Hockey sense or hockey instincts give players the ability to read and anticipate the play. The best players are the ones with the best hockey sense, and just like any other skill, it can be taught. The key is to place kids in live-action situations and small-area games in practice. The reason the 5v5 full-ice game is not a great teacher for young kids is due to the lack of efficient repetition and timely feedback.
In the 5v5 game, a player is faced with a certain situation, and then makes a decision and a response to that decision. The problem is that it may be two shifts, two periods, two games or even two weeks before a player is faced with a similar playing situation. And because we know that children before the age of 11 have a more difficult time learning from previous experience, it is very hard for them to connect the dots. Contrast this with a live-action small-area competitive game run in practice. Coaches can create small games that will replicate a similar playing situation for the player that will happen 30 times in the 10 minutes that the game is played. In this situation, young players have a chance to get rapid feedback and attempt to solve the problem again. They end up finding solutions and learning to solve game situations. This repetition builds better instincts or better hockey sense.
Watch this video of a small-area game that repeats breakout and forechecking situations for the players in a small space. The concepts included in the game are puck support, breakouts, regroups, line rushes, forechecking, transition.
The rules of the game are as follows: Play 3v3 cross-ice, but before you can attack the opposition's net, you must regroup with a player on your team who cannot go above the goal line. In addition, the regrouping players must come below the line that goes across the hashmarks closest to their net to ensure good breakout habits/support. The regroup player may move anywhere below the goal line, but cannot come above it. One of the attacking forwards must pressure the regroup player as if he/she were forechecking. Move to get open on the regroup and stay below the line.
