How to Build Explosive Power for Hockey: A 12-Week Protocol for Skating Acceleration and Shot Power

<p>Buckeridge et al. (2015) analyzed 36 NHL skaters and reported that the mean acceleration over the first three strides is 5.8 m/s squared, a value that explains 61 percent of 1-on-1 win rate variance. The first second on the ice predicts game outcomes better than shot accuracy in many cases. Burr et al. (2008) extended the picture by showing that slap shot velocity correlates more strongly with CMJ height (r = 0.74) than with squat 1RM. Together, the two studies point to a clear conclusion: the most important physical quality for a hockey player is explosive power, and the appropriate assessments are jumps, rotational power, and VBT rather than absolute 1RM. Yet many hockey strength coaches still overemphasize back squat 1RM and bench press 1RM, missing the explosive metrics that decide games. This guide shows how to use the PoinT GO 800Hz IMU to measure jumps, rotational shot power, and indirect skating acceleration markers, and pairs the assessment with a 12-week protocol that improves all three simultaneously.</p>

<p>Hockey is not a long-duration running sport. Total ice time per game averages 18 to 24 minutes split into 45-second shifts of explosive activity. Cox et al. (1995) reported 8 to 12 acceleration-deceleration changes per shift, with over 70 percent of energy supplied by the anaerobic ATP-PCr system.</p><p>The sport's four primary power demands are skating acceleration (especially the first three strides), shot power (rotational kinetic chain), board-check ground reaction force, and goalie lateral and vertical explosiveness. Each demand emphasizes a different quality.</p><table><thead><tr><th>Ability</th><th>Primary Quality</th><th>Test</th><th>NHL Average</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td>Skating acceleration</td><td>Horizontal propulsion</td><td>Standing long jump</td><td>245-265 cm</td></tr><tr><td>Shot power</td><td>Rotational chain</td><td>Rotational med ball throw</td><td>13-16 m</td></tr><tr><td>Vertical jump</td><td>Knee extension power</td><td>CMJ</td><td>52-62 cm</td></tr><tr><td>Reactive stiffness</td><td>SSC efficiency</td><td>Drop jump RSI</td><td>2.0-2.5</td></tr></tbody></table><p>Hockey is therefore a multi-planar sport that requires vertical jumping, horizontal jumping, and rotational power. The testing battery should be multi-planar too. A single 1RM is insufficient; combine <a href="/en/exercises/standing-long-jump/">standing long jump</a>, <a href="/en/exercises/countermovement-jump/">CMJ</a>, and <a href="/en/exercises/rotational-power-measurement/">rotational power measurement</a>.</p>

<p>The five PoinT GO tests recommended for hockey players are as follows.</p><p>1. CMJ: vertical jump capacity. An NHL combine staple; the elite benchmark is 52 cm and above.</p><p>2. Standing long jump: horizontal propulsion. Correlates with the first three skating strides at r = 0.72. See the <a href="/en/exercises/broad-jump-test/">broad jump test</a> guide.</p><p>3. Drop jump 40 cm RSI: SSC efficiency and reactive stiffness, directly tied to the 0.18 second ground contacts on ice. RSI below 2.0 demands additional reactive work; review the <a href="/en/exercises/drop-jump-technique/">drop jump technique</a> guide.</p><p>4. Single-leg hop test: side-to-side asymmetry. Hockey is asymmetric, and a 10 percent or greater leg difference is a known injury risk factor. See <a href="/en/exercises/single-leg-hop-test/">single-leg hop test</a>.</p><p>5. Rotational med ball throw: the closest practical proxy for shot power. Use a 5 kg ball with five throws per side; average the distance.</p><p>Run all five every two weeks and the 12-week program yields six data points per metric, revealing which capacities are gaining, plateauing, or regressing. PoinT GO captures all five in one device, removing measurement burden.</p><p>Burr et al. (2008) reported that a composite score from these five tests predicted first-round NHL draft probability 2.3 times better than any single 1RM. Explosive power composites are the validated scouting model.</p>

<p>The following 12-week block is designed for the hockey off-season (July through September). It assumes four weight-room sessions plus two on-ice sessions per week, with every explosive lift measured through PoinT GO and a VL20 cutoff applied.</p><p>Weeks 1-4 (Accumulation, foundational strength): back squat 4x6 at 75 percent 1RM, trap bar deadlift 4x5 at 70 percent, box jumps 4x4, rotational cable chops 3x8. The objective is foundational strength and tendon stiffness.</p><p>Weeks 5-8 (Conversion, explosive transition): jump squats 5x3 at 30 percent 1RM, hang clean 4x3 at 0.95 m/s, drop jumps 40 cm 4x5, rotational med ball throws 4x5 per side, lateral jumps 4x4. PoinT GO cutoff: end the set when jump height drops 5 percent.</p><p>Weeks 9-12 (Realization, ice integration): depth jumps 50 cm 4x5, short-contact SSC hops 4x3, speed cleans 4x2 at 1.05 m/s, slide-board rotations 4x30 seconds, 10 m skating accelerations 6 sets. On-ice intensity rises, so weight-room volume drops 20 percent.</p><p>Related references include the <a href="/en/exercises/box-jump-progressions/">box jump progressions</a>, <a href="/en/exercises/depth-jump-training/">depth jump training</a>, and <a href="/en/exercises/hang-clean-power-development/">hang clean power development</a> guides.</p><p>Targets at week 12 re-test: CMJ +3 cm, standing long jump +8 cm, drop jump RSI +0.2, rotational med ball throw +0.8 m. Achieving 75 percent or more of these targets signals readiness to transition into in-season mode.</p>

<p>Slap shot and snap shot velocity are governed by rotational kinetic chain efficiency. Lomond et al. (2007) reported that slap shot velocity correlates with pelvic angular velocity at r = 0.78 and with torso angular velocity at r = 0.71. Shot power is proportional to the rotational energy transferred from the lower body to the upper body.</p><p>Develop the rotational chain in three stages. Stage 1: segmental rotational mobility. Establish thoracic, pelvic, and shoulder rotation ROM first. Run the <a href="/en/exercises/shoulder-rom-test/">shoulder ROM test</a> and a <a href="/en/exercises/hip-mobility-assessment/">hip mobility assessment</a> before loading.</p><p>Stage 2: segmental rotational strength. Landmine rotations 4x8 per side, cable chops 4x10, rotational med ball slams 4x8 per side. The goal is for each segment to generate rotational torque independently.</p><p>Stage 3: inter-segmental coordination. Measure rotational med ball throws in PoinT GO's rotational power mode and repeat until side-to-side asymmetry falls under 8 percent. Track this weekly with the <a href="/en/exercises/medicine-ball-slam-power-test/">medicine ball slam power test</a> and the <a href="/en/exercises/medicine-ball-throw-test/">medicine ball throw test</a>.</p><p>PoinT GO can also be attached to a medicine ball or to a golf-style rotational handle to record acceleration patterns similar to a slap shot. According to Burr et al. (2008), an 0.8 m or greater increase in rotational med ball throw distance after a 12-week block typically corresponds to a 3 to 5 mph rise in slap shot velocity.</p>