Hockey dekes: What you may not know!

Hockey dekes. If you don't have a variety of unique moves that you can do well. Then you're not going to get far in your hockey career!
I've played hockey for over 30 years and also have been a sports conditioning coach for various teams and individuals. I am currently certified to train up to the olympic level in most major sports, but my area of expertise is in ice hockey.
Most coaches will show you skating and puckhandling basics in your first years of hockey skills training. Then when you reach your teens, all of a sudden the coach's attention shifts to passing drills and play patterns. These are all well and fine and are definite necessities for winning hockey games. Many coaches are often afraid to let their players"get fancy" for fear of losing puck possession.
Granted, your skills will develop as game play becomes faster and more advanced, but there are shortcuts to achieving greatness on the ice, in a very short amount of time that will make you the hero of your team.
Now let's get down to the nitty gritty of deking and executing special moves on the ice.
*First of all, and most importantly, you need to spend alot of time on and off the ice with a stick and a puck. They need to be your best friends and really get to know the feel of the two connecting and reacting intimately. Spend hours moving the puck in and around your feet by doing patterns such as figure 8 patterns, box patterns around each foot, pulling the puck in to your feet and kicking it back out to your stick etc. You should attempt every pattern using the toe and the heel of the blade to push and pull the puck around. Watch this video of the Finnish national team for some inspiration.
*Secondly, you need to work on your reaction time to an attacker and also be able to gauge the reach of an attacker or defender.
Hockey dekes are often seen as reactions to an attacker only. But a truly skilled puckhandler will force their attacker to make the first move, which will create even more of a gap for escape and shot positioning. This is done with what I call a "Here you go, No you don't" move.
When approaching a defender, skate towards them at approximately 3/4 speed, then when you are very close, push the puck towards them and pull back as fast as you can. Once they swing, take off at full speed.
This works quite well because the attacker swings their stick thinking that the puck is close enough to steal. But you have already pulled the puck back before they can touch it.
Practice: Place several pylons in a zig zag pattern down the ice, ending close in front of the net.
Start by puckhandling around each pylon, keeping your body between the puck and the pylons.
Then try the "Here you go, No you don't" move. Skate directly toward each pylon at 3/4 speed imagining that each one is an attacker, then when very close pull back far enough to be out of reach. The next step needs to be executed very quickly in order to work.
Remember the pattern work around your feet? Pull the puck in very tight in front of your feet to the most open side or if you are good at pulling the puck from behind you, pull the puck from behind and through your legs. Looks very impressive when you get good at it.
When you have cleared the last pylon, take a shot at the net.This forces you to release quickly before running out of room.
Practice: Get someone else to stand directly in front of you, about 3 feet away with stick in hand. You will then practice forced reaction from your opponent by pushing and pulling the puck quickly before your opponent can touch the puck.
Practice: If you've seen Sidney Crosby change directions and turn tight and fast. Below is how you can learn to do the same.
Place two pylons approximately 10 feet apart, then start a figure 8 pattern around the pylons as tight and as fast as you can. Try and keep your feet moving and crossing over the whole time, keeping the puck in close and under control. Next add two more pylons to make a square. Now start figure 8ing randomly as fast as you can changing pylons and directions often.
Practice: While doing a standard line drill, concentrate on facing the same direction every stop.
This will teach your body to stop well both sides. If you can only stop one way.
Here's a tip: Standing still and turned to stop on your bad side, scrape your outer blade on the ice increasing the pressure you put on it gradually. Then when comfortable, take a small hop and scrape that outer blade again. You will slowly be able to increase the speed until you can stop just as well as your good side.
Practice: When approaching a defender or a pylon, always shift back and forth laterally at least twice before choosing a direction or special move. This leads to the next important aspect of being a great deker. Core strength and lateral movement.
*And third but not least, You've got to dryland train all year round or you will not have the core strength, energy or quickness to be truly great at hockey dekes when it really counts!
*Take a look at some of my favorite links at the side of this page for valuable tools for being the best player possible.