Contemporary Practices of Strength and Conditioning Coaches in High-Level Male Ice Hockey: A Survey-Based Investigation

ABSTRACT

Galati, D, Turner, AN, Bishop, C, and Maloney, SJ. Contemporary practices of strength and conditioning coaches in high-level male ice hockey: a survey-based investigation. J Strength Cond Res 37(11): 2241-2250, 2023-The aim of this study was to provide an updated view of the common practices, ideologies, education level, and professional environment of strength and conditioning (S&C) coaches in elite male ice hockey. Nineteen S&C coaches from professional, semiprofessional, and top-tier collegiate hockey teams in North America completed an anonymous online survey. This was composed of 10 sections: (a) background information; (b) technology use, (c) testing and periodization, (d) strength and power, (e) flexibility/mobility, (f) speed, (g) plyometrics, (h) aerobic and anaerobic conditioning, (i) rehabilitation, and (j) challenges and areas of improvement. Fixed-response questions were analyzed through frequency analyses. Thematic analyses were used to identify common themes from open-response questions. Strength and conditioning coaches had an average of 8 (±6.5) years of experience when they accepted their current role. The majority held a master's degree and S&C certification. Muscular power, linear speed, and body composition were the most frequently tested qualities. Neuromuscular fatigue was the most important consideration during the season and least important consideration during the off-season. Training frequencies for all physical capacities were lower during the season compared with the off-season. All S&Cs had access to technology, with wearables, with force plates identified as the most used devices. This information may be used by S&C coaches to compare working practices with those used by their peers and inform them of the likely requirements and skill sets needed for job applications. Educational institutions may use this information to align teaching to current practice and to inform future research.

The science and art of testing in ice hockey: a systematic review of twenty years of research

Introduction

Ice hockey is a complex sport requiring multiple athletic and technical attributes. Considering the variety of tests developed, on-ice testing protocols have been created to measure the physiological and mechanical attributes associated with performance. To our knowledge, a lack of technical resources exists to help stakeholders opt for on-ice protocols from among those developed. It becomes crucial for researchers and practitioners to select relevant and context-specific procedures. This systematic review of the literature outlines an inventory of the on-ice tests that have been used in the domain of ice hockey research over the last twenty years, and summarize protocols mostly used in major athletic components.

Methods

A search was performed on three databases (PubMed, SPORTDiscus and Scopus) by following the PRISMA guidelines. Specific keywords were selected to find publications using on-ice testing protocols in the methodology. Four aspects of athletic attributes were used to categorize the protocols: aerobic capacity, acceleration-speed, agility-change of direction and ability to repeat skating sprints. Analyses were conducted regarding four categories of observations: population under study, on-ice reported test(s), outcomes measures and main findings.

Results

A total of 107 articles were included, resulting in 55 on-ice tests related to the on-ice assessments of four major athletic components: aerobic capacity (n = 7), acceleration-speed (n = 6), agility and change of direction (n = 23) and repeated skating sprint ability (n = 19). Testing in male and older cohorts (≥16 years old) predominates, with a primary focus on the competitive amateur level. The selected tests were mainly designed for assessing on-ice physiological responses and fitness (n = 38), talent identification-team selection (n = 19), efficiency of interventions (n = 17) and validation purposes (n = 16).

Conclusion

A prevalence of on-ice skating tests to assess the ability to repeat intense efforts, agility, acceleration and speed components exists, which are relevant and linked to match requirement. The wealth of on-ice tests used in the literature reflects the need to adapt the on-ice evaluation process to the population, constraints, and goals. This review is a valid toolbox and can benefit for researchers and practitioners interested in testing hockey players from different levels, with a variety of aims and needs, by helping them to select the relevant procedures to their environment and practice context.

Elite Adolescent Ice Hockey Players: Analyzing Associations between Anthropometry, Fitness, and On-Ice Performance

In the field of ice hockey, body mass and height have always played a role in team selection. This study aims to analyze the associations between anthropometry and multiple dimensions of performance among elite adolescent ice hockey players. Methods: 187 adolescent players (males: n = 80, 13.81 years; females: n = 107, 14.96 years) took part in the study, in Camp 1. Off-ice fitness and on-ice skating tests were performed. Camp 2 consists of on-ice tests and match performance with players selected by coaching staff at Camp 1. Camp 2 data came from official matches performance and a combination of skating tests and intrasquad matches. Hockey Quebec’s selection process consists of going from an entire pool of athletes to a team of twenty-five players, through several camps spread over two years. Correlation analyses were conducted to verify associations between anthropometric measures and performances. Results: In Camp 1, heavier-taller male athletes displayed better performances in most off-ice fitness tests, while heavier female athletes tended to display poorer performance. Camp 2 showed no significant correlations in on-ice tests and match performance. However, some tendencies were observed: heavier male players were less involved in blocked shots, and taller females were more agile. Conclusions: Despite off-ice advantages, the taller-heavier prototype does not translate directly to better performance on the ice among elite adolescent players. Coaches should analyze anthropometric characteristics with caution, and place more focus on match-specific abilities to identify talent.

Tracking Systems in Team Sports: A Narrative Review of Applications of the Data and Sport Specific Analysis

Seeking to obtain a competitive advantage and manage the risk of injury, team sport organisations are investing in tracking systems that can quantify training and competition characteristics. It is expected that such information can support objective decision-making for the prescription and manipulation of training load. This narrative review aims to summarise, and critically evaluate, different tracking systems and their use within team sports. The selection of systems should be dependent upon the context of the sport and needs careful consideration by practitioners. The selection of metrics requires a critical process to be able to describe, plan, monitor and evaluate training and competition characteristics of each sport. An emerging consideration for tracking systems data is the selection of suitable time analysis, such as temporal durations, peak demands or time series segmentation, whose best use depends on the temporal characteristics of the sport. Finally, examples of characteristics and the application of tracking data across seven popular team sports are presented. Practitioners working in specific team sports are advised to follow a critical thinking process, with a healthy dose of scepticism and awareness of appropriate theoretical frameworks, where possible, when creating new or selecting an existing metric to profile team sport athletes.

Fast Eccentric Movement Tempo Elicits Higher Physiological Responses than Medium Eccentric Tempo in Ice-Hockey Players

BACKGROUND

Resistance training is a significant part of ice-hockey players' conditioning, where optimal loading should ensure strength development and proper recovery. Therefore, this study aimed to compare the acute physiological responses to fast and medium movement tempo resistance exercises in ice-hockey players.

METHODS

Fourteen ice-hockey players (26.2 ± 4.2 years; 86.4 ± 10.2 kg; squat one repetition maximum (1RM) = 130.5 ± 18.5) performed five sets of the barbell squat and barbell bench press at 80% 1RM until failure in a crossover design one week apart using either 2/0/2/0 or 6/0/2/0 (eccentric/isometric/concentric/isometric) tempo of movement. The blood samples to evaluate the concentration of cortisol, testosterone, insulin-like growth factor 1 (IGF-1), and growth hormone (hGH) were taken before exercise, 3 min after the last set of the squat exercise, 3 min after the last set of the bench press exercise, and after 30 min of recovery.

RESULTS

The 2/0/2/0 tempo resulted in a higher number of repetitions (p < 0.001) and lower time under tension (p < 0.001) in the squat and bench press exercises compared to the 6/0/2/0 movement tempo. The endocrine responses to exercise were significantly higher during the 2/0/2/0 compared to the 6/0/2/0 movement tempo protocol for IGF-1, hGH, and cortisol (p < 0.01). There were no differences in testosterone responses between exercises performed with fast and medium movement tempos.

CONCLUSION

Fast eccentric tempo induced higher cortisol, IGF-1, and hGH responses compared to the medium tempo. Therefore, fast eccentric movement tempo seems to be more useful in eliciting training stimulus than medium eccentric tempo during resistance training in ice-hockey players. However, future studies are needed to confirm our findings.