efficient puck-recovery skills in the game.
💭 The Hockey IQ Challenge
How do you forecheck?
Are you attacking the body… or eliminating the stick?
Next time you close on a defender, read the blade.
If it’s exposed — take it.