Hockey practice on a rest day
For parents of players 7 to 17. What to do at home today, not a week plan.
The short answer: On a day with no ice, do one short session at home, then stop. Pick one skill and 3 to 5 drills from that skill. On an ice day or a game day, skip home work. On a light day, skip or stop early. Do not add a second skill.
Ice day, light day, or off day
Look at today. Do not rebuild the week.
- Ice day or game day: no home session. The rink is the practice.
- Light day: the team already ran dryland, or your child is tired before a game. Skip, or do one short session and stop early. Do not add minutes past the age window.
- Off day: no ice and no team dryland. This is the day for one short home session.
A short session on an off day still counts. It does not replace ice time, a game, or a coach. If the week is already full, skip the home night. A sample week is on off-ice hockey training at home, and the weekly picture is on how much dryland training by age.
Keep it short
These sessions are for players 7 to 17. The clock is the whole block, not a warm-up plus a workout.
- Under 10: about 12 minutes.
- Ages 10 to 13: about 15 minutes.
- Ages 14 and up: about 20 minutes.
On a light day, stop early. On an off day, use that window and stop when it ends.
If you warm up on the floor, keep it to 1 to 2 minutes inside that clock. The app does not run a warm-up. The moves are on hockey warm-up at home. Do them first, then open one skill. Do not add them after a full session.
One skill, then stop
A rest day is not a longer day. Do 3 to 5 drills from one skill. Then you are done.
Stickhandling needs no net. Start with stickhandling drills at home.
Most shooting needs a real net. Five freeze and weight-shift drills do not. A tarp or a blanket is not a net. Use shooting drills at home only if the net is set up.
Home work cannot train skating. Edges work is not ice skating. Read can you train skating off ice before you expect a better stride from the living room.
Strength is bodyweight only. No weights. The setup is in strength training for young hockey players.
Puckmaxxing has 90+ drills in four skills: stickhandling, shooting, edges and athleticism, and strength and core. House league is free in every category. Climbing past House needs a paid plan. Drill cues and timings come from the app. Do not treat this page as the drill list.
Stop if it hurts. Tell a grown-up.
Questions parents ask
Should my kid practice hockey on a rest day?
Yes, if there is no ice and no team dryland that day. One short session. One skill. 3 to 5 drills. Then stop. Skip home work on ice days and game days.
What is a light day?
A day to skip, or to stop early. The team already ran dryland, or your child is tired before a game. Stay inside the age window. Do not add a second skill to make up for a short night.
How long is a rest-day session?
About 12 minutes under 10, about 15 for ages 10 to 13, and about 20 for 14 and up. Players are 7 to 17. On a light day, stop early.
Can we do two skills because it is a rest day?
No. One skill per session. Pick stickhandling or shooting, not both. A rest day is not a second practice.
Does the app warm them up?
No. There is no in-app warm-up. A 1 to 2 minute floor warm-up, if you do one, sits inside the session clock. Drill cues and timings come from the app after that.
Get the app
Puckmaxxing is on the App Store and Google Play.
Short guided sessions with Puckmaxxing
Pick one skill. Match the clock to the age. Do 3 to 5 drills, then stop.
Suggested exercise for young athletes, not medical advice. Stop if it hurts. Tell a grown-up.