Sidney Crosby is hockey's brightest star. In the 2009 Stanley Cup Finals and the 2010 Winter Olympics, Crosby used his brilliant talent to lead his teams to thrilling championships. Whether he was was wearing a Pittsburgh Penguins uniform or the red maple leaf of Canada on his jersey, Crosby's play was distinguished by his ability to stickhandle through his opponents and make plays. The gauntlet drill is one of the top drills for building stickhandling ability.
Set Up
Line up two rows of players so that they are facing each other and about six feet apart. The player who is about to "run the gauntlet" is at the center ice face-off dot with the puck on his stick. On your whistle, the player will stickhandle the puck in the space between the players. He has to control the puck while skating forward. The players on either side of the line will try to stick check the puck so the player loses control. After the player completes the drill, he goes to the back of the line and one of his teammates takes the puck.
Goal
The goal of this drill is to build stickhandling capabilities. It is one thing for a player to carry the puck up the ice when she is not being impeded or checked by an opponent. However, when facing pressure from defending players it is much more difficult to hold on to the puck. This drill helps a player build control while stickhandling and will give her the confidence that she can make a play when the game is on the line.
Defensive Pressure
The role of the players manning the gauntlet can be varied. When working with younger players, ask them to hold their sticks straight out, but they should not be very active with their stick movement. In that case, it's sufficient for the stickhandler to move straight ahead while maintaining control. As players advance up the ladder, the defensive players increase their stick activity and attempt to steal or deflect the puck away from the stickhandler.
Variations
Coaches will make the gauntlet drill more continuous by having the stickhandler continue with the drill after she has finished stickhandling the puck. Once she has finished the line, she will skate around three athletic cones that will be set up at various locations in the offensive zone. After skating past the last cone, the player takes a shot on net with the goalie in place.
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