The Role of Mobility in Hockey Performance

When it comes to building great hockey players, one of the most overlooked areas of development is mobility. Most folks talk about speed, power, strength, or even stamina. And while all those things are important, they don’t mean much if a player’s body can’t move the way it’s supposed to. Mobility is all about being able to move your joints freely and smoothly through their full range of motion, and that plays a major role in just about everything a player does on the ice.

A lot of people confuse mobility with flexibility. But here’s the thing — flexibility is about how far a muscle can stretch, while mobility is about how well a joint moves under control. That means mobility is more functional for hockey. You can touch your toes all day, but if your hips, ankles, or shoulders are tight and weak during game situations, you’re going to struggle when the pressure’s on. Hockey is a fast and reactive sport, and players need to be able to twist, turn, stop, start, and stretch in ways that demand real mobility — not just flexibility.

Let’s start with skating. If a player doesn’t have strong hip and ankle mobility, they’re going to lose power in every stride. Their push-off gets shorter, their edge work becomes sloppy, and their starts won’t have that most desirable explosive burst. On the flip side, players with good mobility in those key areas move more efficiently. Their strides are longer and smoother, they get up to top speed quicker, and they can change direction in a flash. Mobility gives them that extra gear.

Mobility also plays a huge role in preventing injuries. Young players, and even seasoned vets, often get sidelined with groin pulls, back pain, or knee trouble. And nine times out of ten, it traces back to poor mobility. Tight hips, stiff spines, and weak ankles can force a player to overcompensate in other areas, leading to unnecessary strain and injuries. That’s why including mobility work in every training phase –preseason, in-season, and off-season — is just plain smart.

We can’t forget how it helps with puck handling and shooting either. Good shoulder, wrist, and thoracic (upper back) mobility allows players to extend their reach, protect the puck, and get off quicker, more powerful shots. That rotation from the core when shooting or passing? That comes from good mobility, not just strength.

Now, I always tell my players this: stretching on its own won’t cut it. Sure, stretching feels good, and it helps relax tight muscles. But hockey players need dynamic mobility — movement that builds strength while improving range of motion. That means doing drills like deep lunges with rotation, hip circles, ankle mobility work, and even wall slides to loosen up the upper body. These should be part of your warm-up, your cool-down, and even your off-ice training routine.

When players make mobility a priority, everything else in their game improves — speed, balance, shooting, puck control, and especially injury resistance. I’ve seen players climb entire levels of play just because they finally unlocked their body’s full movement potential. It’s not flashy work, but it’s the kind of foundational training that pays off big.

So, if you’re serious about improving as a player or coach, don’t ignore mobility. Work it into your practices, off-ice workouts, and recovery sessions. If you’re not sure where to start, this old coach would be happy to help. Search here through CoachChic.com or reach out to me, Dennis C, for personalized tips, routines, and advice. We’ve got you covered here with the same insights used at our game’s highest levels.