Physical Performance and the Relationship to Game Performance in Elite Adolescent Ice Hockey

Abstract

Determining performance indicators within team sports is considerably important as it facilitates the underlying training methodologies of sports performance. The value of understanding individual contribution and the relevant physical factors is of importance when structuring appropriate strength and conditioning training. Therefore, the aim of this study was to analyse the relationships between physical performance and game performance, as well as examining the relationships of physical performance and game performance dependent on competition level. This research project was a case study conducted with a team’s game performance measured across a full season. Twelve elite adolescent male ice hockey players (17.92 ± 0.9 years, 185 ± 8.45 cm, 83.17 ± 8.61 kg) participated in the study after giving informed consent. Physical performance was measured using four tests (horizontal jump, single-leg lateral jump, 15-meter sprint, corner S test), while game performance was calculated through the statistical equation Point Shares. Statistical significance was set at p ≤ 0.05. Physical performance did not depict any strong indications of overall game performance. Instead, results illustrated an inverse relationship between plyometric performance and offensive point shares. However, on-ice agility may be a relevant indicator of game performance dependent on competition level for individuals and sub-groups. Thus, the findings suggest that explaining individual performance within team sports is a highly complex issue that needs further investigation.