I know nothing about Haakee, as Juli will tell you. I didn't know the NHL had a combine. What are the tests?
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Just watched the NHL combine
...150lbs bench test? Really?
I don't claim to know much (if at all) about S&C coaching, but isn't this kind of ridiculous? I saw some of the guys on there struggling with that weight, is this something that is limited to hockey? I don't really follow any other sport much, so this seemed a tad... Shocking. Seems to me that in a sport where you have to be so fast, give so many hits and take so many hits back you'd want a little bit more meat on your bones than that.
I don't know if there's a question here other than WTF? Do you see the attitude towards strength in mass that is pervasive in so many sports change any time soon?
TMPHBITEU
I know nothing about Haakee, as Juli will tell you. I didn't know the NHL had a combine. What are the tests?
Member
http://centralscouting.nhl.com/link3...e/protocol.pdfOriginally Posted by Mark Rippetoe
These are being done on 17 and 18 year olds, some of whom just recently finished their season.
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As a slight aside, I have noticed that MLB players seem to have gotten a bit larger and more massive over the years. I dunno. I always thought hockey guys were stout. Perhaps I was wrong.
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One of the tests is body-weight bench and most of the top ones will do 10-15 reps and don't forget that these are kids that will put on 15 lbs of muscle every off season for a while. If you don't think hockey players are strong or tough, I suggest that you tune into the Stanley Cup finals tomorrow and watch a game.
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From tsn.ca:
Boston University defenceman Adam Clendening, Sea Dogs forward Tomas Jurco, and Prince Albert Raiders forward Mark McNeil powered their way to 13 reps on the bench (150 pounds), the most on the day. Clendening also earned the top push-up total with 40, while McNeil had the best push strength with 366 pounds and was second to U.S. National Team forward Tyler Biggs, who had a pull strength of 323 pounds.
Portland Winterhawks forward Ty Rattie and Shawinigan Cataractes defenceman Jonathan Racine earned bragging rights by posting the top score on the the dreaded Wingate Cycle Ergometer, which measures a player's peak power output. Both players registered 15.9 watts of energy per kilogram of body weight. Racine also had the best long jump with 119.3 inches.
Larsson was the only top prospect to emerge on top in an event, lasting 14 minutes in the VO2 Max test, tied with Vancouver Giants' David Musil.
Moose Jaw Warriors defenceman Joel Edmundson had the longest wing span at 79.24 inches, and Rogle defenceman Rasmus Bengtsson had the lowest body fat with 3.6 percent.
Portland defenceman Joseph Morrow and Saginaw Spirit forward Vincent Trocheck earned top marks in the vertical jump hitting 30.3 inches, and Swift Current Broncos defenseman Reece Scarlett did 51 curl ups to take that event.
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I will tell you this, Rip knows nothing about Haakee.I know nothing about Haakee, as Juli will tell you.
My limited knowledge of the "combine" is that it is a formality of the interview process prior to the draft. Most teams have their picks written based on previous On-Ice play and stats and the only thing jeopardizing the draw is if the player appeared to be an unacceptable prick at the combine. The "events" are a joke and the fact that some stupid kid with the highest level of skills on the ice complains about riding a bike hard for a bit should be embarrassing to the NHL.
Strength is not valued in hockey in the average player. There is a disconnect between the benefits of strength as portrayed in speed and agility. Our junior A team in Wichita Falls is encouraged to follow a machine based program in a globo gym but still only about half the team chooses to show up there and it's usually only to get chicks. Groin and Hamstring injuries are acceptable (seee Marion Garborik) and getting a coach at the beginning levels to get their kids to squat and eat instead of another wall sit is met with superior disdain.
But the fact that there's fighting on ice skates make it the greatest game on earth.
jp
Member
Strong and tough are two different things. That (mostly) sub 200 pound men skate against other sub 200 pound men doesn't mean they're strong, it means they play on an even playing field.If you don't think hockey players are strong or tough,
Tough is another story, but even that is going away. Enforcers are a thing of the past and watching a tightly called game is akin to watching the last two minutes of a basketball game.
But the fact that there's fighting on ice skates make it the greatest game on earth.
jp
Member
No worries, hockey is the only sport I follow quasi-religiously. I simply had never watched the combine.
Member
While I agree that hockey is not as tough as it used to be, fighting is just one aspect of how rough the game can be and it remains a pretty brutal game at times. I mean, how many players have all of their initial teeth? Look at the rate of concussions. Heck, in baseball you try to get out of the way of an errant pitch, hockey players are diving in front of a 100MPH frozen rock.
Think you're underestimating their size too. Average D-men are certainly above 200 pounds, probably closer to 210. Would imagine forwards are slightly over 200 on average. There are some big goalies too, but I imagine that's one position that allows lighter players to excel.
All that being said, I think the focus on strength is not as prevalent as it should be in the league. Of all the sports I think hockey could benefit most from lifts like the squat, since few sports stress those muscles/the balance required in the same way. Then again, I'm not privvy to the inner workings of NHL teams, so I'd be shocked if this was unknown to them.
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