Training for speed and agility on the ice is more important at the professional level than any other level of hockey. The guys and gals at this level are just so much faster and better on their blades than anywhere else you have ever seen. To get in top shape for the SHL regular season, I spend almost the entire offseason in the squat rack. While spending time on your skates is really important, that first couple of steps out of a dead stop is all power. And true power is generated in the gym. I could go out on the ice and skate every day and I wouldn’t be flexing these quads like I am right now if it wasn’t for that summer time gym session work ethic. If you want to be quick on the blades, you gotta be willing to suffer with the barbell. So I do pause squats, split squats, heel raised squats. You name it, I squat it so I can keep up with these SHL skaters.