06/10/2026
FUN FACT 🤓
Yesterday we talked about how positioning can make or break things, right? Well, today we wanna bring in another aspect of positioning that you may not have considered.
Now, if you’ve ever watched any type of sport being played by young players, you’ve seen this scenario a thousand times:
🥅 the puck moves
🏒 a player follows it
🥅 the puck moves again
🏒 same player follows it…again
And before long, they’re no where near where they’re supposed to be.
Yes, we’re talking puck chasing here.
Positioning says “this is my zone” but the spur of the moment, speed of the game, and the intensity of things happening around us at any given moment says “We gotta get that puck!”
The tricky part about puck chasing is that usually it comes from a good place. Players want to help. Or maybe they see an opportunity. They want to be involved. They want to make something happen for their team.
But unfortunately, that “good place” is Also why it can be so damaging.
See, the puck is an important aspect of the game…right? The puck is how goals are scored. It’s the “sun” of the game, everything revolves around it, right?
Right.
And naturally because of that, our brains become hyper focused on it. Everyone wants to be a part of where the action is.
But the problem is, hockey isn’t won by putting everyone in the same place, and every time a player leaves their position to chase that puck and be “a part of the action” they’re leaving something behind. Maybe it’s
🥅 a passing lane
🏒 the middle of the ice
🥅 defensive coverage
🏒 support for a teammate
🥅 an open opponent
Regardless of what you use to fill in that blank, SOMETHING is left behind because the player saw the puck and didn’t see what was happening around them.
And here’s the issue, not only does that create EASY danger for the team, it’s also going to be energy deficit, as well as frustrating for the team as a whole.
Watch a team that’s bad at puck chasing. You’ll see it. Everybody slowly gets pulled toward the same area. The team starts looking like a magnet is attached to the puck. Five players drift toward one side. Teammates begin to run into one another. Pressure builds. And now? Now the opposite side is WIDE open and potentially a threat.
The problem isn’t that players aren’t working hard…they’re just working hard in the same place and creating more work for themselves in the long run.
And what’s more work?
More energy.
And what’s the most crucial thing about sled hockey?
Preserving energy.
But if we’re busy puck chasing we’re setting ourselves up for longer shifts, unnecessary errors, harder holes to dig ourselves out of, and energy exhaustion that will most likely hit BEFORE the third period.
See, now that “good intention” is problematic…and exhausting.
But here’s the thing, we’re not just here to share the things you might know. We’re also here to help explain what COULD work to make things easier for you.
For example, and our fun fact part of the post, most newer players puck chase because it’s an awareness issue.
They’re still learning
🏒 teammates
🥅 opponents
🏒 positioning
🥅 strategies
🏒 spacing
And the puck? Well it’s something easy to follow. It’s visible. It’s obvious. It’s important.
By teaching positioning and explaining strategies to newer players, you’re not only increasing their Hockey IQ you’re giving them the confidence they need when they’re out on the ice.
And if they’ve got the confidence they need, they’re gonna be less prone to chasing a puck.
Why?
Because they understand the game.
Because they understand their part.
And they know what is expected of them.
And before we jump on just the newbies, let’s face it, even the most experienced player can be guilty of chasing after a puck. Usually it’s an awareness issue but not in the same way as a newbie might experience.
🥅 sometimes it’s frustration if a game isn’t going the way they want it to go or maybe there’s been some errors and they’re trying to correct them
🏒 sometimes they see an opportunity to force a turnover and it is their driving factor in that moment
🥅 sometimes it’s simple impatience
🏒 sometimes its confidence
🥅 sometimes they see it as productive to making something happen (which is ironically why the habit survives even when a coach tries to do better at breaking it)
Puck chasing feels like effort. It feels like it’s important and from the outside it can even look impressive. BUT activity and effectiveness are two ✨different ✨things.
Whatever the case may be, veteran players can do it too, and the harder part about a veteran player chasing the puck is that…others are watching.
Habits are even harder to break if your most experienced players are setting that example.
Learning to not only trust your teammates with the puck but also that it’s okay to ✨not ✨fix every error you might notice as a veteran player is the best way to ensure you cut down on your puck chasing habit.
Remembering that others are watching is also good motivation 👀
It won’t happen overnight
Breaking a puck chasing habit is hard.
It’s one of the hardest lessons in hockey honestly.
But it’s a big lesson: you ✨don't ✨have to attack every puck.
Sometimes the best play is maintaining position. Sometimes the best play is protecting space. Sometimes the best play is forcing the opponent into an area where they have fewer options. Good defenders pressure. Great defenders control.
Learn to watch PEOPLE not the puck.
The goal isn’t to follow the puck. The goal is to be where your team NEEDS you.
Sometimes those places are the same (with the puck)
Sometimes they’re completely different
The players who can understand that distinction become smarter hockey players…because at the end of the day hockey is not about chasing the puck. It’s about understanding what happens when everyone else does
