Predictors of Speed Using Off-Ice Measures of College Hockey Players

The purpose of this study was to examine the relationship between commonly employed dry-land performance tests and skating speed in male collegiate ice hockey players. Forty male National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I hockey players were tested on the following performance variables: vertical jump (VJ), standing broad jump, 40-yard dash, and maximal back squat (SQT). The subjects also performed 3 skating tests: the 90-ft forward acceleration test, the 90-ft backward acceleration test, and the 50-ft flying top speed test (F50). Pearson correlation coefficients were applied to compare the strength of association between each selected off-ice measure and each on-ice measure. Three multiple regression equations were then used to compare the weighted strengths of association between predictor and criterion variables. Only VJ showed significance in relation to skating speed (p = 0.011). These results suggest that meaningful performance testing in ice hockey players should occur mainly on the ice.