Top 10 Hockey Training Questions

Q: How long has Bystol Performance Center (BPC) been training hockey players? A: Poliquin Performance has over three decades of experience training high-level hockey players. BPC has trained over 100 players in the NHL. Q: If you where a parent what would you look for when searching for a coach for your son or daughter?[…]

Plyometrics Skills and Drills - Part II

I can hear all of you out there, saying “Finally, coach j’s done with the theory part!”. Well, for the most part, I am. We will touch back to it a few times, but only so that we understand the practical application. Is plyometric training for everyone? Not necessarily. One factor that should play a[…]

Plyometrics Primer - Part I

Players and coaches are always asking, “Coach, what are plyometrics?” What used to be called jump training was renamed plyometrics in 1975 by a track and field coach by the name of Fred Wilt. The word itself comes from the Latin plyo + metrics which means “measurable increases”. Plyometrics are an important component of your[…]

Off-Ice Training vs. On-Ice Training

Hockey is a fast, unpredictable, multidirectional sport. It requires strength, power, agility, quickness, speed, balance, flexibility and endurance. The best place to acquire the important components of a great hockey player is, surprisingly, not on the ice. Parents, do you enrol your children in Power Skating or Hockey School early in the off-season? This common[…]

Groin Injuries in Hockey

These are the two words that get an instant reaction of sympathy pain from anyone who has played the game – “Groin Injury”. There are more devastating injuries in hockey to be sure but groin injuries are probably the most common and can be more difficult to manage properly. A groin “pull” or strain is[…]

Common Problems With Hockey Players

Over the last 12 years I have done hundreds of Advanced Athletic Assessments on hockey players at all levels. As with any sport, hockey players develop several muscular imbalances throughout the season that must be properly addressed in the off-season. Failure to address these problems will lead to nagging injuries down the road and will[…]