🏆 Playmaker of the Week: Kasen Pusateri
Filthy Plays. Smart Decisions. Lessons You Can Steal.
When Kasen Pusateri started the Jr. Red Wings’ breakout from deep in his own zone and led the rush through the neutral zone, few saw what was coming.
Entering the offensive zone on his off-wing on a 2-on-2, the right-handed forward cut to the middle and pulled the puck back like he was about to unleash a heavy wrister from the top of the circles—freezing both defenders.
But instead of shooting, he pulled it to his backhand to beat the near-side defender, then drew the far-side D and goalie toward him before sliding a perfect backhand dish across the slot to a streaking Blake Paquette for a wide-open backdoor bury.
It’s the kind of play that turns heads—and teaches a lesson.
In this week’s Playmaker of the Week, we highlight how skill, deception, timing, and spatial awareness combined to create a high-percentage scoring chance—and how you can apply the same tactics in your own game.
See or make a filthy play lately—goal, dangle, hit, save, whatever? Upload your clip to the HPC Community or email it to us us at [email protected]
VIDEO: Playmaker of the Week
🎥 Want to watch the highlight & learn to do it yourself?
Subscribe free to The Playmaker Report—trusted by 22,000+ players, coaches, and parents—and get instant access to the video and breakdown below. 👇
🧠 What Made This Play Elite
Deceptive Shooting Threat: Kasen sells a powerful wrister at the top of the circles, effectively freezing the defender and the netminder as they brace for a shot.
Backhand Control Under Pressure: He calmly pulls the puck across his body to beat his man with poise.
Elite Vision & Timing: He waits just long enough to draw the weak-side defender and goalie before delivering a perfect backhand pass to a streaking teammate to bury on the open net.
🧰 Add It to Your Toolbox:
Practice selling fake shots by opening your hips, loading your stick and getting your eyes on the net as if you're shooting—this forces defenders to commit early—then pulling the puck laterally to your backhand.
Bonus: check out our Passing from a Loaded Position to master the fake shot to open up a passing lane.
Work on backhand puck control in tight spaces using cones or a passive defender to simulate pressure. Focus on smooth pulls and controlled edges while protecting the puck.
Run delay-and-dish drills in 2-on-2 or 2-on-1 setups, where you deliberately draw a defender or goalie before sliding a late backhand pass to a teammate in stride.