DZ Coverage Basics

A sensible way to defend, from beer league to NHL

Originally published February 2025

Earlier this week I received the following question from a Twitter follower:

Hey Jack!

Just saw your tweet regarding VAN’s zone defense. Wondering what you believe to be the best dzone coverage for a team to play.

I’m getting in to coaching next season and been debating with myself what works best for Jr. B kids.

Thanks!

Yesterday, I was on the ice with an adult recreational team looking to prepare for an upcoming tournament in another province.

Is there a simple, easy to implement defensive zone coverage scheme that could be effective in both of these use cases?

I believe so.

Man-on-Man vs. Zone Defense

Many NHL teams use a Hybrid DZC, featuring a mix of man-on-man and zone principles.

The Hybrid is more fluid than a pure Zone DZC (good news for skilled players looking to make reads rather than always going to the same spot) and less demanding than a pure Man-on-Man DZC (good news for players who are not necessarily in tip-top physical condition, or have trouble turning/stopping to one side).

The Hybrid is also less complicated than it sounds.

Here’s how it works.