L-Drill
The Elite Hockey Drills app builds drills like this into your personalized off-ice program, week by week. Your first week is free.
How to Do It
Set 3 cones in an L-shape: A at start, B 5 yards ahead, C 5 yards to the right of B. Sprint from A to B. Touch the base of B with your hand. Sprint back to A. Touch A. Sprint to B, then curve around B to C — run a tight figure-8 around B and C. Sprint back through B and back to A to finish. Time with a stopwatch. Elite hockey players target sub-7.0 seconds.
Why It Works
The L-drill (3-cone drill) is one of the most widely used agility tests in North American sport — used at the NFL, NBA, and NHL combines. It tests the ability to accelerate, decelerate, and change direction around tight cones in a figure-L pattern. For hockey players it directly measures the agility required for tight-turn maneuvers, beating a defender wide, and the ability to stop and restart in confined spaces.
Hockey Transfer
Develops tight turns and directional change — crucial for dekes and edge work. Two trips both directions per session. L-drill is a TEST, not conditioning. Treat it that way.
Coaching Cues
- "Attack each cone"
- "Tight turns"
- "Stay low"
- "Drive out of each cut"
Common Mistakes
Wide arcs around the cones — attack each cone tightly. The difference between a good and great time is the arc. Not touching the cone base — requires a genuine hip drop, which is the athletic challenge. Standing up too soon out of each cut — stay low through the entire drill. Only timing in one direction — always run it both ways.
Progression / Regression
Reactive L-drill — coach calls direction at the start so athlete cannot pre-plan.
Walk the pattern at 50% speed, then 75%, before timing at full speed.
Primary Muscles
Energy System
Alactic/ATP-PC
Put it to work
on the ice.
The Elite Hockey Drills app builds exercises like this into a personalized off-ice program — created by a sport scientist and former national-team coach. Your first week is free.
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