Off and Pre Season Gap

As off-season training programs for hockey wind down and preseason camps are set to begin, it’s no time to drop the hard-earned gains made during the past several weeks. All too frequently over the course of a hockey season player conditioning wanes despite the value placed on peak performance in the playoffs. In a recently published systematic review including 23 scientific articles, longitudinal data suggests a deconditioning pattern and increased fatigue throughout the season amongst elite players (Chiarllitti, Crozier, Inosgna, Reid, & Delisle-Houde, 2021). While timely rest is critical to optimum performance, appropriate work-rest parameters need to be well thought out on micro and macro levels. Rest at the end of the competitive season is typically employed, however strategic periods of lighter loads should be mindfully scheduled throughout the entire training cycle. The potential gap between off- and pre-season training should not be completely idle time. A mental reprieve may be required before embarking on another competitive season, however a lower volume high intensity block may best serve the player heading into pre-season camp. 

 Tracking multiple metrics over the course of the training cycle may stave off declines and help the player reach their peak in the playoffs and not haphazardly throughout the calendar years.