How to Train for Ice Hockey

Ice hockey requires a unique skill set. Players must master power and endurance, as well as agility and balance. Not only do you need to be skilled in these areas, you also need to be strong enough to withstand contact, explosive enough to shoot and fast enough to beat your opponent to the puck.

Whether you’re a beginner or a seasoned pro, you need to train specifically for ice hockey, both on and off the ice. Through specific training, you can enhance your power, strength and endurance to play your best.

From gym workouts to rest and diet, we explore the training that supports your ice hockey game. 

Cardio for ice hockey players

Being fit and strong in your heart and lungs is a key part of ice hockey training. Incorporating high-intensity drills and steady-state cardio into your training can build your endurance, helping you play stronger for longer. 

In the lead-up to the pre-season, ice hockey players can incorporate sled-resisted sprint training, two to three times a week. The sled is about more than increasing your endurance; research has shown sled-resisted sprinting improves acceleration. 

Your cardio sessions could include:

• Steady state bike ride
• Run
• Lightweight circuit 
• Sled sprints or push 

Plyometrics

Plyometrics are particularly important when training for explosive and powerful movements. When you introduce plyometric exercises between weight lifts, it's called “complex” training – popular when time is limited. This style of training also mirrors the intensity of a game. 

Plyometric exercises include:

• Leap frog
• Box jumps
• Lunge jumps
• Broad jumps 
• Single-leg box jumps
• Skater bounds  

Ice hockey-specific weight training 

Ice hockey needs full-body strength to combine skating, shooting and checking. Weight training should follow a progressive overload to ensure that players avoid injury and build on gains. In an example week, consider splitting your strength workouts into upper and lower body to give your muscles and central nervous system enough recovery time between sessions. 

Studies show that a 12-week functional strength training plan significantly improved forward skating speed and agility in young hockey players. The players saw improvements in hurdle step, in-line lunge, shoulder mobility and rotary stability tests, and had fewer asymmetries compared to the baseline. The players who didn’t take part in the functional training program showed a decline in performance in hurdle step and an increase in asymmetries.

Advanced players should include multi-joint exercises in their strength training, such as lunges, squats, and pull-ups, alongside unilateral movements such as split squats. Towards the end of the in-season, players should focus on speed, power and bodyweight movements. 

Blake Palmer, strength and conditioning coach for the University of Minnesota-Duluth men’s ice hockey program, believes in the power of Olympic lifts. Rather than focus on the numbers on the bar, he prioritises proper technique for the optimal effects. He said, “For hip speed and hip power, there’s nothing better than Olympic lifting to strengthen that area. You see triple extension—the knee, the hip, and the ankle—in every sport, and there aren’t many exercises that can simulate that.”  

Core training for ice hockey

Off-ice training should develop the core. A strong core is crucial in ice hockey as it lays the foundations of stability and balance, which are needed for skating, trunk rotation, defending and body checking. The International Ice Hockey Federation (IIHF) suggests each training session during the off-season contains core activation and control. 

Core training for ice hockey can include:

• Russian twist
• Dumbbell side bend
• Stability ball side crunch 

Balance and control training 

Including bodyweight movements for better body control should be in both the warm-up and cool-down. These include exercises which challenge balance, coordination and stability, such as planks, pistol squats and lunges. Studies show that functional movement patterns and dynamic balance are associated with enhanced skating performance. 

Circuit training

IIHF recommends circuit training as part of the Ice Hockey training regime. The circuit should include weightlifting techniques, plyometrics, and bodyweight muscular endurance circuit training with a focus on the hips and core. Ice Hockey coach, Sean Skahan, explains how during the 3-4 weeks before the season, he focuses on implementing more volume, including circuit training; however, he reduces activities like speed work, sledges and running.  

The Heiden Circuit is based on a series of leg workouts used by Olympic speed skater Eric Heiden. Players can choose the timings of the circuit depending on their level. 

The Four Levels are:

Level 1 - 30 seconds on / 45 seconds off

Level 2 - 30 seconds on / 30 seconds off

Level 3 - 45 seconds on / 60 seconds off

Level 4 - 45 seconds on / 45 seconds off

For the workout, select 10 of the exercises:

• Squat
• Speed Squat
• Squat - hold for 5 seconds and jump
• Wooder
• Leg Circles
• Knee to Chest
• Statics
• In/outs
• Forward Step-up jumps
• Side Step Up Jumps
• Down Time
• Forward Falls
• Lunge Jumps
• Over-Head Discuss
• Wall Sits
• Leg Switch
• Lateral Squat and Leg Left
• Undulating Lunge
• Undulating Squats
• Striding Lunges 

Mobility for ice hockey

Mobility in the thoracic spine helps limit excessive load and stress on other parts of the body. You'll raise performance and injury resilience. 

Mobility exercises for ice hockey players include:

• Foam rolling
• Hip stretches
• Cat cow
• Shoulder bridge
• Knee hugs
• Knee rolls 

Ice hockey agility

Moving seamlessly is crucial in ice hockey training. Players need to weave, turn and twist. While research says that agility training is more effective on ice, it should be done both on and off ice for optimal results. 

USA Hockey suggests dry-land training to develop agility and balance, such as:

• Hopscotch 
• Leapfrog
• Relay race
• Puck passing drills
• Ladder drills 

Rest and recovery

Rest is a fundamental part of ice hockey training to avoid burnout and injury. Part of recovery includes eating a balanced diet of protein, carbohydrates and healthy fats. Coaches will guide you on how much rest and recovery you need per week during off-season, pre-season and in-season. 

The importance of sport-specific training for ice hockey players

Ice hockey uses all three movement planes and the anaerobic and aerobic systems. This means you need to train in sagittal, frontal, and transverse planes and incorporate both explosive moves and steady state workouts into your training.

Whether you’re new to the sport or a pro, it is essential not to neglect an area of training. Injury can be a significant setback to your game and even sideline you for the season.

At the White House Clinic, we work closely with Sheffield Steelers keeping their players in top shape with Shockwave Therapy.. Our work with them allows us to further  understand the fundamentals of ice hockey training and how best to help address imbalances, weak areas, and injuries.