“He shoots, he scores!” So, much of our attention as fans, coaches and players is focused on the goal scorer. Where on the ice did they shoot it from? What type of shot did they take? Where did they aim on goal? Are typical questions asked about the goal but why don’t we ever focus on how the goal scorer got the puck in the first place? There is usually something that precedes the shot, it’s usually a pass from a teammate. There are players in the NHL today who make a living from their playmaking abilities. So, let’s take a look at some of the characteristics that these players have.
TABLE OF CONTENTS
– Playmaking Isn’t Tangible
– IQ And Vision
– Puck Control
– Speed
– Strength
– Summary
A playmaking forward and a puck-moving defenseman are all essential items needed to create a championship-winning team. So, what tangible qualities do these players have? Is it exceptional speed? Are they tall or short? Are they stocky and built or skinny and slippery? Oddly enough, playmaking doesn’t have that much to do with physical attributes because playmakers come in all shapes and sizes. You’ve got the tall ones like Blake Wheeler and the small ones like Johnny Gaudreau. You’ve got the speedy ones like Mitch Marner and the stockier slower ones such as NHL legends Ron Francis and Joe Thornton. These apple-hungry hockey players all come with a different combination of physique and skill, and if it’s not clear already playmaking isn’t a physically hereditary passed-down trait. It’s something else, but what is it?
The most important thing that hockey playmakers must possess is smarts and vision. Playmakers are play drivers. Even though they pass and give up the puck their end goal is to maintain puck possession and keep play moving forward. The only way to do this effectively is if the player has awareness and vision. They need to know what’s going on around them. They need to not only know where everyone is on the ice but anticipate where everyone is going to be – which in other words, is what I like to call hockey IQ.
Playmakers have an astute understanding of the game and play hockey like a game of chess like it’s a thinking man’s game. For example, if they see a teammate and an opposing player side-by-side they do not right away think that that player is covered and cannot be passed too. They take a look at sticks. The players might be side-by-side but they notice that their teammate’s stick is on the ice and unguarded, so a pass on the tape has a possibility of being completed. They consider speed, if their teammate is skating faster than the other player will an area pass ahead of them suffice? They think of indirect passes as well, will a chip off the boards reach them even with a defender on them?
Hockey is a unique game and although possessing great athleticism is an obvious advantage, so is having a high hockey IQ and this only develops over time. It comes with experience. The more you embrace becoming a student of the game and focusing on not where players are but where they’re going to be and how you can give them the puck is so important.
Strangely enough, playmakers are puck hogs. They have a knack for finding and keeping the puck on their stick for periods of time, even though their first instinct when they get it is to dish it to a teammate. What playmakers do so well is when the puck is on their stick they draw the attention of their opponents and defences levitate towards them, they become mesmerizing in a sense. If a playmaker can draw more than one defender toward them, someone is probably open. Even without seeing a holistic view of the ice and the skaters on it like a chess board, this is for the most part true.
Normal gameplay is 5-on-5 and while hockey teams utilize area and zone defensive structures such as basketball and football, man-on-man defence is very prominent in the NHL, especially when gameplay is not in the neutral zone. So, in man-to-man situations, if a player with the puck can draw more than one defender on them there’s an open player. It’s a 1-on-2 situation where the puck is but elsewhere it’s 4-on-3, four teammates and three defenders.
Remember what we chatted about in the section above? About how playmakers have vision and know where players are on the ice? They can foresee gameplay before a 1-on-2 situation occurs. An exceptional playmaker with a high hockey IQ knows who that second defender is and who they’re currently guarding. So, the moment that the defender decides to join in is when they pass the puck to the teammate that is now unguarded. They don’t do it too soon, because it might get intercepted and the player receiving the puck is already heavily guarded so they probably won’t be very effective, and they don’t do it too late. The player with the puck is in a 1-on-2 situation and it’s difficult to skate away from a situation like that with the puck still on your stick.
So, how can one achieve this? How can a player maintain puck possession and be able to draw defenders towards them and at the exact right moment, let go of the puck and pass it off? All playmakers must possess outstanding puck control capabilities. As you might’ve guessed already, a player can do this through various ways, so let’s take a look at some of the more common examples.
Connor McDavid and Mitch Marner embody this the best because they’re superstars and their skating is magnificent. They both use a combination of speed and agility to draw opposing players towards them. They possess the puck with great speed, draw defenders towards them, squeak through and pass the biscuit.
Speed is one of the most eye-popping skills in the NHL today. However, it isn’t the only way to become a great playmaker. Many have achieved the designation by puck protection and strength. The most notable is none other than Sid the Kid. At one point, Mr. 87 was known as one of the fastest but in year 17 this is no longer the case. Sid’s strength with the puck is just absurd. He draws defenders toward him because one alone cannot take the puck away from him. A sort of extension of strength is puck protection. Playmakers who exemplify strength are excellent down-low. They use body positioning and power to keep the puck away from a defender’s reach. These playmakers cannot skate their way out of trouble and find the open man, their ability to protect and pass the puck in crowded areas to the open man is truly remarkable and is a testament to the skill level that these players possess.
Playmakers are a goalscorer’s best friend and they come in all different shapes and sizes, and possess different sets of skills. The path to becoming one takes time and practice. One must possess some sort of combination of speed and strength but most importantly, they must have a high understanding of the game, have a high hockey IQ. This comes through experience and accepting the role of being a student of the game we love.
