Elite junior hockey players are some of the most talented young athletes in the world, constantly being pulled in a million directions. They’re the next big thing, and everyone wants to play a part in their journey to signing that big pro contract. While many coaches and mentors genuinely want to help, the sheer number of voices, opportunities, and influences can create a chaotic and fragmented path—especially when it comes to their strength and conditioning.
The Problem with “Chasing the Best”
There’s no shortage of exceptional coaches in the hockey world. From world-class strength and conditioning specialists to elite on-ice technical and tactical coaches, these players have access to incredible resources. In their quest to work with “the best,” many athletes spend their off-seasons bouncing from city to city, coach to coach.
To make matters even more complex, these players also represent their countries on the international stage—competing in tournaments like the World Juniors, U18 World Championships, and an endless list of showcases (CHL, Bauer, agency events, etc.). Players like Gavin McKenna, who will have represented Team Canada four times in a calendar year while trying to win a Memorial Cup, face a relentless schedule filled with travel, high-pressure competition, and constant adjustments.
The exposure is crucial, no doubt. Scouting is more competitive than ever, and players need to perform on big stages to stand out. But amidst the chaos of traveling and training with different coaches, there’s one glaring issue: when was the last time one of these elite prospects spent three months on a well-sequenced, periodized strength and conditioning program?
What an Expert Training Program Looks Like
Building a successful strength and conditioning plan for an elite junior hockey player starts with big-picture planning:
- Long-Term Development Plan:
- Understand where the athlete has been before, where they are now, and where they need to go.
- Assess their strengths, weaknesses, and specific needs to guide their progression.
- Competitive Schedule:
- Identify when the athlete needs to peak, whether it’s for international tournaments like the World Juniors, showcases, or playoff runs.
- Use these key events to shape the overall multi-year or annual plan.
- Macrocycles:
- Divide the training year into competitive and preparatory periods, aligning with the athlete’s annual schedule.
- Mesocycles:
- Break the plan into 2-6 week blocks, each with a specific focus, such as building strength, improving power, or enhancing speed.
- Weekly and Daily Plans:
- Create highly individualized workouts tailored to the athlete’s mechanics, injury history, training age, and immediate and long-term goals.
For example, a 17-year-old junior player representing Team Canada at the U18 World Championships should not follow the same program as a 27-year-old NHL pro. Their bodies, recovery needs, and performance objectives are entirely different, requiring a level of personalization that accounts for their specific stage of development.
An intentional framework ensures each phase builds upon the last, enhancing performance while reducing the risk of overtraining and injury. Without this structure, players are left spinning their wheels, trying to piece together fragmented training programs that don’t align with their goals.
What Continuity Means
When we talk about continuity in training, we’re not just referring to consistent schedules or working with the same coach—it’s about structuring a program that follows the principle of phase potentiation. This ensures each phase of training builds upon the last, creating a seamless progression toward peak performance.
How Phase Potentiation Works
Phase potentiation is the strategic sequencing of training blocks. Each block is designed to develop specific qualities that underpin and enhance the next phase. While more complex throughout the year, a simple version of phase potentiation for a CHL hockey player might look like this:
- Hypertrophy Phase: Focused on improving aerobic and anaerobic capacity and building muscular size. These qualities set the stage for strength development in the next phase.
- Strength Phase: Leveraging the increased muscle mass to maximize force output while reducing the risk of injury.
- Power (Peaking) Phase: Transforming strength into explosive power and agility, timed to align with key competitions such as the World Juniors or CHL playoffs.
For athletes like Gavin McKenna, who will have represented Team Canada four times in a calendar year while trying to win a Memorial Cup, traditional periodization often needs to be adapted. His demanding schedule requires flexibility, and his training must account for frequent travel, high-stakes competition, and limited off-ice time.
This is where the role of a single, trusted strength coach becomes critical. While the staff at the junior level, such as in Medicine Hat, do everything they can to support McKenna and do a great job, the resources for year-round strength and conditioning oversight simply aren’t the same as they are in the NHL. For players en route to the NHL, additional support and oversight from a strength and conditioning coach—or consultant—becomes essential. This extra layer of guidance ensures that their training is both comprehensive and consistent as they transition through critical stages of development.
Commitment to the Process, Not Flashy Workouts
When athletes step into a gym filled with NHL players or see social media videos of hockey training montages, it’s easy to get distracted by whatever the coolest, most complex, sport-specific-looking exercise is. These can look impressive and exciting, but if poorly timed within the periodized training plan, they will not contribute to a player’s on-ice development.
What truly matters is commitment to the process: the continuous, consistent effort of training within a well-directed plan over months and years. Success on the ice isn’t built on random, one-off exercises; it’s built on a foundation of systematic training where each phase builds upon the last, targeting the specific physical qualities the athlete needs to succeed. Players like McKenna shine on the ice not because of flashy exercises, but because of the structured, deliberate effort behind their training.
A Collaborative Mindset for Athlete Success
As strength coaches, collaboration and adaptability are essential to supporting an athlete’s long-term development. I oversee the strength and conditioning programs for players like Gavin McKenna—both while he’s in Whitehorse and when he represents Team Canada at international competitions like the World Juniors or the U18 World Championships.
Now that Cozens is in the NHL, he’s well-supported in-season by the Buffalo Sabres’ staff. However, the Sabres’ staff and I still communicate multiple times a year to ensure we’re on the same page, maintaining continuity in his training and adhering to the principles of phase potentiation. This collaboration allows us to align his in-season program with his off-season development, ensuring his progress is seamless and purposeful.
For junior players like McKenna, however, the staff at the junior level, such as in Medicine Hat, do everything they can to support him and do a great job. Yet, the resources for strength and conditioning oversight at this level simply aren’t the same as in the NHL. For players en route to the NHL, additional support and oversight from a strength and conditioning coach—or consultant—becomes critical.
The Solution
The solution to fragmented training lies in establishing a single, trusted strength coach to oversee an athlete’s development year-round. This coach acts as the anchor in the player’s journey, ensuring that their training is consistent, deliberate, and aligned with their long-term goals.
For players like Gavin McKenna, who will have represented Team Canada four times in a calendar year while trying to win a Memorial Cup, the demands of their schedules require adaptability. With modern tools like TeamBuildr and Bridge, one coach can ensure continuity, crafting programs that account for their travel and competition while maintaining progress.
Real success comes not from chasing flashy workouts but through long-term athlete development plans that implement effective phase potentiation through the calculated efforts of a trusted and qualified strength and conditioning coach. By embracing this strategy, we can simplify the chaos of elite junior hockey and help players achieve their dreams—not through random effort, but through intentional, purposeful development.