The Wrap Around

The wrap around shot is one that tries to get past the goalie of the opposite team by forcing them to move quickly from one side of the net to the other. The player who has control of the puck skates around behind the goal of the opposite team and then quickly tries to shoot it into the net on the opposite side. The movement of the puck effectively "wraps around" the other team’s goal. This can sound quite confusing but this video gives you a good idea of the basics.

The shot is a very quick one and, in the fast paced atmosphere of an ice hockey game, can be a really effective technique – if you can pull it off! When skating behind the net, you distract the goalie by moving out of his field of view, and techniques such as quickly changing direction can force them to move before having a chance to think.

There are several methods of blocking a wrap around shot for goalies. Most of them involve using the whole length of your stick to stop the puck from reaching the goal - the closer your stick lies to being completely flat on the ice, the less chance the opposite team has of sneaking the puck underneath. This video shows some good tips for blocking wrap around shots.