While doing this, make sure your stick blade is flat on the ice and give the passer a BIG target by angling the stick blade so that it is parallel to the blade of the passer. Make the passer want to pass to you by showing them your entire stick blade and making it as inviting as possible. Remember to scan the ice ahead of you and preplan your next move once you receive the puck. To top this all off, tap your stick blade on the ice, give a quick holler, and look the passer in the eye to signal you are hungry for the puck and prepared to receive it. When executed properly, your teammates will read the play and will proceed to fill the vacant lanes or open ice in weaving patterns.
Good players play well with the puck, but great players play great without the puck.
Always be aware of possible passing lanes and look to skate through passing lanes in position to receive a pass. Now more than ever, hockey players must cover the ice with powerful lateral mobility and controlled agility. It's not likely that we will ever find that pucks do have eyes and ears after all.