| I had comment posted on one of my hockey training | | | | attacking zone face-off circle to the right of the net. |
| videos posted on YouTube, the athlete asked me | | | | Typically one will be a the top of the circle, one is in |
| what hockey team I played for. Although I do play | | | | front of the net, one deep in the corner, one by the |
| some adult pick up hockey from time to time, I don't | | | | hash marks closest to the boards and another one |
| think this is what he was looking for. I had to confess | | | | behind the net. Each cone is approximately 3-7 meters |
| that I am a fitness coach who happens to work with | | | | apart. |
| many hockey players. I typically leave the on-ice | | | | You can do this drill with or without the puck; it |
| training to the hockey coach or power skating coach, | | | | depends on your goal. Do you want to work pure |
| after all he or she is the expert in that realm. One | | | | speed and agility or do you want to work speed with |
| exception is on-ice conditioning. Where many elite level | | | | puck control. Whatever you chose the drill runs the |
| players take time away from the ice for the summer, I | | | | same way. |
| like my clients to do some power skating and on-ice | | | | - Begin with the player standing at one of the cones. |
| conditioning once or twice per week during June and | | | | - You will begin the drill by saying "Go" as you start the |
| July, expecting that they will be on the ice scrimmaging | | | | stopwatch. |
| 3-5 days per week starting in August. | | | | - You immediately give the player a visual cue by |
| As you can well imagine, bicycling, running, doing ladder | | | | pointing to one of the cones. |
| drills are all very different from the skating stride. I love | | | | - The hockey player skates to the target as quickly as |
| the slide board, but there is no opportunity for | | | | he or she can. |
| multi-directional drills on the slide board or on a skating | | | | - As the player approaches the cone, he or she looks |
| treadmill for that matter. I have a few different | | | | toward the coach for their next destination. |
| categories of on-ice drills on a continuum from speed | | | | - You need to deliver the visual cues quickly so the |
| and acceleration to speed endurance. Then I can add | | | | player does not need to slow down or stop and wait |
| layers to that continuum including stability, reactivity or | | | | for the cue. |
| agility. Below I will describe one of the big bang | | | | - Continue directing the athlete in a random patter for |
| exercises I use when training hockey players on-ice. | | | | the predetermined time. I will typically use this drill for |
| The only equipment required is small cones and a stop | | | | 8-15 seconds with a 1:4 or 1:6 work to rest interval. This |
| watch. | | | | is one of my favorite hockey training drills because it |
| The exact set up will vary based on the position the | | | | combines on-ice agility and conditioning as well as |
| athlete plays, but this is how I set it up for a forward. I | | | | cognitive training as the athlete must read and react to |
| set up approximately five small marker cones in the | | | | visual cues. Hope it helps you train hockey players to |
| offensive zone varying the position, but to | | | | perform better. |
| demonstrate, let's look at the area around the | | | | |