Physiological Characteristics of National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Ice Hockey Players and Their Relation to Game Performance

Abstract

Previous ice hockey research has focused on physiological profiles and determinants of skating speed, but few studies have examined the association of preseason player evaluations with a measure of season-long performance. Understanding which tests are most predictive of player performance could help coaches organize practice and training more effectively. The purpose of this study was to describe physical characteristics and skill levels of 24 members of an NCAA Division I men's ice hockey team and relate them to game performance over the course of a season as measured by plus/minus (+/-) score. Subjects performed a battery of preseason tests including treadmill maximal aerobic capacity, body fat, leg press, push-ups, bench press, chin-ups, and sprinting ability both on and off ice. Pearson and Spearman correlations were used to examine correlations between preseason measures and +/- score. One coach also subjectively grouped the top and bottom 6 players, and analysis of variance was used to examine any differences in preseason measures and +/- score between these 2 groups. Leg press, chin-ups, bench press, and repeat sprint performance were significantly correlated with +/- score (r = 0.554, 0.462, 0.499, and -0.568, respectively). Teams with limited time and resources may choose to perform these tests to evaluate player potential efficiently. Only +/- score differed between top and bottom players suggesting that +/- accurately reflected the coach's perception of player success in this sample.

Morphological, Physiological and Skating Performance Profiles of Male Age-Group Elite Ice Hockey Players

“…However, it is quite clear from this study that most of the variables measured off-ice are not, or at least are very poorly associated with on-ice performance. Similar results were also reported by others in older elite hockey players with a percentage of explained variance that rarely exceeded 20% (Behm et al, 2005; Peyer et al, 2011; Vescovi et al, 2006). When the assessment is intended for less homogeneous groups, it is possible that the predictive value of such tests increases.…”

Predicting Performance and Injury Resilience From Movement Quality and Fitness Scores in a Basketball Team Over 2 Years

“…A study on 153 elite hockey players completing the NHL combine testing found that standing long jump was a significant predictor of draft selection order together with peak anaerobic power and with a body index incorporating height, weight, and muscular development (1). Interestingly, Peyer et al (22) also assessed the performance of a single hockey team using similar correlational approaches as this study. They found that leg press, numbers of chin-ups, bench press, and repeated sprint performance were best linked to plus/minus goals scored for and against as the performance criterion measure.…”

Assessment of basic physical parameters of current Canadian-American National Hockey League (NHL) ice hockey players

“…In our case, the players are in apparently the best ice hockey league in the world and therefore it is desirable to know the exact parameters of the current players, especially with respect to their gaming positions (Quinney et al, 2008;Stanula, Roczniok, Maszczyk, Pietraszewski, & Zajac, 2014;Vescovi, Murray, & VanHeest, 2006). Basic morphological parameters, together with the knowledge of body composition, development of strength in the upper and lower body parts, and optimum development of aerobic (VO 2 max scores ± 56-60 ml/kg/min) and anaerobic capacity (AnC) (total AnC of elite ice hockey players is ± 1100-1200 W; relative AnC/kg of elite ice hockey players is ± 13 W/kg) are considered the main prediction factors of possible success and performance, especially in young players entering the Canadian-American NHL (Garrett & Kirkendall, 2000;Montgomery, 2006;Peyer, Pivarnik, Eisenmann, & Vorkapich, 2011;Potteiger, Smith, Maier, & Foster, 2010;Tarter et al, 2009). If the overall index of the above mentioned prediction factors is around the 90 th percentile, there is a 60-72% probability that a young ice hockey defender or forward will join an NHL team during the following four years (Tarter et al, 2009).…”