Training Programs

Success in hockey depends on great planning and organization, as its season puts great stress on its players due to injury and fatigue from the constant practice, travel and playing schedule that is vital in developing elite hockey players. That being said, you cannot train the same in-season as you would do during the off-season.

Hockey must be broken down into seasons through planned periodization, systematically dividing the year into training phases that include the following three phases:

• • Preparatory (off-season)
  • Competitive (games)
  • Transition (post-season)

These three phases are further broken down into macro-cycles of 2-6 weeks, and micro-cycles of weekly or daily lesson plans.

Off-ice training for hockey players must be developed with a thorough understanding of the game itself. Often, players go beyond their understanding, and knowledge of the physiology of hockey leading to overtraining, injury and decrease in performance. Hockey is a sport that relies on anaerobic energy during play, while the aerobic system provides for recovery between shifts, and periods.

Important factors to keep in mind for hockey players in their training programs include:

• • Flexibility,
  • Recovery (Aerobic),
  • Lactic and Alactic Energy Systems (anaerobic),
  • Strength (force production),
  • SAQ (Speed - Agility - Quickness),
  • Power (Force X Speed, developed by training the neuromuscular system), and
  • Proprioception (kinesthetic sense, balance and stabilization training).

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Objectives

Fundamentally, a perfect training program for any hockey player has two major objectives:

• • reduce injury risk
  • increase performance

 

Program Outline

The Crash Conditioning hockey training program will consist of the following:

• • Physiological assessment and evaluation
  • Exercise technique (general strength, and Olympic lifts)
  • Energy system development specific to hockey (aerobic and anaerobic)
  • Training for muscle endurance & recovery, hypertrophy, strength, power, flexibility, and speed
  • SAQ/Multi-directional movement training
  • Individual Specific Nutrition with Evolved Nutrition
  • On Ice skill development with guest appearances from different coaches from the WHL, NCAA and different professional hockey services.
  • On Ice drills incorporating improved performance skills through off ice training
  • Athlete Yoga-Training for functional flexibility
  • Goalie Specific Yoga
  • Injury and Recovery resources in house
  • Mental Strength and Preparation Training

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We Deliver Results

“Research has shown that on-ice testing (ie. skating times) can be improved through sport specific off-ice training, but not by summer league hockey alone”
(Greer, Blatherwick, Serfass, & Picconatto, 1992)

Therefore, it is off-ice training that has the greater influence on physical performance of hockey players. The development of an elite hockey training program for the off-season should be focused on improving on each of the fitness components (i.e. flexibility, strength etc.), include some on-ice short interval, multi-directional directional skating, as well as technical skating, puck and movement skills.

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Training Results

What does this mean for our athletes?

The training program is research proven for the sport of hockey. We facilitate the training needs of hockey players through professional training specific to hockey players. The end result for all athletes is professional training that will best prepare them for their hockey careers.

• Professional Hockey Players
• NCAA, Major Junior and CIS Hockey Players
• Junior Hockey Players
• Midget Hockey Players
• Pre-midget Hockey Players
• Team Training

Professional Hockey Players

For professional players we go through in-depth process to develop a plan to best prepare player to their needs. Pricing and schedule is based on the plan developed for each player. This includes graduating junior/college players as well as current professional players. We will communicate with your team’s strength and therapy team to ensure we are best able to support your training goals and expectations.

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NCAA, Major Junior and CIS Hockey Players

For college and major junior players the programming will be developed around their individual needs assessment, including knowledge of their respective clubs testing and expectations. It’s important that we’re in communication with your team’s medical and training staff to ensure we follow a system that is successful.

For NHL Entry Draft candidates we also do preparation for NHL combine testing. Following the most updated testing protocol we have successfully prepared many players for the NHL combine. We do all testing including the VO2 and Wingate measures.

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Junior Hockey Players

For junior players programming will be developed around elite status, including preparing players who will move on to NCAA hockey to train similar to that of the program they will attend. During the season for our local junior players we like to train them in preparation for NCAA programs, ensuring present development while best preparing them for the expectations at the NCAA level.

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Midget Hockey Players

For our elite and midget players the programming will invest in their long-term development plans, with preparation for the future the key for these athletes. With the growing athlete proper training can aid in healthy growth and transition during the training years, preparing the bones and connective tissue to be stronger and more functional. Learning great habits at a young age will make, as we believe, a positive difference during the teen to mature adult years. In-season training will be scheduled around school and team scheduling, but will continue to make positive steps in a players long-term development goals.

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Pre-midget Hockey Players

Up to the end of the bantam level players will focus on the development blocks that prepare each player for their future of hockey and training. Players will focus on proper technique and habits, motor skill acquisition. Many of these players will begin their program preparing for Alberta Cup tryouts, or during in-season group or team sessions.

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Team Training

Team training available includes all necessary training for specific age group.: Programming will be developed based on the team’s age and needs, as well we will make strategic changes based on day to day changes in team scheduling and coaches needs. Off-ice training can replace unavailable ice practices; has shown in research to help build team chemistry and is the most successful way found to develop conditioning leaving valuable ice time to develop technical skills and systems. Known as a program that can be tougher than normal on players, this does not change for team training. We have worked with teams from pee wee to the WHL, as well as consulting to NCAA team coaching staffs. If a team’s expectations do not fit ours we will not take the contract.

Our teams have success includes but is not limited to the following:

• Bronze medal at the Mac's midget tournament (2006 & 2007)
• Alberta midget AAA provincial champions (2006)
• Pacific regional champions (2006)
• Telus Cup Silver medalists (2006)
• AMHL regular season points leaders (2005)
• Midget AA Rangers Provincial champs (2007), coached by Steve Parsons