Off-ice or dryland training is one the best ways for hockey players to take their game to the next level. Players can make huge leaps in their development with an intelligent dedicated training plan. Building the athletic foundation of our players is at the heart of our training model. 

Admirals Hockey offers a multidimensional dryland hockey training system. We address all the key components for player development, including:
•    aerobic power
•    the anaerobic energy systems
•    lactic acid toleration
•    muscular power
•    muscular endurance
•    rotational strength
•    hockey-specific strength
•    speed, agility, quick feet, and quick hands
•    static and dynamic flexibility
•    proper technique.

Developing a base of strength, and lean muscle mass; improving body composition, and preventing injuries are also key parts of our training program. We offer our players a database of selected drills that are specific to building both a better athlete and a more dynamic hockey player.
 
The following training principles are implemented in our system of training:

1. Sport-specific movement patterns: We use hockey-specific exercises that are essential and transferable to increase on-ice performance. We train movements, not just muscles.
2. Energy systems: We develop the energy systems that are vital in hockey. Hockey is an anaerobic sport that requires athletes to compete at high intensities for a short duration of time followed by short durations of rest.
3. Overload: The loads of each exercise are the most basic element of strength and power training program. Neuromuscular development reacts to the application of these loads. The body is very adaptive and in order to have continued athletic performance the volume and intensity of the program must be progressively increased. Increasing the load increases the intensity. Adding more sets/reps increases the volume. To keep athletes from reaching a plateau, the intensity and volume is progressively increased.
4. Periodization: Our system of training uses the principle of periodization or the cycling of the training program through modification of intensity, volume, and frequency over a given period of time.
5. Rest and recovery: We believe that part of reaping the benefits of intense training is rest and recovery. We offer our players sufficient rest in trained muscle groups so performance does not decline. We decrease the tendency to over-train athletes by closely planning and monitoring each exercise and training session. We teach our athletes the importance of and real meaning of rest, which is crucial to the recovery process. Sleep, downtime, and other healthy rest methods are encouraged. Activities that do not revolve around hockey are also included in order to give balance to our athletes’ lives.

Performance measurement
The SJHA hockey program offers performance measurement testing during our off-ice training sessions that is structured toward those attributes most needed to become a complete hockey player. We test in areas of strength, power, speed, coordination, agility, balance, quickness, and endurance. We use these results as a baseline against which each player’s individual development can be quantitatively measured. These results serve to motivate and fuel each player’s desire to improve.

Ultimately, the goal of performance measurement for players and coaches is to provide:

1. Positive reinforcement regarding training and hard work.
2. Quantifiable and tangible evidence related to improvement.
3. Personalized and team evaluation data to serve as a roadmap for effectively continuing the process of on-going improvement.