Penalty Kill Verbal Coverage
Communication
Legend
- player
- coach / parent
- movement path
How it works
Execute a full penalty kill using mandatory verbal communication to assign and switch coverage on every power play movement.
What you need
- hockey stick
- puck
- ice
Your focus
Penalty kill breakdowns almost always involve a coverage miscommunication , two players going to the same puck carrier while an attacker goes unmarked. Mandating verbal communication during penalty kill drills hardwires the language of defensive coverage into competitive scenarios. Teams with high communication culture have measurably fewer defensive zone coverage errors.
Run a 5-on-4 power play versus penalty kill.
Penalty kill players must verbally call every coverage assignment and switch out loud.
If coach catches a moment of silence longer than 2 seconds from any PK player, blow the whistle and reset, communication is mandatory, not optional.
Track goals allowed versus communication compliance across multiple reps.
Helpful cues
- PK silence equals vulnerability, talk constantly
- Call your assignment's jersey number if you don't know a name
- Your voice is your first line of defense
Adjust the challenge
Make it easier
Strip it back
Run 4-on-3 penalty kill to reduce complexity and coverage demands
UpLVL it
Add the next challenge
Add net-front screens and weak-side options to force more frequent coverage switches and higher communication volumeNo account needed
Build a practice plan
Add drills, keep the plan in this browser, then share a link with your staff or parents.This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.
This library helps you find the right drill. Inside UpLVL the right drill finds the player.After every practice, UpLVL automatically surfaces the drills each player needs to work on most. See it for yourself.