Hockey Drills to Build Endurance

Hockey players must have superior endurance to compete at a high level throughout the game. Endurance drills will help improve players' speed and stamina when they're on the ice. Endurance drills should be short -- no more than about two minutes. These drills are not always fun, but they're beneficial overall to an athlete.

  1. Cruise and Sprint

    • The cruise and sprint drill can be done on land or on the ice. The coach marks out a distance of 100 yards, then asks the athletes to begin skating at a slow and steady pace, but quickly work up to a sprint for about 60 yards. Players should slow down toward the end, then turn around and repeat the sprint. To do this speed endurance drill correctly, players should cruise and sprint for two minutes, rest for two minutes, and repeat. Have them do six sets to complete the drill.

    Cross Drill

    • For a cross drill, the coach sets up a square, about 30 yards on a side, with cones at all four corners and one in the center. Starting from a designated cone, the athletes must sprint to the center cone, stop, continue on to the next corner in a clockwise direction, sprint back to the center, and repeat until they've reached all four corners. Completing the square six times is considered one set. The complete drill requires four sets with a three-minute rest period in between sets.

    Pace/Tempo

    • Pace/tempo drills help hockey players improve their aerobic endurance. This drill lasts 20 to 30 minutes at a steady pace, and helps improve aerobic and anaerobic endurance. Pace/tempo training is simply running, cycling, rowing or swimming at a faster pace than the athlete would normally perform. It is designed to push the athlete to his limits without breaking him. This will help him perform longer and better during a hockey game.

    Repetition

    • Players can perform repetitions on the ice to increase the speed and intensity of their game and build aerobic endurance. This is the most intense aerobic endurance drill. In repetitions, players skate back and forth across the ice, as fast as they can, for 60 to 90 seconds. After a repetition set, players should rest for five minutes. The Sports Fitness Advisor website recommends doing the drill once a week for best results.