Example Hockey Preseason Training to Enhance Speed and Agility

When it comes to hockey, speed and agility are non-negotiable skills. As one of the fastest sports on earth, it requires athletes to transition quickly between offensive and defensive plays while utilizing explosive movements. Preseason offers the perfect window to focus on developing these crucial attributes.

Below, we’ll explore a detailed approach to preseason training, honing in on speed and agility to give hockey players the edge they need to dominate on the ice. This example could be used as a routine (i.e. 3 times per week) for multiple weeks prior to the season starting. And for an easy way to track registrations/attendance, consider NetCamps, which will also allow you to collect payments, communicate with attendees, and even share photos.

The Importance of Speed and Agility in Hockey

Speed in hockey refers to a player’s ability to move quickly across the ice, from accelerating in sprints to maintaining high velocity over time. Agility, on the other hand, involves sharp direction changes, quick starts and stops, and the capacity to maneuver through tight spaces without losing momentum or balance.

Both qualities are essential in today’s game, where quick transitions and rapid decision-making often determine success or failure on the ice.

Preseason Training: Building the Foundation

Preseason training serves as the bridge between the offseason and in-season performance. It’s where hockey players shift their focus from general conditioning to specific, game-ready fitness. Training for speed and agility should be designed to replicate on-ice movements while increasing endurance and explosiveness.

1. Dynamic Warm-up: Preparing the Body

Before diving into high-intensity speed and agility drills, a proper dynamic warm-up is essential to prepare the body for explosive movements. A good warm-up will increase blood flow, activate muscles, and reduce injury risk.

Recommended Warm-up Drills:

• High Knees (2×30 seconds): Improves hip flexor mobility and gets the heart rate up.
• Butt Kicks (2×30 seconds): Enhances hamstring flexibility and speed.
• Lateral Lunges (2×10 reps per side): Engages muscles used for lateral movement.
• Arm Swings and Rotations (1 minute): Loosens shoulders and upper body for stickhandling and shooting motions.

2. Speed Development

For hockey players, speed development doesn’t just mean skating fast in a straight line. It involves the ability to accelerate quickly, maintain top speed, and repeat those efforts under fatigue. In the preseason, focus on increasing leg power and reaction times.

Key Drills for Speed Training:

• Resisted Sprints (3×15 yards): Use resistance bands or sleds to add resistance to sprints. This helps to develop explosive power in the lower body and improves acceleration on the ice.
• Plyometric Box Jumps (3×10 reps): Explosive jumps increase power in the legs, directly translating to faster skating strides.
• 40-Yard Dash (4-6 repetitions): Hockey players must develop their maximum velocity sprinting ability, which can be done through timed sprints over short distances. This replicates the quick bursts often required during games.
• Skater Strides with Bands (3×10 reps per leg): Using resistance bands while performing lateral skater strides builds strength in the glutes, hips, and legs, which are critical for skating speed.

3. Agility Development

Agility on the ice demands sharp change of direction, quick stops, and fast reactions. Agility training in the preseason should focus on mimicking these movements while improving coordination and body control.

Key Drills for Agility Training:

• Lateral Cone Hops (4×10 seconds): Set up a line of cones and hop laterally over each one as fast as possible. This drill enhances lateral agility and foot speed, which are essential for defending and attacking during games.
• T-Drill (4×10 yards): Set up four cones in a T formation. Sprint forward, shuffle laterally, backpedal, and sprint diagonally. This combines speed with direction changes, which translates well into game situations.
• Dot Drill (4×5 reps): Place five dots in an “X” shape on the floor. Quickly move from dot to dot in a specified pattern. This drill develops quick feet and sharp direction changes.
• Shuttle Runs (5×20 yards): Shuttle runs help players work on acceleration and deceleration, essential for defensive transitions and puck battles in close quarters.

4. Hockey-Specific Conditioning

In addition to speed and agility, conditioning is vital to ensuring that these explosive bursts can be sustained throughout a game. Hockey players need to be able to perform at a high level in multiple 40-60 second shifts.

Recommended Conditioning Drills:

• Suicides or Shuttle Sprints (5×10, 20, 30 yards): Short, quick sprints that mimic the interval nature of hockey shifts.
• Interval Skating or Running (4×30 seconds at 100%, 1 minute rest): Perform high-intensity intervals to simulate the demands of a hockey game. These intervals are particularly effective when performed on-ice but can also be done off-ice with sprints.
• Battle Drills: Pair players up and have them engage in puck protection or physical battles. This helps improve not only conditioning but also game-specific strength.

5. Recovery and Flexibility

Preseason training for hockey should not neglect recovery. Stretching and foam rolling after every session helps to maintain flexibility, prevent injury, and enhance muscle recovery.

Key Recovery Tips:

• Foam Rolling: Spend time rolling out the legs (especially the quads, hamstrings, and IT bands), hips, and back to reduce soreness and stiffness.
• Stretching Routine: Focus on hip flexors, hamstrings, calves, and the lower back to improve flexibility and reduce injury risk.

Conclusion: Building Momentum for the Season

Preseason is a great time to lay the groundwork for a fast, agile, and game-ready hockey player. By focusing on speed and agility training during this timeframe, players will bring into the season newly developed power to accelerate quickly, change direction efficiently, and maintain high performance throughout the game. With dedication and consistency, the results will be seen on the ice as faster transitions, quicker responses, and superior endurance.

Coaches should tailor these drills to the specific needs of their players, gradually increasing intensity and monitoring progress. With proper preseason preparation, hockey players will be ready to hit the ice with speed, agility, and confidence!