We often hear of young hockey players doing really well in team test camps and combine harvesters in the summer months. In my opinion, players and parents spend too much time and money trying to attend these things. Most people do these things in an attempt to get noticed or discovered. However, the most important thing a young player can do to gain recognition is to perform well at his regular winter ice hockey club. Scouts and coaches are not going to use summer performance to make decisions about players about regular season performance. Remember, the best players in the world do not play hockey in the summer months. They train to improve their ability to play hockey.

Also, I think the combined results are of very low value. First, it is generally accepted that tests performed on combines are not accurate indicators of athletic ability or hockey playing potential. Exactly what do grip strength, abs, and bench press for reps have to do with hockey performance anyway? Patrick Kane went to the NHL draft combine and did a rerun on the bench press test. However, he was still the first pick overall due to his hockey skill.

What matters in the team is the way a player behaves and interacts with those around him. We have a lot of NTDP players who attend the NHL combine each spring and they all have the same things to say when they return to Ann Arbor. Nobody really cares how we perform on tests. They just wanted us to try really hard.

Here is a very good quote from an article published in The Journal of Strength and Conditioning

Research conducted in September 2008. “It has also been suggested that, because scouts already have a good idea of ​​how players are ranked based on the game, if they decide between two equally ranked players, scouts can choose a player who score In theory, if a player has significant room to improve on a particular physical attribute compared to an opponent of equal rank, he can be taught to work on his weakness, thereby raising it to a level equal to or better than, the other player “(1). This study analyzed the draft combined the results of 853 players collected over various seasons. Also, it is interesting to note that one of the authors of the article is EJ McGuire, Head of NHL Central Scouting.

After presenting these facts to people, they often ask “How do I train to improve hockey performance?” The answer to this is simple. A good strength and conditioning program geared toward making you faster and stronger. Build some strength in your torso and back muscles along with a lot of strength in your hips and legs. Forget the bench press for reps, crunches, and curls. Do things that fill your body to athletic proportions, like lifts, squats, and Olympic-style pull ups. Also, you can skip the spinning and jogging classes. Instead, do intensive interval training for cardiovascular endurance. Here are some more good data from the combined data analysis. “The ability to generate large amounts of power was universally related to hockey success … Body index (height, lean mass, muscle development) was a significant predictor in all four models, which is likely associated with the nature of total ice contact. hockey “(1).

With all of this said, don’t be in a rush. Too often, players and parents want to speed up the process. You don’t need to play in an age group or travel across the country for tournaments. Very few players are ready for junior-level hockey at age 15. In fact, these things often hamper development rather than speed it up. Instead, take the time to develop and grow. Spend time training to gain size, strength, and power. These very important traits take time to improve. It takes several years of good strength and conditioning training for a player to reach good levels of muscle size and strength.

In fact, the average age of an NHL rookie was 22.66 years in the 2009-10 season. There are very few 18- and 19-year-olds in the NHL, so why rush? It only reduces your chances of succeeding as a player. Graduate from high school and play 4 years of college hockey and you’ll be 22 years old. Play one year of national youth hockey at the USHL, EJHL, or NAHL and then go to college and finish at age 23. It is not a coincidence that the average age of an NHL rookie falls within this time frame. Most NCAA hockey programs have elaborate strength and conditioning facilities with full-time strength and conditioning coaches. This will only increase your chances of success.

So let’s take a look at some of the best NHL players who developed after 17 or 18 when draft eligibility is met. This is a list of the top NHL players who entered the league as undrafted free agents and where they played college / youth hockey:

Ed Belfour Univ. Of North Dakota

Knights of London Dino Cicarelli

Curtis Joseph Univ. Of Wisconsin

Joe Mullen Boston College

Adam Oates RPI

Peter Statsny Univ. Of Denver

Dwayne Roloson UMass Lowell

Michigan John Madden University

Rene Bourque University. from Wisconsin

Chris Kunitz Ferris State

Jason Blake Ferris State / North Dakota

Andy McDonald Colgate

Martin St. Louis University. from Vermont

Niklas Backstrom HIFK (Finland)

Brian Rafalski Univ. Of Wisconsin / HIFK

Dan Boyle University of Miami, OH

1. Relationship of physical fitness test results and hockey game potential in elite level ice hockey players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. Volume 22. Number 5. September 2008.