Phase 1 / 4Full ice
Base Torpedo shape: F1 and F2, the first two forwards, buzz corner to corner to press constantly. D1 stays at the center of the blue line as the safety; D2, on the side opposite F3, is free to pinch hard.
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F1 and F2, the first two forwards, constantly pressure the carrier from corner to corner. The center, usually F3, stays high but always on the same side, the one opposite the offensive defenseman. The safety defenseman holds the center of the blue line at all times.
The offensive defenseman, positioned opposite the center, is free to pinch hard on any pass coming up his boards, and can even jump up offensively once F1 and F2 control the puck. The center has that same freedom to pinch hard on his own boards; some coaches let both pinch all the way to the goal line on their side. On a turnover there are therefore two immediate passing options, to F1 or to F2, while both the center and the offensive defenseman stay ready to jump up for a pass or a shot. It is a system that rewards wing speed just as much as defensive discipline.
The book provides no separate diagrams for reactions to the five opposing breakout types (Up, Over, Wheel, Reverse, Rim), because the rotations stay identical to the left wing lock. The one real difference: the center always ends up on the side away from the puck instead of fixed on the left, and both outside players involved pinch very aggressively on any pass moving up the wall, even anticipating the pass and pinching early, giving the opposing winger no real chance to receive the puck in control.
The documented weakness is structural: the middle of the ice stays available for the opposing breakout, as in other forecheck systems, but it turns critical if the offensive defenseman gets caught deep in the zone. The center then has to handle defensive duty alongside the safety defenseman, a role few centers manage as well as a defenseman does. The most direct counter therefore comes down to two moves: break out through the middle of the ice, or wait for the exact instant when the offensive defenseman is committed deep and attack the lane he has just left, while the center compensates alone with the safety defenseman.
The system therefore demands a specific player profile: fast wings able to buzz side to side without wearing down, and a center genuinely comfortable defending. Without that last ingredient, the torpedo loses its whole point the moment a defenseman commits too deep.
When the offensive defenseman pinches, count the seconds before the center gets back to cover: that is where the system holds or breaks, game after game. RinkLog locates every turnover forced and every rush allowed through the middle, enough to confirm over a full season whether the team's actual player profile truly suits the torpedo.
- Two forwards press constantly, not just one like other systems
- The safety defenseman always holds the center of the blue line
- The center has to be able to defend like a defenseman
- Critical weakness if the offensive defenseman gets caught deep
Frequently asked questions
Where does the torpedo system come from?
From Sweden, where it was developed and remains more common than in North America. It resembles the left wing lock, except it commits two forwards deep at the same time instead of just one.
Why does the torpedo demand a particular kind of center?
Because if the offensive defenseman commits too deep after a pinch, the center has to fill in and handle defensive duty alongside the safety defenseman, a role few centers manage as well as a defenseman does.
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