There's not much fancy that goes into protecting the puck properly. Any good hockey coach/scout knows this. High-level scouts watch where you position the puck when you carry it during tryouts. So don’t carelessly overexpose it when you shouldn’t. This means you should probably under handle the puck if you are anyone other than Jack Hughes or Patrick Kane etc. This means you should turn away from opponent pressure to make the smart play, rather than getting too cute and turning into pressure in hopes the low percentage risky play pays off.
Most importantly, if you have an opportunity to shoot in tryouts (drill or scrimmage) then shoot it quickly. Points all count the same and there are no bonus points for pulling off plays like “The Michigan”. Becoming a player that’s prone to trying plays that are “too risky” or leading to “too many turnovers” can develop all throughout the training process if you’re not paying close attention. So take the stress out of tryouts and focus on practicing these few, simple, pro-style offensive drills as demonstrated by Elite Hockey Science Reston’s Coach Sean McLaughlin.
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