While most successful College and NHL hockey players are above average in terms of height and weight, there are some players who have been very successful because of their speed and explosiveness. Jiri Hudler and Brad Marchand are only 5’9″, Martin St. Louis 5’8″, Brian Gionta 5’7″, Theo Flury and David Desharnais 5’6″, and Nate Gerbe at only 5’5″! One of the best up and coming young players in the USA NTDP program is 5’4″ Sean Dhooghe-faster than the wind.

The old saying “speed kills” is probably more true in the sport of hockey than any other sport. Obviously, one can never be “too fast”, so how can young aspiring athletes work on their speed in the off-season? The most recognized method for attaining and increasing one’s speed is called High Intensity Interval Training or HIIT. It’s great because anyone can do it, and you don’t need any special equipment, just you and a stopwatch!