Testing-Specific Skating Performance in Ice Hockey

Hajek, F, Keller, M, Taube, W, von Duvillard, SP, Bell, JW, and Wagner, H. Testing-specific skating performance in ice hockey. J Strength Cond Res 35(12S): S70-S75, 2020-Skating performance generally determines overall performance in ice hockey but has not been measured adequately in the past. Consequently, the aim of the study was to develop and validate a specific overall skating performance test for ice hockey (SOSPT) that includes similar movements and intensities as in competition. Ten male elite under-14-year and under-18-year old ice hockey players performed the SOSPT (2 heats only) and a 40-m on-ice sprinting test twice within 8 days. Additionally, 14 under-15, 18 under-17, and 20 under-20 male elite ice hockey players performed only the SOSPT (4 heats). Time was measured from the first subject's movement during a V-start until crossing the line (40-m on-ice sprinting test), first touch of the shoulder on the mat (heat #1 in the SOSPT) or first touch of the puck with the stick (heat #2 in the SOSPT) using a hand stopwatch. We found a high test-retest reliability of the SOSPT and 40-m on-ice sprinting test (interclass correlation coefficient, >0.7; coefficient of variation, <5%) with highly significant differences (p < 0.001) between the under-15, under-17, and under-20 players, a high correlation (r > 0.70) between an expert rating and the SOSPT, and a low correlation between the 40-m on-ice sprinting test and the SOSPT in the under-14 and under-18 players. The results of the study reveal that the SOSPT is a reliable and valid test to determine the specific overall skating performance in ice hockey players and is more suitable compared with straight skating tests of the 40-m on-ice sprinting test.