Speed and quickness are essential ingredients in hockey athleticism. Without them, it is impossible to play competitively in the collegiate or professional ranks. Given their importance, hockey athletes should focus a significant portion of their time training to increase top speed and quickness. This is especially true for hockey players that are currently in the speed “training window”.
The training window depends on the maturity level of the player, but is generally between the ages of 14-17. During these years, hockey players can make enormous gains in speed, quickness, and agility. But doing so is hard and is often valued less than weight training. Most high school male athletes easily see the value of big biceps and chest muscles (especially around March, and I am not talking about the State Tournament). Gains in speed are not as visible and training to get them is arguably much more mentally and physically taxing.
How should athletes train for speed and quickness? The Wingate Anaerobic Test provides a glimpse into proper speed training. This test is conducted on a stationary resistance bike where power output is recorded. A study published in the “Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research” showed that max power output values “are reached within five to six seconds of the start of the [Wingate Anaerobic] test and are sustained for no longer than 3 to 4 seconds[i].” This study conducted a 10-second and 30-second Wingate Test. In the first case, the subjects reached maximal power output, but in the latter test they didn’t.
In order for players to get faster they need to sprint as fast as they are physically able. The Wingate Test demonstrates that unless sprints are short, players will consciously or unconsciously slow down. Most players should generally keep off-ice sprints under 80 meters and on-ice sprints under 10 seconds. Rest times vary but are essentially whenever the player is fully recovered and ready to sprint at 100%. A coach or trainer can recognize physical signs of fatigue and provide the proper rest times. The more players do sprint training, the less rest they’ll require between repetitions. This also helps players build hockey specific endurance.
Proper sprint training during the training window can help athletes transform. It can make the difference between getting the opportunity to play at the next level or not. Scouts watching high school hockey games will more easily forgive weaknesses in strength than speed since they know that players can relatively easily gain muscle mass during their post-high school years. Post-high school gains in speed for most players increasingly come with fewer and fewer gains. So if you’re a hockey player trying to reach the next level, find a track or open ice sheet and get to work. It won’t be as fun or perhaps as visually rewarding as bicep curls, but you’ll certainly become a better hockey player because of it.
[i] Adam Zajac, Ryszard Jarzabek, and Zbigniew Waskiewicz, “The Diagnostic Value of the 10- and 30-second Wingate Test for Competitive Athletes”, Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research 13(1), 16-19
