strength training conditioning

I am often asked what kind of off-ice training the goaltenders perform here at the National Team Development Program in Ann Arbor. What do they do differently than the forwards and defensemen? The answer to this question is a very simple one. Nothing!

The goaltenders do the same training as the other players, at the same time as the other players. They are integrated into the team’s training sessions. In fact, it is vital that the goalies are fast and powerful, highly conditioned, and possess great stamina. After all it is arguably the most important position in hockey. I often hear about things like ‘sport specific strength training’ or ‘position specific strength training’. However, this is nothing more than marketing and hype to sell products. The fact of the matter is that human beings have the same joints and muscles regardless of what sport or position they play. We all move in the same manner and our muscles all generate force in the same ways.

What I really focus on is what I call ‘athlete specific strength training’. What are the things that a given athlete should work on to improve themselves. How old is the athlete and how much strength training experience does he or she have? In other words, where do they fall in the Long Term Athlete Development Model? Once I know the answer to these questions I can begin training. For example, a 22 year old NCAA hockey goalie will likely have much more strength training experience than a 15 year old A.A.A. goalie. Therefore, although they are both goaltenders, their training will be different. However, a 22 year old NCAA forward will be able to perform the same training as the NCAA goaltender.

Now let’s consider what the demands of goaltending really are? Goalies need speed and they need endurance to compete through the repeated bouts of pressure they are likely to see during a game. Moving fast is a matter of putting a lot of force into the ice in a very short amount of time. Therefore, goalies need to be powerful in order to perform their skills quickly. When a goalie goes down on the ice they will need to be able to get up quickly by pushing forcefully with the leg, hip, torso, and arm musculature. Moving quickly from post to post requires powerful extension of the leg and hip musculature. Also, goaltending requires cardiovascular endurance in order to compete through the intense scrums that often occur around the net.

In other words, what goaltenders need to do off the ice is a good strength and conditioning program. This program should include basic strength and power building exercises such as Olympic style lifts, and various squatting, pressing, and pulling exercises. Also, interval style cardiovascular training needs to be incorporated.

By Darryl Nelson
Strength and Conditioning Coach, USA Hockey NTDP

Darryl Nelson has been the strength and conditioning coach with the USA Hockey National Team Development Program located in Ann Arbor, Michigan since the 2000-01 season. During this time the program has seen success winning multiple U17 World Challenge gold medals and IIHF U18 world championship gold medals. Before his stint with USA Hockey, Nelson worked at International Performance Institute in Bradenton, Florida and Mike Boyle’s Strength and Conditioning in Winchester, Massachusetts. Nelson has a Masters degree from the University of Georgia and a Bachelor’s degree from the University of Maine at Presque Isle. He is also certified by the National Athletic Trainer’s Association.

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