Finding the right ice hockey drills for squirts can be the difference between a productive practice and total chaos on the rink. When kids hit that 9 or 10-year-old range, they're in a bit of a "sweet spot." They've usually moved past the stage of just trying to stay upright, but they haven't quite reached the tactical complexity of Bantams or Midgets. This is the age where you can really start building a solid foundation of skill while keeping the energy high.
If you've spent any time on the bench, you know that keeping a group of Squirts engaged is all about pace. If they're standing in line for more than thirty seconds, they're going to start poking each other with sticks or snow-showering the goalie. To keep things moving, we need drills that are fast, competitive, and—most importantly—actually help them get better at the game.
It All Starts With Skating
We can talk about shooting and passing all day, but if a kid can't find their edges, none of it matters. At the Squirt level, skating is still the primary focus. However, we have to make it more interesting than just doing laps around the circles.
The Superman Edge Drill
This is a great way to get them comfortable with their edges without them even realizing they're "working." Have the kids line up on the goal line. On the whistle, they skate hard to the blue line. Instead of just stopping, have them drop to their knees, get back up, do a 360-degree spin, and then race to the red line.
The key here isn't just the "superman" dive; it's the recovery. In a real game, Squirts fall down constantly. The kid who can get back on their feet and find their stride in two seconds is the one who wins the puck.
Tight Turn Slalom
Set up a series of cones in a staggered line down the middle of the ice. Instead of just weaving through them, tell the kids they have to keep their feet "quiet." This means no extra strides between cones—just pure edge work and weight transfer.
Watch their shoulders. A lot of kids at this age try to turn with their sticks rather than their hips. Encourage them to lead with their inside shoulder and "cut" into the ice. If you see some snow flying and hear that satisfying crunch of a deep edge, you know they're doing it right.
Puck Control and Keeping the Head Up
One of the biggest hurdles for Squirts is the "puck-staring" habit. They get the puck, look directly down at their blades, and skate straight into a defenseman. We need drills that force them to use their peripheral vision.
The Chaos Drill
This is a classic for a reason. Throw all the kids into a small area—like the center circle or one of the corner zones—and give every single one of them a puck. Their goal is simple: keep your puck, don't hit anyone else, and don't leave the circle.
To spice it up, tell them they have to keep their heads up and make eye contact with the coach. Every few seconds, hold up a certain number of fingers. The kids have to shout out the number while they're stickhandling. It's hilarious to watch at first, but after a few weeks, you'll notice they aren't staring at their feet nearly as much.
The Narrow/Wide Reach
Line the players up and have them skate slowly down the boards. Tell them to stickhandle as "wide" as possible, reaching way out to their left and way out to their right. Then, on your whistle, they switch to "narrow" stickhandling—quick, short touches right in front of their toes.
This teaches them that they have options. Most kids just handle the puck in a 12-inch "safe zone" in front of them. Teaching them to reach wide helps them learn how to protect the puck from a defender's reach.
Passing: From "Me" to "We"
Squirts are usually just starting to understand that passing is actually faster than skating with the puck. It's a hard lesson to learn when everyone wants to be the hero who scores the goal.
The "Give and Go" Progression
Start with two lines at the blue line. Player A passes to a coach or a stationary player in the corner, then skates hard toward the net. The coach chips the puck back to them for a quick shot.
Once they get the hang of that, remove the coach and make it a 2-on-0. The rule is they must pass at least twice before they can shoot. This forces them to communicate and time their skates so they aren't just standing offsides waiting for a pass.
Monkey in the Middle (Square Passing)
Set up four players in a square, about 15 feet apart, with one "defender" in the middle. The players on the outside have to pass the puck around the square without the defender tipping it.
Because Squirts are still working on pass reception, this drill highlights the importance of "cushioning" the puck. If they have "stone hands" and the puck bounces off their blade, the defender is going to jump on it. It's a great way to teach them to be soft with their hands.
Small Area Games: The Secret Sauce
If you ask any kid what their favorite part of practice is, they'll say "the scrimmage." Small area games are basically mini-scrimmages that focus on specific skills. They're high-intensity and usually the best way to teach hockey IQ.
2-on-2 in the Box
Mark out a small rectangle in the corner using two tires or cones as "goals." Put two offensive players and two defensive players in that tiny space. The goalie isn't involved here; they're just trying to hit the tire with the puck to score.
In such a cramped space, there's no room to just skate away. They have to use their bodies, protect the puck, and make quick, short passes. It's messy, it's loud, and it's arguably the most effective drill you can run.
The "Grease the Pig" Drill
This one is a riot. Put two teams on the blue line. Dump a puck into the corner and yell out "two!" Two players from each team race into the corner to battle for it. The twist? They can't score until they make one successful pass to their teammate.
This prevents one kid from just bullying their way to the net. It turns a 1-on-1 battle into a team effort. Plus, the sheer speed of the race to the corner gets their heart rates up and mimics that late-game puck pursuit energy.
Shooting With a Purpose
At this age, every kid wants to take a slap shot like they see on TV. The problem is, Squirts usually don't have the forearm strength to make a slap shot effective, and they end up just "golfing" at the puck. Encourage them to master the wrist shot and the backhand instead.
The Change of Angle Shot
Instead of just skating down the middle and firing, have the players skate toward the faceoff dot, then suddenly "pull" the puck toward their body or "push" it away before shooting.
Goalies at the Squirt level are often just starting to learn how to track the puck. If a shooter can change the angle of the release by just six inches right before the shot, it's going to go in almost every time. It's a simple trick that builds elite scoring habits early on.
The Backhand Beauty
Set up a station where kids have to weave through three cones and then finish with a backhand shot only. Most kids treat their backhand like a "panic button" move where they just flip the puck away. This drill forces them to actually aim and put some power behind it. Tell them to "roll their wrists" to get the puck off the ice.
Wrapping It Up
The goal for any coach running ice hockey drills for squirts should be to send those kids home tired and smiling. If they're exhausted because they spent the last hour competing in small-area games and racing each other, they're going to want to come back for the next practice.
Keep your explanations short—Squirts have about a 15-second attention span before they start looking at the scoreboard or the Zamboni. Show them, don't just tell them, and get the pucks moving as quickly as possible. If you can balance the technical stuff with high-energy fun, you'll have a team that doesn't just improve, but truly loves the game.