As coaches, we need to train our players in as close to game-like conditions at possible.

When working with hockey players to improve performance, the rule of specificity of training is the key to success. This means that as coaches, we need to train our players as close to game-like conditions at possible. This is very important when developing on-ice conditioning skating drills. The conditioning/skating drills must be as close to game-like skating as possible in order to improve hockey specific fitness.

Traditional Skating Conditioning Drills  

Put your hand up if you have used, or still use, the traditional on-ice conditioning drill of cross ice skating, where players skate side-boards to side-boards and they have to do it in 30-seconds. If your hand is up, let’s talk. Or have you used the classic conditioning drill of goal line to blue and back – goal line to center line and back – goal line to far blue line and back, goal line to the other end and back? Let me ask you, do your players ever skate straight, stop, change direction and skate straight eight times in a row? I am sure you are saying, “No, players rarely skate like that in a game.” The way the game is played now is that players do not “stop and start” as much as they make tight turns to change direction to maintain their speed and momentum.

Now, even though the above-mentioned skating drills are pretty good for conditioning, and give players a good metabolic load, they are not game-performance skating drills. When players are on the ice, they make left and right gliding and cross-over turns, they skate forward and backward, they engage in either body checking or body contact, they carry the puck for short periods of time, they shoot, they skate fast, medium, and slow speeds, and they glide with knees bent in a ready position. The point is that almost every drill we get our players to do must be as close to game-performance as possible. This is how players perform better in games.

Using YouTube to design drills

Watching games or highlights of any hockey, particularly NHL or elite female games, can help design conditioning skating drills. Watching players the entire shift (I realize they go out of the camera angle at times) can identify how they skate during a game. Their skating movements during a shift can be developed into conditioning drills. Start watching from the drop of the puck and watch them until they go off the ice, or until a whistle blows.

Examples of conditioning drills using game-performance skating

Full Ice with striding and gliding

• Stride on the straight-aways and gliding or cross-over on the turns – go in both directions.
• If you are practicing on half ice, use the game cone design, but make it shorter.
• Do the same skating drill with a puck.
• After making a gliding turn around the cones, accelerate with cross-overs, then glide (in a ready position) to the next cone – go in both directions.
• Do the same skating with a puck.
• Pivot forward to backward at the first cone, then pivot backward to forward at the next cone, etc. alternating cones – skate in both directions.
• The times of the skating can start at 30-seconds, then a 1-minute active rest, 45-seconds, then a 1-minute active rest, and 60-seconds. An active rest after the drill is the players keep skating at low intensity.
• The entire team can skate at the same time, or half of the team while the other half rests, or skating by position – D-men and goalies while forwards rest, then forwards while D-men and goalies rest.
• Pucks can be set up around the cone inside the blueline in the high slot for a shot. Goalies can be in the net to get shots making sure the players know not to shoot if the goalies are not ready.

Half ice skating – “Pivot-Pivot”conditioning skating drill

• Each of the 4 groups skates the same: full speed forward, “pivot-pivot” (see video) around each cone, and finish with a shot.
• If you are practicing on half ice, use two groups.
• The drill can be done as in the video where one player is skating at a time, or, to get more players skating at the same time, tell the players to wait until the player in front of him or her passes the 2nd cone, then go. This way most of the players will be skating at the same time.
• The times of the skating can start at 30-seconds, then a 1-minute active rest, 45-seconds, then a 1-minute active rest, and 60-seconds.
• Make sure you have enough pucks and cones. If you don’t have enough cones, you can put gloves on the ice, or use pucks to skate around.
• Try to have an equal number of players in each group.
• Goalies stopping pucks is optional because there will be a lot of players coming to the net with a puck.

Full Ice Cross-overs

• Full speed skating throughout the drill.
• Skate in both directions.
• Skating with and without a puck.
• If you are using half ice for practice, make the cones closer together and have the players do only 2-3 cross-overs and shorten the “cone course.”
• Have the players pivot to skating backwards after the cross-overs, then pivot to skate forward at the middle cone at center ice.
• Have the players glide after the cross-over turn on the straight-away until the middle cone at center ice, then do 1 or 2 cross-overs (to gain speed), then glide again to the cone at which the players start the cross-overs.
• The times of the skating can start at 30-seconds, then a 1-minute active rest, 45-seconds, then a 1-minute active rest, and then 60-seconds.
• The entire team can skate at the same time, or half of the team while the other half rests, or skating by position – D-men and goalies while forwards rest, then forwards while D-men and goalies rest.

Managing ice conditions during skating drills

It is important to remember to move the cones so the players are not skating in the same spots for every drill.  This is important for three reasons:

• Making skating “divots” in the ice is not conducive for safe and effective skating.
• Think about the next team on the ice and how, out of respect for all teams and coaches, it is considerate to not skate in the same areas all the time.
• It is difficult for the Zamboni drivers and rink attendants to fix ice that is really chewed up. I have been told by rink workers that it takes two to three ice resurfacings to completely fix ice that is chewed up badly.

Conclusion

The cool thing about conditioning drills is that you can use your imagination to develop drills. The drills can be full-ice, half-ice, or even quarter-ice. It is important to use game-performance skating for the conditioning drills. Another option is to have the players stop skating during a drill and perform 5 – 10 push-ups to emulate the upper body component of body contact or body checking.