During off-season, I make my team undergo a hockey-conditioning program to maintain the team members’ strength and agility. We cross-train and do longer duration and low intensity aerobic activities. I also have my players jog, hike, swim, and bike to get them outside. Our cross-training lasts for around 30 to 90 minutes a day, three times a week for the first three weeks.

For the succeeding weeks, we increase the activities in intensity and duration. We also start adding sprints, stair runs and inline skating as these are more hockey-specific exercises. I gave out NHL clocks to all my players so they would be motivated to get up each morning and look forward to the day’s activities we’ll be doing together.