ABSTRACT Ice hockey places high demands on lower-body neuromuscular qualities, prompting coaches to seek valid off-ice tests that reflect on-ice linear skating performance. This narrative review synthesizes evidence on the relationship between off-ice lower-body neuromuscular qualities and on-ice linear skating performance in ice hockey. Performance findings indicate trivial to near perfect associations between on-ice linear skating performance and off-ice linear sprinting (average r = 0.45, range r = 0.04–0.94), jumping (average r = 0.55, range r = 0.01–0.94), and strength tests (average r = 0.39, range r = 0.04–0.76), with larger coefficients more common in younger cohorts and when longer off-ice sprints are paired with longer on-ice distances. Concentric-dominant measures such as squat jump (SJ) performance and resisted sprinting seem promising in limited samples. However, all neuromuscular quality outcomes demonstrated considerable variability between studies, making it difficult to draw definitive conclusions. Interpretation is constrained by heterogeneous devices, distances, and start procedures, and by inconsistent reporting of phase specificity. Practically, when rink access is limited, coaches may prioritize off-ice linear sprints and SJs to monitor qualities linked to on-ice linear skating performance, while future work should standardize phase-specific on-ice tests and evaluate off-ice measures that better reflect skating mechanics, including resisted sprints and hip abduction/adduction strength.
Jenkins et al. (Fri,) studied this question.