How to get teammates to pass to you

There are many different reasons why teammates do not pass to you. Some are due to selfish reasons, "I can win it for the team!" attitude, but most reasons come down to you.   

Position 

Are you in position to receive a pass? On a break out the wings must identify that our team has solid possession of the puck, once that is identified what do you do? Are you still guarding your point, are you lost somewhere on the ice? 

You need to get yourself in the breakout position (Hash marks for a winger) and be in pass ready position. If you are not there, you are not going to get passed to. 

Do you have your stick on the ice and in a clean passing lane? If you are in front of the net with your stick in the air, or allowing the defensemen to tie you up, or your stick in not in a clean passing lane, you are not going to get passed to.

Get your self in to position in the zone you are in, keep your stick on the ice and in a good passing lane and you'll get passed to. 

I have told the defensemen "If the wingers are not in position, get the puck out, if you have open ice rush it." You should ask yourself this, if the coach says "if you have open ice rush it." where am I if this ice is open. You should be in that open ice and ready to receive a pass. 

Trust

It is human nature to try a thing a few times and if it's not working your not going to do that again. If you can not be trusted to receive a pass, passes will not come your way. 

You need to work on your soft hands to receive a pass in practice. It is not about getting your stick on the puck, it's about allowing the puck to be cradled onto the stick. It's like playing catch with an egg, you can't catch it like a baseball, you have to cradle it into your hands softly otherwise you will break it. Think of the puck like an egg, you don't want to break.

Be ready to receive the pass

You flat out can not catch a pass if you are not in a pass ready position. Knees bent and stick on the ice. Also learn to kick pucks from your skates to the stick. Not all passes are perfect and few are in your skates, kicking pucks up to your sticks will help in getting more passes towards you. 

Call out your teammate's name 

There’s something about hearing your own name that grabs your attention like nothing else. Psychologists call this the ‘Cocktail Party’ phenomenon. No matter how much noise is around you, or how distracted you are, you always seem to overhear your own name from a conversation across the room.

It’s the same on the ice. For example, when your linemate has just gained control of the puck after a tough battle in the corner. Now he’s ready to make his next play. If at that moment he hears you call out his name, he will immediately recognize it, look for the player calling it out, and pass them the puck. That player will be you.

Some players will just yell ‘In the open’ or ‘Pass it’ or bang their stick on the ice as if it’s some sort of secret code that the other team is blissfully unaware of. These methods will let your linemate know that you’re ready for a pass, but they are nowhere as effective as calling out their name.

It may seem a little strange at first and will likely take a little time before it becomes natural. Once it becomes habit, you will be at the receiving end of a lot more passes, and be more involved in the play.