📈 Learn: Protect the puck. Keep your head up.

🌟 Watch: Deceptive fakes, a sharp-angle finish, and a smart setup.

📊 Vote: Who’s the NHL’s best puck protector?

Sam Cheema
Player Development Specialist

Protecting the puck maintains possession and buys you time. Keeping your head up helps you use it.

Sam Cheema’s chin-to-sho ulder drill, inspired by William Nylander, builds comfort carrying the puck outside your body. Keep it on your forehand side, widen your stance, and turn your chin toward your opposite shoulder so you can scan the ice.

That posture helps you put your body between the puck and pressure while staying ready for your next play. You can look for a passing lane, move the puck into space, or cut back when a defender takes away your first option.

Start slowly and get comfortable with the position. Then add speed while maintaining your balance, puck control, and ability to look up.

More standout work from across the HPC community this week.

RJ Legault (W/D | Birmingham Rangers) →
RJ uses a shot fake to freeze a defender and break through, then sells another before pulling the puck to his backhand for the finish.

Gio Maisano (LW/RW | Junior Everblades) →
Gio collects a loose puck behind the net, comes around looking for a pass, then spots an opening and fires it high near side.

Derek Terauds (C | Flint Ice Raiders) →
Derek takes the puck off the wall and behind the net, reverses direction, and delivers a backhand centering pass for a teammate’s finish.

Last week’s poll: Which shooting skill needs the most work right now?

Show the hockey world what you’re working on.

Upload a highlight, training clip, drill, or coaching insight to your free Hockey Players Club profile.

Every week, we feature standout members from across the community.