Just as kids like SAG's as opposed to 'drills' on the ice, they will prefer games to 'exercises' off the ice. Having said that, I am open to any and all ideas when it comes to off-ice training. The rink where we play our home games has just added a fitness center. I am trying to get the college, the rink and the gym to form some sort of alliance that will benefit everyone.
There seems to be so much material now on off-ice and I am overwhelmed. Does anyone have a condensed publication of what works best for hockey players. Given that information, I am going to form teams and have a Phys-Ed version of the Stanley Cup for non ice training.
Our strength and conditioning coach does a dynamic warmup that is game like.
He takes all the guys (23) and puts them in a circle. He takes 4 hurdles of different sizes and places them from smallest (knee high) to the largest (right at or above the naval) about two feet apart. The guys in the circle are given a soccer ball. They juggle it trying to keep the ball off the ground using their knee, feet, etc. If the ball hits the ground, the player who's fault it was, runs over to the hurdles and quickly does a two foot hop over all four hurdles and returns to the circle where all the guys have started again with the soccer ball.
I think our guys do it for 15-20 minutes or so. I think they even end it with if you drop it, you have to do the hurdles then sit out until there are just two left in the circle.