Dave Horne

AC - KJR U18 AAA - 25/26
Defence Focused Coach & Learner

Independent Scout
U15-U18 - Ontario and Michigan

Opinions are my own

[Dave Horne @CoachDHorne]

Attention Young D....
Kitchener has been dominant so far through the round robin at the Memorial Cup, and a lot of that success comes down to their D playing with such poise and patience regardless of what the clock reads. And yes, it's all about habits and how they prepare.

Here is some appreciation for Matthew Andonovski (KIT5) and the details he demonstrates when defending a lead late in a crucial game. Watch the small habits, his routing, stick details and calmness he brings to ensure there are no gaps in the DZ. Chicoutimi dialed up the pressure in the final minutes last night and it was sequences like this from the Rangers that foiled their attack.

Watch as KIT5 gains a good gap by reloading through the dotline off entry. As soon as the attacker is pushed down the wall, KIT5 closes and leads with his stick, forcing movement. As the puck is moved, KIT5 scans for the next threat and recognizes his partner is engaged on the driver through the slot. This quick scan and recognition allows KIT5 to drive over the face of the net and front the weak side driver. KIT5 makes himself big to prevent a puck getting through and gets some puck luck as the attacker doesn't get a clean touch. Finally, KIT5 collects the bouncing 50/50 puck, but through good habits of getting his hip on the closest attackers hands to prevent a turnover. Instead of swiping at the puck, he's confident, gets his toes up ice and is able to calm the bounce on his forehand before clearing it into the NZ, safely away from his net. His patience and attention to the small details control the ice and have been a big part of Kitchener's team success through their run to the Memorial Cup.

Habits like this are possessed through repetition and the ability to think under pressure. Here are 2 drills we use with our young D to help them find comfort in chaos and trust their thinking. Hockey is all about capitalizing on mistakes, so sometimes the best learning is done in controlled situations where failure is just as close to finding success in a practice setting.
Drill Credit - SPK D Footwork - @legeeyfbaby Belleville Senators Asst Coach

[The Coaches Site @TheCoachesSite]

Two spots on the ice where a dmen can truly prove themselves are their own corner and the offensive blue line. This Quick Clip drill from skills coach Max Noreau works on both skills with a focus on getting quality pucks on net. FULL DRILL: https://t.co/WrQn9F7acc

[Greg Berge @GregBerge]

Sean McVay nailed the job description.
Be an elevator.

Lift people to their highest potential.
That's it.
That's leadership.

Not a critic. Not a ceiling. An elevator. 🔥

[Dave Horne @CoachDHorne]

@GenePereira1 Speedy Recovery to you Gene!

[Dave Horne @CoachDHorne]

Guelph gets a competitor in Quirk. Battles and gets better as the game gets harder. Had the pleasure of coaching him this season, and cant wait to see him develop further. Proud of you Quirky!

[Guelph Storm @Storm_City]

With the 7th overall pick in the 2026 OHL Under 18 Priority Selection, the Guelph Storm are proud to select Landyn Quirk from the Kitchener Jr. Rangers U18 AAA.

Welcome to Storm City, Landyn!

[Dave Horne @CoachDHorne]

Coach Deep Dive Alert:
Anyone who has ever been coached by our staff will have blue ears for the amount of times we stress "Stick on Puck". Last night in Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Finals, 3 goals were directly related to strong habits of stick on puck. Lets dive in...

1) On the 3-2 Vegas goal, VGK93 jumps off the lost draw and immediately attacks stick, which in turn causes a 50/50 puck below the goal line. Good support by VGK21 keeps the play alive along the wall. VGK71 gets off his man off the draw and settles into soft ice, and essentially evades coverage. After a quick battle from VGK21, VGK93 releases off the net front and VGK71 recognizes ice in front is clear to creep down into. Great pass by VGK93 and its in the back of the net.

2) Carolina ties it up here 3-3, we see another use of stick on puck. Entry is not clean and a battle starts on the wall. CAR48 doesn't have the best position, but his habit and willingness to extend the battle by going stick on puck creates a turnover. Credit to CAR19 to hold the line. Its a quick touch to CAR11 who was loading back through the middle for an open look. CAR27 holds net front (another great habit) and its ripped into the back of the net.

3) Another great example of habits on the OZ draw by Carolina. VGK wins the draw but immediately CAR71 and CAR53 jump and take away sticks, causing friction. CAR22 doesnt allow his man to walk which leads to good body position as the play develops. CAR53 extends his hands and gets stick on puck, creating a 50/50 scrum. CAR22 due to holding his center is now engaged with 2 VGK defenders taking away their hands/sticks, tying them up and creating friction as the puck bounces through the slot. CAR4 has good awareness to release off the weak side point and drive down on the puck. Due to the scrum and CAR F's willingness to hold net front, VGK79 now has to make a direct save while worrying about any potential rebound into bodies. CAR4 pucks his spot to tie things up, but great all around effort from the forward group.

In summary:
- stick on puck creates 50/50 battles and time to reset on pucks
- friction off of draws leads to increased opportunity to control time and space
- loading our feet to get above pucks and finding soft ice creates pressure and support off the puck
- willingness to get bodies to the net will only increase opportunities for offence and scoring chances

[Dave Horne @CoachDHorne]

Attention Young D....
Quick clip from Game 1 of the Stanley Cup Final last night. Jaccob Slavin (CAR74) reads the ice so well. Watch here as he identifies VEG has all 5 bodies stacked tightly on the strong side. Off touch on the dot line, he loads his feet and drives down the seam towards the back post. This is a trigger, CAR74 knows that when the puck comes up the dot line and the seam is there, the release is immediate. CAR22 has eyes up and sees the release, and is able to get the puck through. Notice CAR74 doesn't play with iton touch, he underhandlles the puck and immediately pumps it back on the net, nearly missing tucking it under the bar and going up 2-0 less then 2 minutes in.

The importance of reading the ice, specifically where sticks and toes are positioned and identifying coverage breakdowns is so key when working to create offence off the offensive blue line. CAR74 demonstrates great awareness and doesn't hesitate to release for a scoring chance. Young D, having the confidence to play front foot and pick your spots leads to an unpredictability in your game for the opposition. You essentially become the 4th forward and a threat that opposing forwards now have to defend and think about when they are in the DZ.

#StanleyCup #NHL #CarolinaHurricanes

[Dave Horne @CoachDHorne]

Friction off the Start
What a start last night from the Hall-Stankoven-Blake line vs MTL. Everything came down to time and space, and you couldn't have scripted the energy they brought any better. The focus to attack stick on puck, the loading of their feet, reloading and finishing through the hands and body every time MTL tried to shift the picture, exceptional. This shift set the tone for the next 59:30...

[Dave Horne @CoachDHorne]

Vegas Forecheck Details...
Rewatching Game 4 of the WCF and absolutely love the details on this clip from Vegas. Watch as they hunt pucks late in the 3rd period. Their ability to attack sticks, take away hands and reload above pucks is exceptional. Once they gain possession, now it become a coverage nightmare for COL. Vegas shifts the plain of attack from low to high and everyone goes in motion. The high scissor cycle between VEG61-VEG6-VEG52 creates a sudden mismatch of coverage for a scoring chance, and although the threat is neutralized fairly quickly off the shot attempt, Vegas had Colorado on their heels. EVERYONE runs their route regardless if they get a touch. It's that buy in that has Vegas feeling confident as they await the winner of CAR-MTL.

With our young players, we consistently coach on the puck skills. But little do we dedicated time in practice to focus on the habits off puck. Lets be honest, practice ice and time management are a hot commodity in minor hockey, I get it. But what if we can build in supports to our core drills to ensure we still focus on touches, but at the same time support the growth OZ Routing and IQ instead of standing in line...

Below, I have attached 3 drills that focus on supporting routing skills off puck. Nothing flashy but something to think about. The focus is on running your routes to completion. I am always seeking more when it comes to drill design so feel free to share your thoughts in the comments.

[Dave Horne @CoachDHorne]

Attention Young D...
With the Mens World Hockey Championships heading into Quarter Final play today, lets highlight Dylan DeMelo (CAN2) with 3 quick clips packed with successful habits. These aren't your highlight reel plays, they are the strong habits that quietly win hockey games and for any young defenseman, adding this to your tool belt will gain you confidence from your coaches.

For those that haven't watched much of the Winnipeg Jets this season, DeMelo put together another strong defensive season. Averaging just under 21 minutes per night, DeMelo took another massive step towards being one of the leagues most underrated defenders, earning him his first opportunity to represent Team Canada.

The three clips below are from Canada's game on Tuesday vs Czechia. In the first clip, CAN2 does a great job closing gap on the PK off entry. Watch as he loads his feet and uses his stick as a gate to force the attacker into bad ice. As soon as he recognizes the attackers toes are facing the wall, he immediately closes for a hit pin, smothering out the play.

In the 2nd clip, CAN2 does a good job on recovery, looking to move puck north back up to support in NZ. Turnover happens in NZ and CAN2 recognizes he needs to gap tight, holding dotline and setting his stick. He recognizes the dot is his hard point and engages to limit attacker from driving through. Again good stick forces outside to corner. Attacker turns back up the wall and CAN2 gets back to dot to own his ice. Play ends up dissipating but good habit to reload multiple times in DZ.

In the final clip, we see CAN2 play aggressive in NZ. Love how he steps to close and forces attacker back outside dot lane. He recognizes new threats in mid lane and off dump, turns to close out the driver. Good use of body position, driving the attacker towards the back post. The main point is taking away the drivers hands and stick.

Again, not the highlight reel plays that get you views, but the small habits that limit opportunities and frustrate the opposition. Small friction adds up over time and DeMelo does a great job owning his role and the ice. To summarize, stick details matter significantly. Closing "the gate" with your stick and forcing attackers to bad ice stifles attacks and causes the opposition to force pucks.

If you found these helpful, I have attached a couple drills below we use to take away hands early off entry plays and net drives. Drill credit on WJT 1 & 2 to @deandesilvahoc1 Head Coach - Kirkland Lake Gold Minors

[Adam Breneman @AdamBreneman81]

Jon Sumrall told me he embraces failure because he believes that’s where growth comes from.

He doesn’t dwell on it or let it define him.

Instead, he learns from it and moves forward⬇️⬇️

@NextUpBreneman x @PrizePicks

[Dave Horne @CoachDHorne]

@brastasauce I agree, its the grit and focus he brings that just smothers attackers. We clip him alot, and talk to our D about the fact that he isn't going to be an "Instagram reel" but the details he brings makes for winning hockey.

[Dave Horne @CoachDHorne]

Attention Young Defencemen:
I've been watching a ton of video on Jalen Chatfield (CAR5) over the past 3 seasons, and the habits that have led him to being trusted with big minutes each night. His ability to consistently cut ice, angle and defend by using his stick as a gate out of the corners and off the wall limit chances against regularly.

But it's this habit, where he gains position before possession both for his partner and then on his own retrieval that I want to highlight. Yes, he is a physical player, but his choice to gain position, initiate contact, pull the defender in while cutting hands and not forcing a quick puck around the wall are all small habits. Instead of forcing the puck and giving it off for someone else to handle, CAR5 takes a hit to make a play so Carolina has time to be in a better position to get the puck safely north.

So many times our young D panic and rush passes thinking its an opportunity to make a perfect play or simply that "someone else can make this play". But here is an example of confidence in our physical ability and patience to allow our supports to be in better position. Using our body, creating friction and taking a hit sometimes leads to team possession, coach trust and ultimately more minutes.

I've attached 2 quick drills we use to aid in the focus on position before possession below. Credit to @Mitch_Giguere from Behind the Bench.

[Jesse Montano @jessemontano_]

MacKinnon warming up left-handed, with his right handed stick. That’s such impressive control

[Dave Horne @CoachDHorne]

Attention Young D....
Kitchener has been dominant so far through the round robin at the Memorial Cup, and a lot of that success comes down to their D playing with such poise and patience regardless of what the clock reads. And yes, it's all about habits and how they prepare.

Here is some appreciation for Matthew Andonovski (KIT5) and the details he demonstrates when defending a lead late in a crucial game. Watch the small habits, his routing, stick details and calmness he brings to ensure there are no gaps in the DZ. Chicoutimi dialed up the pressure in the final minutes last night and it was sequences like this from the Rangers that foiled their attack.

Watch as KIT5 gains a good gap by reloading through the dotline off entry. As soon as the attacker is pushed down the wall, KIT5 closes and leads with his stick, forcing movement. As the puck is moved, KIT5 scans for the next threat and recognizes his partner is engaged on the driver through the slot. This quick scan and recognition allows KIT5 to drive over the face of the net and front the weak side driver. KIT5 makes himself big to prevent a puck getting through and gets some puck luck as the attacker doesn't get a clean touch. Finally, KIT5 collects the bouncing 50/50 puck, but through good habits of getting his hip on the closest attackers hands to prevent a turnover. Instead of swiping at the puck, he's confident, gets his toes up ice and is able to calm the bounce on his forehand before clearing it into the NZ, safely away from his net. His patience and attention to the small details control the ice and have been a big part of Kitchener's team success through their run to the Memorial Cup.

Habits like this are possessed through repetition and the ability to think under pressure. Here are 2 drills we use with our young D to help them find comfort in chaos and trust their thinking. Hockey is all about capitalizing on mistakes, so sometimes the best learning is done in controlled situations where failure is just as close to finding success in a practice setting.
Drill Credit - SPK D Footwork - @legeeyfbaby Belleville Senators Asst Coach

[Greg Berge @GregBerge]

Most teams want the trophy. But what does the trophy cost?

Brent Venables nailed it. 🔥

Respect the jersey.
Respect the routine.
Respect the process.

Nobody wins alone.