Strength is strength right? Not if you’re a hockey player looking to dramatically improve your on-ice performance and definitely not when it comes to lower body strength. Your off-ice training needs to incorporate a variety of movement patterns, not just the traditional squats and deadlifts. Not that there is anything wrong with those exercises – they are extremely beneficial to hockey players – it just that they should not be the ONLY ones you are doing. You need to be doing exercises that train other movement patterns as well. By targeting hockey-specific movement patterns off the ice, players can develop the necessary strength, agility, balance, and power required for on-ice effectiveness. This is what we call functional hockey strength because it translates directly to on-ice performance. 1️⃣ Single-Leg Exercises 2️⃣ Lateral Movements 3️⃣ Balance and Stability Exercises 4️⃣ Plyometrics Including hockey-specific movement patterns in your lower body training routine will ensu...