Now that the regular season has started, I wanted to share the #1 piece of advice I have for being a better player no matter what position you play.

=> BE MORE AWARE <=

You’ve got to SCAN the ice more.

Whether you’re a goalie, D or forward, you need to have more information.

The information you get from looking around is going to allow you to think a play ahead and know what you want to do next.

You’ve got to know where the opponent is. You’ve got to know where your teammates are. Once you have that information, you can think make smart decisions on what to do next.

If you don’t have the puck, you use your scanning to find space, be a great option and know exactly what you want to do with the puck if and when you get it. If you’re a forward, you use that info to control your timing & space on the breakout, or to find open space in the offensive zone so you can be shot ready in the slot. If you’re a D, you’re looking up ice as you retrieve pucks on the breakout and regroup so that you can make a great first pass once you get possession of the puck. If you’re a goalie, you’re constantly scanning the whole ice when the play is outside your zone and getting more laser focused with your awareness as the puck gets closer to your net.  Everyone should be scanning constantly when they don’t have the puck.

The same goes for if you do have the puck. Should you keep it? Should you move it? Where’s the space? Where’s the pressure? Where are the good guys and bad guys? The only way to answer those questions consistently is to look around and figure it out.

You don’t want to scan the ice at a million miles an hour and give yourself whiplash. You want to do that shoulder check and scan all around the ice like you’re a lighthouse. To make great decisions, you need lots of information but also a little bit of time to process it all.

All this scanning will also allow you to stay safer. You’ll have a much better idea of your surroundings. There’s less of a chance you run into someone or something and hurt yourself. A lot of injuries could be avoided, prevented or lessened if the players had more information.

Get more information.
Think a play ahead.
Know what you want to do next.
Make better decisions on the ice.


LEARN HOW TO SCAN BETTER WITH US: We incorporate scanning and awareness drills into every single on-ice session we run. It doesn’t matter whether we’re working on skating, puck control, passing, shooting, or physicality – we are always adding in a scanning component.

If you want to be a better scanner so you can get more information, think a play ahead and make better decisions, join us at our Total Female Hockey In-Season Sessions. We have sessions running throughout November to March and we’d love to see you there.  The first one is on Friday November 18th. Check out the full schedule on our Camps page:

https://totalfemalehockey.com/camps/






Work Hard.
Dream BIG.
Scan More.



~ Coach Kim


Kim McCullough, MSc, YCS
Director & Founder, Total Female Hockey