Want to Boost Hockey Speed & Strength? Prioritize Off-Ice Training

On-ice drills help hockey players hone their skills, but what happens off the ice matters just as much when building the speed, power and resilience to sharpen your game.

A comprehensive off-ice training program for hockey players includes many of the same strength-building exercises recommended for other high-impact sports, explains performance coach Collin Taylor of T3 Performance at University Hospitals Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute.

Taylor explains what off-ice training should look like, how it fits within today’s year-round youth schedules and why the basics still matter most – even for the highest-level hockey players.

Building the Basics, Leg by Leg

Most of what hockey players need when training is the same across all sports, explains Taylor: sprinting, jump training and heavy compound strength work such as squats, deadlifts, bench presses and overhead presses. “These are the things that build the engine,” Taylor explains. “They make hockey players faster and more powerful off the line.”

From there, a robust hockey training program includes nuances tailored to the game. Hockey is one of the few sports where athletes spend almost every second of gameplay on one leg, generating power laterally and rotating through the hips and trunk.

“Skating is all about creating force off one foot,” says Taylor. “If you’re on two feet, you’re probably sitting on the bench. So hockey players also need exceptional single-leg stability, lateral power and rotational strength.”

That means hockey players benefit from a slightly different emphasis than sports driven by vertical power. Lateral power drills, rotational throws, single-leg stability work and change-of-direction agility work all helps to build that lateral power.

“These refinements elevate performance once the basics are solid,” Taylor explains.

Switching Things up Between Seasons

During the hockey season, most energy needs to go toward practices and games. But strength training should remain part of a well-rounded conditioning program. Taylor recommends two short, focused sessions per week – 30 to 45 minutes – to maintain strength, mobility and recovery. “If you stop training, your ability to accelerate drops, fatigue comes sooner and injury risk skyrockets,” he adds.

In the off-season, athletes shift to higher volume and intensity: four days a week of strength and sprint work, longer sessions and intentional speed development. “That’s when real gains happen,” Taylor says.

Smart Training Starts Early

Parents often worry about young athletes lifting too early, but research is clear: strength training does not stunt growth. “Young athletes can’t lift heavy enough weights to overload their bodies,” Taylor explains. “What they need is to learn good movement patterns.”

For youth hockey players, Taylor recommends two days of training per week during the season, and up to four days in the off-season.

And while playing multiple sports helps youth players maintain all-around strength that can benefit them in any sport, Taylor also stresses the importance of downtime. “Kids also need activities where they’re around friends and families and not focused on winning and losing,” he adds. “We need to let kids be kids or they are at risk of burning out in their sport.”

Choosing the Right Training Program

With so many trainers and programs available, Taylor encourages players and parents to choose carefully. “Sports performance has a low barrier to entry,” he says. “Someone can finish their own athletic career and start training athletes the next day.”

Instead, a strong program should be led by trained performance specialists and offer a few key elements including customized training based on a player’s age and goals, and progress tracked with measurable data.

Ideally, the program should also include collaboration among athletic trainers, physical therapists and the sports medicine team – guiding an athlete through injuries and rehabilitation when they occur. “It’s a continuum you don’t see in most facilities,” Taylor says. “It helps athletes come back stronger and more resilient.”

Regardless of where and how you train, if you’re a hockey player in-season or a multi-sport youth athlete, the formula doesn’t change: build strength, practice sprints, learn to recover well and stay consistent.

“Most athletes don’t need fancy programs,” Taylor says. “They need to learn to do the basics really well and train with people who know how to guide them.”

Related Links

University Hospitals Drusinsky Sports Medicine Institute partners with T3 Performance to provide world-class care and training for athletes.