Performance skating characteristics of professional ice hockey forwards

Abstract

The performance skating characteristics of the typical National Hockey League forward have not been investigated to the best of the authors' knowledge. The purpose of this study was: (1) to establish an observational protocol and perform motion analysis to identify the individual performance skating characteristics of the high and low, point scoring, National Hockey League forward (n= 12), (2) determine the percentage of execution time spent in each skating characteristic measured by time and the percentage of occurrence of each skating characteristic counted and (3) identify each variable that differentiates a high from a low point scorer. A two‐tiered slow‐motion observational protocol was used to analyze each skating characteristic adopted during a game. Fifteen timed, and 12 frequency, performance skating characteristics were identified and analyzed. The highest mean percentages of time spent by a player in a game were on a two foot glide (39.0%), a cruise stride (16.2%), medium intensity skating (10.0%), a struggle for puck or position (9.8%), and low intensity skating (7.8%). The highest percentage of total occurrences were a left crossover turn (20.2%), a gliding left turn (17.8%), a right crossover turn (17.7%) and a gliding right turn (16.4%). The primary difference between a high and a low point scorer was that a high point scorer spent more time on the ice, and had a higher mean percentage of time spent in a two foot glide with and without a puck. A low point scorer had a higher mean percentage of occurrence in transition from forward to backward skating, and a higher mean percentage of occurrence in a gliding right turn and a left cross over turn while stickhandling the puck.