How to Approach Bench Management as an Ice Hockey Player
How to Support Your Team and Stay Ready While on the Bench
As a coach, I constantly seek ways to help my players and our team achieve success.
One of the most overlooked areas in ice hockey is “bench management.” Specifically, how does a player best use their time on the bench between shifts? Today, let’s look at what we can do as players to set ourselves up for success.
Know The Bench Logistics
Know your bench logistics and configuration. How does your team handle players going on and coming off?
A Deep Dive Into Hockey Line Changes
Who uses the gate?
Which direction do players shuffle?
Sit with your linemates or partner so you can coordinate and shuffle together. Staying together also helps coaches understand who is fresh and ready to go if there is any line shuffling that occurs, often due to penalties.
First Part - Freshly Off The Bench
Rest
Coming directly off the ice, it’s a good time to sit down to help lower your heart rate. Grab water and refocus. Breathing exercises can help get your mind right and heart rate down.
Debrief
Review a few pieces from the past shift with your partner or linemates. What went well? What didn’t? How were either of you thinking about or through the shift?
Second Part - Shuffling Down The Bench
Prepare
Moving on from the last shift, what do you want to try on the next shift? What needs to be coordinated with your teammates?
Quality communication never goes out of style. Let the last shift go, and focus on what you can control and try on the next one.
Watch The Opposition
Analyzing the ongoing game overall is a good thing to do. What is the other team trying to do systems-wise?
Also, WATCH THE OPPOSING PLAYERS you are going against all game long.… eg. RD should know all the left-wingers.
Understanding how they play the game and their attributes leads to being able to play against them. Maybe there is even a tendency you can exploit.
Third Part - Shuffling Down The Bench
Organize
Keep communicating with your partner or your linemates. Who are you changing for? Avoiding too-many-men penalties and knowing where to go positionally is critical.
Go
As the player comes off the ice, get up and go!
Engage right away with your stick ready rather than fumbling around with it. Hopping over the boards ready to play is the best way to start your shift.
Further Reading
Gaining a competitive advantage by changing better using the ‘Undercut’
Line changing and faceoff logistics during a stoppage in play