1. Getting Defensive
The defense positions in hockey are vital to guarding the offensive players and stopping the opposing team from scoring. Playing defense in hockey means doing whatever it takes to keep the puck from going in your net. Defensemen fight when they have to, look out for the goalie, give their offensive teammates more scoring opportunities and do what it takes to get the puck where it needs to be. Defensemen help protect both the puck and their own offensive teammates on the ice.
2. Defensive Checks, Please
Defensive checking is one of the most important aspects of a defenseman's job. There are several checks a defenseman can use to open up the offensive zone for his team. Hip checks, stick checks and shoulder checks can all be used to throw an opposing player into the boards and keep him from getting to the net. An accurate poke check is useful for poking the puck away from another player's stick and redirecting it towards a teammate. Defensive checking can steer the action of the entire game if the defenseman is accurate and quick.
3. Put 'Em Up and Duke It Out
Some defensemen are referred to as "enforcers", and these defensemen are responsible for a lot of the fighting that takes place during a game. Some fans feel that fighting is an unnecessarily violent part of hockey, but fighting can also be a useful defensive tactic. Defensemen fight to intimidate the other team, boost the energy of the game, and distract the opposing team's defensemen to give their own teammates a chance to score. Defensemen often pick a fight when they see one of their own scorers being harassed or shoved around to help that player out.
4. What It Takes to Play Defense
The defensive conditioning required to play defensive positions is a little different than the conditioning programs for offense or goalies, because defensemen have to be bigger but still move just as fast. Defensive players often bulk up and increase their muscle mass, especially in the chest and arms, to make their body checks more forceful. Speed and agility are still important too, so defensive conditioning also includes a lot of running.
5. When the Puck Comes Your Way
A defenseman's job is to help open up scoring opportunities for the offense, but that doesn't mean that there is no scoring on defense. Scoring on defense is all about taking control of the puck, particularly by stealing it off an opposing offensive player's stick or by grabbing a rebound from the goalie and redirecting the shot. The defensemen's primary position on the ice is near the net, so they takes advantage of the puck when the play is near the net rather than stealing it at center ice and working a play down the ice like offensemen often do.
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