Hockey is no longer about size, but about strength

Every player is involved in resistance training for strength and power, which is very hockey specific. For the younger players, the emphasis is more on improving flexibility, quickness, balance, agility, and reaction time rather than strength and power.

Aside from the first priority being leg quickness, there is a particular emphasis on those muscles predominately used in shooting and protecting the puck.  Plyometrics and simulated skating will be a regular component of the off-ice training.

As well, a variety of techniques are used such as sprinting, Russian Box, and bungy cords, in order to overload and underload the quad muscles. With the luxury of players doing simulated skating each week, over a 10 month period, we do see significant changes in a player's knee bend, arm swing, forward and backward stride, and upper body position both in forward skating and in agility. The overall off-ice program incorporates many Finnish, Swedish, and Russian training methods.

In addition to the above, players will work regularly on bosu balls for balance. Swiss balls and medicine balls are used in variety of exercises for core strength and upper body plyometrics. Ladders and dot drills are incorporated into a number of exercises to focus on leg and foot quickness. Circuit training in and out of the gym is used combining hurdles and other stations to maximize quickness and speed endurance.