Together ten times. How much puck?

Pairing counts tell you which combinations you have used. They do not tell you whether every player was involved.

By LineupDesigner

Based on the day-to-day coaching of Mikael Persson, creator of LineupDesigner and coach of SKÖVDE HC 2017.

The situation

Two players appear together in ten recorded sessions. That can mean a familiar combination, or simply that you keep making the same choice. It does not show how many passes they received or how long they actually played.

Try this next session

Select a date range and the same type of completed sessions before comparing combinations. Look for pairs who often share a unit and players who rarely do. Choose one change to try with a clear observation question, such as who takes initiative after receiving the puck. Then use both the records and your observations to plan the next session.

Hypothetical example

Hypothetical example: two players have shared a group at five recorded practices, and you want to explore who takes initiative. Try three groups of four skaters playing 2v2 on separate marked areas with one puck. Change one teammate in the group you are watching after three minutes, keeping space, opposition and restarts as similar as possible. The trial may provide different situations to observe, but it does not isolate a player’s ability.

The examples illustrate setups to try and do not describe measured results.

Follow up on the ice

Watch the same player before and after the change and note who offers support, gets the puck and chooses to act. If you count puck touches manually, use equal observation windows and note changes in opposition or role. Record only what you actually observed and try again at another session before making a pairing your default.

In LineupDesigner

Record the completed game or practice with its actual participants and units. Saved or shared lineups alone do not enter these statistics. The together percentage compares shared units with sessions where both players were present. Optional manual ice-time and puck-contact entries describe what you recorded; empty fields are not zero.

What to check yourself

A pairing count is neither a chemistry score nor a measure of engagement. Different roles, opponents and attendance change the context. The app does not automatically track puck touches. Use the numbers to ask better questions, then make the coaching decision.