Ice Performance Lab · Hockey Medicine & Performance
Performance & Load
A season-long view of training, games and recovery. Read the signals together, then adjust the next decision to the player and the week.
← Back to the framework01 / The question
How much is useful today?
A player’s capacity changes across the season. A practice that fits a rested week can feel very different after travel, a dense game schedule or a recent injury. Track the work, ask how it felt, and look for changes over time before deciding what comes next.
Working principle: one number is context, not a verdict. Combine training exposure, the player’s response and the demands of the next session.
02 / Read the signals
Three lenses for a weekly review
What was done?
Games, on-ice sessions, off-ice work, minutes, travel and days between efforts. Note sudden changes in the pattern rather than treating every session as equal.
How did it land?
Player-reported effort, sleep, soreness, symptoms and readiness help show how the same workload is being tolerated this week.
What is next?
Position, role, age, injury history, upcoming games and available recovery time affect the choice of the next dose.
Trends and conversations are more useful here than a universal cutoff. Persistent or worsening symptoms need an individual clinical assessment.
03 / Season lifecycle
The decision changes with the season
Prepare capacity
Progress skating and strength demands with enough time to adapt. Record a useful baseline and establish how the player reports effort and symptoms.
Hold useful qualities
Protect the work that matters while managing fatigue. Check whether the player can repeat the desired effort across training weeks.
Respond to competition
Account for game density and travel. After a demanding block, adjust the next exposure according to recovery and the player’s response.
Review and rebuild
Look back at the season’s interruptions, symptoms and workload patterns; use that review to shape the next build phase.
04 / Different players, different demands
Keep the individual in view
Developing players
Growth, school schedules and changing playing time can alter recovery needs. Use age-appropriate conversations and avoid copying adult workloads.
Goaltenders
Track repeated position-specific movements and practice exposure as well as game minutes; the demands differ from those of skaters.
After injury
Coordinate load progression with the treating clinician and the Return to Play plan. Participation and full performance are separate milestones.
A practical weekly check: What changed in exposure? How did the player respond? What demands are coming? What should we maintain, modify or review with the care team?
Further reading: IOC consensus statement on load in sport and risk of injury.