On-Ice Testing

NHL teams do it.

NCAA teams do it.

And now hockey coaches across North America are starting to do it.

On-ice testing has been around for years.

We have been using their stopwatches to time players’ fastest laps and goal-line to goal-line speed and have been comparing players’ times in various agility drills - both with and without the puck - for years.

Although the tests used are varied, most coaches want to measure one thing above all else.

Speed.

One test NHL teams are starting to use is one that measures a skater’s speed over 150 feet. In addition to measuring players’ total time over the distance, testers use sensors to determine at which stage of the sprint players’ are moving fastest.

For example, if a player is fastest at the end of the sprint, it may indicate a high level of speed-endurance.

If a player is fastest over the first 30 feet, and then loses speed over the remainder of the distance, they would be considered to be explosive and quick.

Ultimately, this will allow both on-ice and off-ice coaches to work with each player individually to help them develop their speed over their weaker stages of the sprint.

Most minor hockey teams are not going to have access to the equipment and personnel needed to perform such a sophisticated test.

But the concept is a good one:

At what point on the ice are players the fastest?

You could line two players up on one goal-line and have them race each other to the opposite end of the ice.

They may finish at the same time - meaning that they have the same average speed over the distance.

But they may have been faster at different points in the sprint.

One player may have had a significant advantage once they reached the first blue-line while the other player made up time from the far blue-line into the finish.

You may not have the fancy equipment needed to gauge this speed difference precisely, but you can observe it quite plainly with the naked eye.

Those players who are behind at the near blue-line may need to work on their explosive starts and first-step quickness.

Those players that lose steam by the far blue-line may need to work on being able to maintain their speed by working on their stamina.


Speed is not quite as simple as getting from point A to point B the fastest.

You want your players to win all of the 1-on-1 battles and races to the puck.

But you also want to be aware of the strengths that are allowing them to get there first and the weaknesses that are leaving them a step behind.

Bottom Line: You must be fast in every corner of the rink if you want to have your best hockey season ever.




Until next time,

Kim