Warm-Up, 9 of 9. Straight from the Hockey IQ book appendix.
From the locker room: Twenty minutes before puck drop, hallway, base layers, this routine, two big breaths. My teammates started doing it with me and now the whole line shows up warm.
Goal: Controlled movement to get game-ready. Time: 10 minutes.
When: Right before a game. This is the one for the rink hallway, 20–30 minutes before puck drop, base layers on. Pair it with two Energizing Breaths and you’re ready.
- High Knees + Arm Swings – 1 min
- Walking Lunges + Reach to Sky – 2 min
- Leg Swings (all directions) – 1.5 min
- Groiners with Rotation – 2 min
- Single-Leg Balance with Arm Circles (eyes closed if advanced) – 1.5 min
- Lateral Bounds + Stick Plant (or hand touch) – 2 min
Why it works: It goes from big and easy (high knees) to specific (lateral bounds with a stick plant, which is a crossover with an edge). Heart rate comes up gradually, hips and groin get opened, and the last drill is basically skating without skates. You step on the ice already moving.
Don’t: Save it for the ice. Ice time is expensive and short. Warm up in the hallway so the first three minutes on the ice are hockey, not stretching.
Short on time? Do 1, 3, 4 and 6. Five minutes.
Every warm-up and stretch routine here is in the back of the Hockey IQ book, with the full 9-week hockey-bag program. Back to Warm-Up.
FIND. A. WAY.
