Off-Ice Training for Goalies: Keeping in Top Shape

Off-Ice Training for Goalies

These off-ice training for goalies tips will help you maintain your edge

By Chris Phillips

Updated July 8, 2026

Off-ice training for goalies plays a vital role in their development as hockey players. According to their website, USA Hockey utilizes the American Development Model (ADM) long-term athlete development and quality coaching concepts. These promote sustained physical activity, athlete safety and age-appropriate development with the aim of creating a positive experience for American athletes across all levels of sport.

Goalie’s Off-Ice Training Overview

1. Build your strength, coordination and balance, providing the ability for you to stay in position the entire game.
2. Improve your flexibility, mobility, and agility to allow you to move about the crease with ease. An important step to reducing the chance of injury.
3. Increase your leg power so that you can zip laterally from post to post.
4. Work on your hand-eye coordination and puck-tracking skills.
5. Develop tireless conditioning that keeps you quick and alert, from the moment you step on the ice until the final buzzer.
6. Elevate the confidence you need to be the mainstay that delivers more wins for your team.

Today’s training programs should not be based on how hard the program is, but what your objectives are and how you’re progressing. When training for a sport, the program should be devised with the following in mind:

• Is the program age specific?
• Is it based on meeting the demands of the sport the athlete plays?
• Are proper techniques being used?
• Does the program include fundamental movements that progress to more complex ones?
• Does the program address injury-prevention exercises that relate to the sport?

Training, by the Numbers
The recommendations for how a goalie should train, by age:

• Ages 8-12: The focus should be on movement literacy and fun
• Ages 13-15: Work on technique and body-weight strength
• Ages 16-18: Shift to progressive strength and power
• Adult goalies: At this stage, the emphasis should be on performance and injury prevention

Should a Goalie Train Like a Skater?

Now that we covered some of the basics, here’s where it gets tricky. Both goalies and skaters play the same game, so can they train the same way off the ice?

Skaters are on the ice for no more than a minute. In comparison, goalies are on their feet (and knees, belly, or back) the entire game. The demands placed on a goalie are totally unlike those of their teammates. They are required to drop down to their knees and bounce back up on their feet in the blink of an eye. They must be agile, possess superior hand-eye coordination, and have the ability to generate explosive movement. And that’s just the physical reality for a goalie.

Let’s look at the movements each player goes through during a game. A forward predominantly skates in a forward direction, weaving and turning as they skate up the ice. A defenseman will skate backwards more than the forwards during a game. Both will utilize a crossover step while turning as well. There is one main component that is similar with skaters: they mainly skate north and south in a linear pattern.

Now let’s examine how a goalie moves about the ice. Their movement is more lateral in fashion, sliding from post to post, not to mention dropping into a butterfly and getting back up on their skates quickly. It’s pretty obvious that the demands on a goalie are pretty different than those put upon a skater during a game. So if the demands are different, shouldn’t the training program be different?

That’s not to say that there will not be a lot of crossover in the training program, but that there are certain aspects that need to be addressed. This isn’t always as easy as it sounds. Many teams train together and it can be difficult for the Strength Coach to modify the program for the goalies, but it should be noted and modified as much as possible.

Common Mistakes

As with any training regimen, achieving the best results does not happen overnight. Here are some typical errors that a goalie can make:

• Copying NHL workouts too early
• Neglecting mobility
• Only training the upper body
• Skipping warm-ups
• Overtraining in-season
• Ignoring recovery

Off-Ice Training Specifics

Now that we have deciphered that the demands placed on a goalie differs from those on a skater, and that their programs should also be different, what should be the focus of this regimen?

The off-ice training for goalies program should focus on the age and level of the athlete. Exercises that are good for one goalie may be too complex for another; always begin simple. Then, as the athlete masters the exercise, make it increasingly difficult. Adding resistance, placing the athlete on an unstable surface or making the movement more complex are all good examples of how to make the training more difficult.

Below are some of the basic principles that should be included in an off-ice training for goalies program:

• Agility exercises that focus on lateral movement
• Plyometric exercises that focus on lateral movement
• Single leg- and hip-strengthening exercises
• Core stability
• Shoulder strengthening and stability exercises
• Hand-eye coordination

Landing Mechanics; Neck Strength, and Concussion Resilience

Goalies spend a considerable amount of time dropping, recovering, and pushing laterally. That’s why your routine should include single-leg balance; deceleration drills; landing softly after jumps; knee alignment; and reducing unnecessary joint stress.

Research lately has increased interest in neck strengthening, because stronger neck muscles may help reduce head acceleration during impacts. That’s why it’s important to work on isometric neck exercises.

Taking it to the Next Level

There is an unlimited amount of exercises that can be used with goalies to help them improve their performance on the ice. Using the principles previously mentioned, these are some key exercises that can be implemented into your goalie training program:

• Lateral lunges
• Lateral bounds
• Resisted shuffles
• Mini-band exercises for hip strength
• Rear foot-elevated split squats
• Medicine ball Russian Twists
• Dumbbell forward, diagonal, and lateral shoulder-raises
• Dumbbell rows
• Alternate ball toss with a partner

Equally important for a goaltender is a subject that is often overlooked. Being a goalie means you must be mentally tough. You can’t let your emotions get the best of you. You have to be able to bounce back from a tough goal or loss, and not let any negative thoughts get inside your head. It’s all about keeping your focus.

Finally, recovery is part of training. Be sure your routine includes enough quality sleep; proper hydration; healthy nutrition after training; “deload” off weeks; and managing your workload during tournament weekends.

As a goalie, the way you train off the ice directly affects the way you perform on the ice. Take a step-by-step approach with long-term athletic development in mind. Consider goals that emphasize proper technique and progression as the basis of your program, to maximize performance and limit injuries.

Chris Phillips is a certified Athletic Trainer and Strength & Conditioning Specialist with over 20 years of experience in professional sports. He spent 8 years in the NHL, with the Mighty Ducks of Anaheim and the Washington Capitals. Phillips now owns and operates Compete Sports Performance and Rehab in Orange County, Ca.

Consult a physician before undertaking any training regimen to ensure it’s right for you.