Finding space in the NHL is difficult. To create that space, players must work together. One great way to do this is via a (legal) pick play!
First, some recommended prior reading from the archives: OZ Puck Support: Strong vs Weak-Side.
Legal Pick Plays
Before we talk about this further… we are not talking about interference. Players off the puck are entitled to ice/space. Players can brush up on opponents to re-route them, thus giving their teammates more space.
Keys to watch for:
Picking player stays on their own ice (no stick/reaching)
Puck carrier runs their opponent into their teammate - very effective against aggressive man-on-man defense.
Get there early… you are entitled to ice! Can get in the way and run their opponent into traffic.
Pick Play Example
Jan Rutta (#84 in Teal) of the San Jose Sharks gave us an excellent example with three different picks on the Sharks OT winner earlier this season.
After a zone entry, the puck carrier stops up and climbs the wall. Rutta enters the fray coming down near the wall. He picks his personal check/opponent who was trying to jump his teammates. Rutta then circles back up to high ice where he is most comfortable as a natural defenseman. He then picks his teammate’s check/opponent. Both times the opponent was so focused on the puck carrier that they ran into Rutta on their own.
Next, as the play resets slightly, Rutta relocates to the far side. He is set in his skating route, which you can truly tell by his wide base that is difficult to move from. His teammate turns tighter to guide the players chasing him right into Rutta.
Finishing the sequence, we see Rutta quicker to recover toward middle ice as the picked opponent is discombobulated and goes to pick up their dropped stick. The result is an overtime goal.
Related Reading: Working off the net… running players into the net or into traffic to shake a man-on-man coverage.
Playoff Hockey
These tight space plays are especially important in the playoffs, when available space is at a premium.
Here is an example off the rush that led the Florida Panthers to eliminate the Maple Leafs in the 2023 playoffs.
Players off the puck are entitled to ice and are given leeway to continue their path/route. Planning ahead and positioning or skating into ice that the defenders are going to want to use is a highly effective tactic to create for yourself and your teammates.
Sedin Twins
If wanting to dive into these concepts further… I recommend watching old footage of the Sedin twins. They were elite at this type of subtle play. Despite their leaner upper bodies, they were some of the best when it came to working the cycle, in the corners, and in mastering offensive zone spacing.
Further Reading