The forecheck is an ice hockey defensive coverage play made (primarily) in the offensive zone with the objective of applying pressure to the opposing team to regain control of the puck.[1] It is a type of checking. Forechecking is generally executed in one of three situations: recovery of the puck after a dump in, after the rebound following a scoring attempt, or immediately after a turnover to regain possession.[2] Forechecking can be aggressive or conservative depending on the coaching style [3] and on the skating skills of the players.
Aggressive forechecking strategies are more suited for players with good skating mobility, while more conservative plays such as the neutral zone trap are better suited for players with less agility.[4]