Deceleration: The Most Underrated Skill in Hockey

Everyone wants to be faster. But ask any strength coach, rehab specialist, or pro-level hockey player—and they’ll tell you:

Speed without the ability to decelerate is a liability.

If you can’t stop, slow down, or absorb your own momentum, your risk of injury skyrockets—and your effectiveness on the ice drops.

That’s why learning to decelerate properly is just as important as acceleration.

Why Deceleration Training Matters in Hockey

Every high-speed movement ends in a braking moment:

• Stopping to transition into a new direction

• Halting to make a pass or shot

• Slowing down to avoid contact or absorb force

• Pulling up along the boards or near the crease

If you don’t control how you stop, your body pays the price—through joint strain, poor positioning, and missed opportunities.

Proper deceleration = better edge control, smoother transitions, and fewer non-contact injuries.

The Science Behind It

Deceleration places high eccentric loads on your muscles—especially the quads, glutes, hamstrings, and calves. Eccentric strength is your body’s ability to control force while lengthening, like landing from a jump or absorbing contact.

Athletes with poor eccentric control are more likely to suffer ACL injuries, groin pulls, and high ankle sprains.¹ And in hockey, those injuries usually come from trying to stop or change direction without control.²

How to Train Deceleration Off the Ice

1. Eccentric Strength Work

These help build the force-absorbing foundation you need to land safely and stop powerfully.

• Tempo goblet squats (3–5 sec lowering)

• Eccentric single-leg RDLs

• Slow Nordic hamstring curls

2. Jump Landings & Skater Hops

Train your body to absorb lateral and vertical force in positions that mirror skating.

• Stick landings with soft knees and hips

• Lateral skater hops with 2–3 sec holds

• Single-leg box drop to balance

3. Reactive Braking Drills

Practice controlled stops from unpredictable movement.

• Sprint-to-stick stop drills

• Shuttle deceleration with audio/visual cues

• Band-resisted pull-backs into holds

Cues to Remember

• “Absorb, don’t slam”

• “Soft knees, strong hips”

• “Land like you’re trying not to make a sound”

• “Control first, then speed”

Good deceleration isn’t just about stopping—it’s about preparing your body for the next movement with control.

Train Smarter with Elite Goalie Method

I train my athletes for real performance—not just highlight reels. That means mastering the fundamentals that keep you fast, sharp, and safe. Deceleration is one of them.

Inside all my training programs I teach hockey athletes how to control their movement before they scale it—so speed turns into results, not risk.

Want to have the best off season of your life? Click below

Dr. Jamie

Ghost Rehab and Performance | Elite Goalie Method

References (AMA Format)

1. Hewett TE, Ford KR, Myer GD. Anterior cruciate ligament injuries in female athletes: Part 2, a meta-analysis of neuromuscular interventions aimed at injury prevention. Am J Sports Med. 2006;34(3):490-498.

2. McGuine TA, Greene JJ, Best T, Leverson G. Balance as a predictor of ankle injuries in high school basketball players. Clin J Sport Med. 2000;10(4):239–244.

3. Clark KP, Ryan LJ, Weyand PG. A general relationship links gait mechanics and running ground reaction forces. J Exp Biol. 2017;220(13):247–255.

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