Todd Woodcroft is currently the Head Coach for the University of Vermont Men's Hockey team. A frequent guest of The Coaches Site, Woodcroft has over 20 years experience in the NHL and internationally. Todd began his career with the Minnesota Wild in 2000 and has worked for the Washington Capitals, LA Kings, Calgary Flames and Winnipeg Jets. He also spent a year in the KHL as the Assistant General Manager/Director of Player Personnel for Dynamo Minsk.

Watching the rise of the Jets over the past few seasons has been a treat for hockey fans and coaches in Manitoba’s capital. Woodcroft, a former Jets assistant coach, is one of the people responsible for flying the team in the right direction. For him, it all comes down to playing the game with pace and execution.

“It’s a game that has to be played fast,” he says. “You have to move the puck fast, make decisions fast, and play fast as a team.”

How do the Jets incorporate that philosophy? After all, everyone wants to play fast.

For Woodcroft, it starts by moving the puck north immediately. Winnipeg’s defensemen are encouraged to give the puck to the forwards as quickly as possible. After that, it’s up to their forwards to enter the zone with speed.

“From a coach’s perspective, hockey can’t be about scoring. It’s about creating offensive zone time and sustaining it.”

Woodcorft got on the ice with us at our Hockey Coaches Conference in 2018 to teach our audience how to Create Offence from Zone Entries. In the video excerpt below, Woodcroft explains how to use the middle lane to open up options at the offensive blueline.

Woodcroft’s full presentation is available at The Coaches Site, along with hundreds of other presentations from hockey’s top coaches and leaders.

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About The Coaches Site

Founded in 2011, The Coaches Site is the #1 online resource for hockey coaches, serving a global audience. Members of The Coaches Site comprise a like-minded community of coaches committed to being great teachers, mentors and leaders. The Coaches Site provides them with the insights, inspiration, and fuel to offer their athletes with an enhanced development opportunity, on and off the ice. For more information, visit https://thecoachessite.com.