The Hockey Health Brief · Newsletter #2 · Current Issue

Better Recovery. Better Hockey.

The Summer Recovery Blueprint for Hockey Players.

The Hockey Health Brief

Better Recovery. Better Hockey.

The Summer Recovery Blueprint for Hockey Players

From last issue to this issue

Last time, we looked at why hip and groin pain is so common in hockey players . This issue builds on that same idea: healthy hockey players are not just built in the gym or on the ice. They are built through the recovery habits that help the body tolerate the demands of skating, lifting, training, and competing.

Summer hockey can be sneaky.

There may be fewer games, but many players are still skating, lifting, shooting, training, attending camps, playing other sports, traveling, and staying up later than usual. Add in hot weather and inconsistent routines: recovery can quickly become the missing piece.

For hockey players, recovery is not just about feeling less sore. It is about giving the body enough support to adapt to training, reduce fatigue, and stay healthy once the season gets busy and skating volume increases.

That starts with two simple habits:

Sleep enough.
Stay hydrated.

These habits are not flashy. But they can have a major impact on how a player feels, trains, recovers, learns, and performs.

An injury-free season does not start on the first day of tryouts. It starts with the habits built in the summer.

Recovery = Training Gains

Training creates stress. It is purposeful.

Recovery is where the body adapts to that stress.

That is an important difference. Skating, lifting, sprinting, shooting, and conditioning all challenge the body. But the actual improvement happens when the athlete has enough time and resources to adapt.

For hockey players, this matters because the season is long. The body has to tolerate repeated skating, cutting, battling, shooting, travel, school, tournaments, and strength training. If recovery is consistently poor, players may still be able to train, but they may not be adapting as well as they could.

Over time, poor recovery can show up as:

More soreness than usual
Slower skating or heavy legs
Poor focus
Reduced motivation
Sickness
Feeling run down during busy training weeks

This does not mean every injury is caused by poor recovery. It does mean that sleep and hydration should be treated as part of the training plan.

Simple takeaway:

Recovery is not separate from training. Recovery is what allows training to work.

Sleep: The Most Powerful Recovery Tool

Want a quick fix? Focus on sleep quality and quantity.

Sleep supports physical recovery, learning, attention, reaction time, mood, immune function, and overall health. For youth athletes, it is also closely tied to growth and long-term development.

So, that magic pill every athlete is looking for to get better?

You found it.

A review of young athletes found that insufficient sleep is common in athletes ages 14–25 and may affect injury risk, recovery, and performance. The review also highlighted that young athletes getting less than 8 hours of sleep per night have a higher musculoskeletal injury risk. [3]

Another systematic review and meta-analysis in adolescent athletes found that chronically poor-sleeping adolescents had 1.58 times greater odds of injury. Meaning about 58% greater risk. [4]

That does not mean one bad night of sleep causes an injury. Life happens. Tournaments run late. Travel gets messy. School and summer schedules change.

But if poor sleep becomes the pattern, the athlete may have a harder time recovering from the demands of training.

How Much Sleep Do Hockey Players Need?

Here is a simple sleep chart families can use as a starting point.

Age	Recommended Sleep Per Night	Hockey Player Takeaway
10–13 years old	9–11 hours	Build a consistent bedtime routine now. Young athletes need sleep to support growth, learning, and recovery.
14–17 years old	8–10 hours	Protect sleep during heavy training weeks, tournaments, late-night screen use, and growth spurts.
18+ years old	7–9 hours	Adult athletes still need consistent sleep to recover, train, and perform well.

Hockey Health Takeaway:

For youth hockey players, aim toward the higher end of the range during heavy training weeks, tournaments, growth spurts, or periods of increased soreness.

A player who is training hard, skating multiple days per week, lifting, attending camps, and playing other sports likely needs more sleep than a player in a lighter training block.

The harder the body is working, the more recovery it needs.

Better Recovery. Better Hockey. Sleep Quick Guide

The 3-2-1 Sleep Rule

A simple pre-bed checklist can make sleep easier.

Time Before Bed	What to Avoid	Why It Helps
3 hours	No large meals	Helps the body wind down instead of digesting a heavy meal.
2 hours	No intense homework, video games, or stressful work	Reduces mental stimulation before bed.
1 hour	No blue light when possible	Helps the brain transition toward sleep.

Simple rule:

The routine matters more than chasing a perfect night.

Sleep and Performance

Decreasing injury risk not enough? It affects how they perform. Tell your son, daughter, teammate, or patient that and it may get their attention.

A 2022 systematic review and meta-analysis found that acute sleep loss led to an average 7.56% decrease in physical performance across multiple categories, including strength, speed/power, anaerobic performance, endurance, strength-endurance, and skill. [2]

A tired hockey player may still be able to skate, but decision-making, reaction time, effort, and skill execution will all be affected.

That is why summer is such a good time to build the habit. Once the season starts, schedules get more chaotic. School returns. Practices run late. Games and tournaments stack up.

If sleep is already inconsistent before the season starts, it usually does not improve once the season begins.

How to Improve Sleep This Summer

The goal is not perfection. The goal is consistency.

Here are five simple ways hockey players can improve sleep habits this summer.

1. Keep Bedtime and Wake Time Within 60 Minutes

Summer schedules get loose. That is normal.

But when bedtime and wake time swing by several hours from day to day or on weekends, the body has a harder time settling into a rhythm.

A simple goal is to keep bedtime and wake time within about 60 minutes most days.

This does not mean players can never stay up late. It means the default routine should be predictable.

Action step:
Pick a realistic summer bedtime and wake time. Try to keep both within a one-hour window for most of the week.

2. Build a 30-Minute Wind-Down Routine

Athletes do not need a complicated nighttime routine. They need a repeatable one.

A good wind-down routine tells the body it is time to shift out of stimulation and into recovery.

Examples:

Warm shower
Light stretching
Reading
Breathing
Pack gear or workout clothes for the next day
Turning lights down
Putting the phone away

The key is to make the last 30 minutes of the day calmer than the rest of the day.

Action step:
Choose two things to do every night before bed. Keep them simple enough that they can be repeated during the season.

Set Up the Sleep Environment

Sleep Habit	Hockey Player Action
Dark	Use blackout shades or a sleep mask.
Quiet	Use a fan, white noise, or ear plugs if needed.
Cool	Keep the room cool, around 65–67°F if possible.
Clean	Use fresh sheets and keep the sleep space simple.
Calm	Try longer exhale breathing before bed.
Screen-Free	Keep the phone away from the bed.

Hockey Health Takeaway:

Make the last 30–60 minutes of the day calmer than the rest of the day.

3. Get Screens Out of the Final 60 Minutes

Phones, video games, and late-night scrolling can push bedtime later and make it harder to wind down.

For many athletes, the issue is not just the screen itself. It is the time loss. I hear this all the time in clinic.

Me: “What time did you get to sleep last night?”

Athlete: “1 AM.”

Me: “1 AM!? What on earth were you doing?”

Athlete: “Nothin’. Scrolling TikTok.”

A player checks the phone for five minutes, then suddenly it has been 45 minutes.

That is sleep time gone.

Action step:
Set a “phone parking spot” outside the bed. Charge the phone across the room or outside the bedroom when possible. If they are on their phone within 60 minutes of bed, blue light filtering glasses may be helpful.

4. Use Naps Strategically

Naps can be helpful, especially after poor sleep, travel, early skates, or heavy training days.

How Hockey Players Should Nap

Nap Type	Length	Best Use
Power Nap	10–20 min	Quick energy and alertness boost.
Recovery Nap	~30 min	Helpful after poor sleep or heavy training.
Full Cycle Nap	~90 min	Best when the athlete has enough time to fully wake up.
NSDR	10–20 min	Breathing, relaxation, or guided rest without needing to fall asleep.

Simple rule:

Nap early enough that it does not steal from nighttime sleep. An easy formula is 12 hours following the middle of your sleep from the night before.

Example: If you fell asleep at 9 PM and woke up at 6 AM, the middle of that sleep window is around 1:30 AM. A good nap time is likely around 1:30 PM.

Action step:
On heavy training days, use a short nap as a recovery tool, not as a replacement for poor nighttime sleep.

5. Protect Sleep After Hard Training Days

The night after a hard skate, lift, camp, tournament, or multi-session day matters.

That is when the body needs recovery. If the athlete stacks hard training with poor sleep, the body may struggle to adapt.

Action step:
After the hardest training days of the week, make sleep the priority. This is not the night to stay up late just because it is summer.

Hydration: Drink Before You're Thirsty

Hydration is the second major recovery habit hockey players should build in the summer.

Many players spend summer days outside in the heat, then head into a cold, dry rink environment. Others go from camps to lifts to shooting sessions to outdoor activities. If they start practice already behind on fluids, they are playing catch-up before they even step on the ice.

Hydration supports energy, focus, temperature regulation, muscle function, and recovery.

The biggest mistake is waiting until a player feels thirsty at the rink.

Hydration is not something you cram before practice. It is something you build throughout the day.

Daily Hydration Framework

Time of Day	What Hockey Players Should Do	Why It Matters
Morning	Drink a full glass or water bottle within 30 minutes of waking up.	Helps replace fluids lost overnight and starts the day hydrated.
Before training	Drink water with the meal or snack before skating, lifting, or outdoor activity.	Helps players arrive at the rink prepared instead of already behind.
During training	Take regular water breaks during practices, workouts, camps, and games.	Helps maintain energy, focus, and hydration during activity.
After training	Rehydrate with water and eat a meal or snack that includes sodium.	Helps replace fluids and supports recovery after sweating.
Evening	Continue drinking water through dinner, but avoid chugging large amounts right before bed.	Supports hydration without disrupting sleep overnight.

For young athletes, the first goal should be to drink half your bodyweight in fl/oz of water daily. More nuanced, the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends staying well-hydrated in the days and hours before activity. For vigorous activity or heavy sweating, children ages 9–12 generally need about 3–8 ounces of water every 20 minutes, while teens may need about 34–50 ounces per hour depending on sweat rate, intensity, and conditions. [8]

These numbers do not need to become a math problem for every family. The bigger point is simple:

Do not start hydrating when you're thirsty. Start earlier.

How to Improve Hydration This Summer

Here are five simple hydration habits hockey players can build now.

1. Drink Water Early in the Day

Many athletes start the day behind. They wake up, eat quickly (maybe?), head to camp, skate, lift, or go outside, and barely drink anything until later.

That makes hydration harder than it needs to be.

Action step:
Drink water within 30 minutes of waking up.

It does not need to be perfect. Just start the day with a simple win.

2. Bring a Water Bottle Everywhere

The best hydration plan is the one the player can actually follow.

If the water bottle is not available, the habit usually does not happen.

Action step:
Bring a water bottle to every skate, lift, shooting session, camp, outdoor workout, and car ride.

For younger players, parents can help by making the water bottle part of the hockey bag checklist.

3. Start Hydrating Before the Rink

A player who starts drinking water during practice may already be behind.

The goal is to arrive prepared, not spend the whole session trying to catch up.

Action step:
Drink water with the meal or snack before training. Then sip again on the way to the rink.

4. Rehydrate After Training

After skating, lifting, or outdoor activity, the body needs fluid back.

Water helps, but food matters too. A post-training meal or snack that includes some high quality sodium can help replace what was lost through sweat.

This does not need to mean a sports drink after every practice. Many athletes can do well with water and a normal meal.

But after long sessions, heavy sweating, hot weather, or multiple sessions in a day, electrolytes are useful.

Action step:
After training, drink water and eat a meal or snack that includes some sodium.

Examples:

Sandwich and fruit
Eggs and toast
Rice bowl
Smoothie plus pretzels
Greek yogurt plus granola and water
Chocolate milk and a salty snack

5. Use Urine Color as a Simple Check

This is not perfect, but it is practical.

A simple guideline:

Pale yellow usually suggests hydration is in a good place.
Dark yellow may suggest the athlete needs more fluid.
Completely clear all day may mean the athlete is overdoing fluids.

The goal is not to force water nonstop. The goal is steady hydration throughout the day.

Action step:
Check urine color once or twice per day, especially before training or during tournament weekends.

Sleep and Hydration Work Together

Sleep and hydration are separate habits, but they work together.

If an athlete drinks too much fluid late at night, they may wake up to use the bathroom and disrupt sleep. If an athlete sleeps poorly, they may feel more tired, crave more caffeine or sugar, and be less consistent with hydration. If an athlete is dehydrated, they may feel sluggish, get headaches, or struggle to focus during training.

That is why recovery should be simple and connected.

Do not overcomplicate it.

Build the habits that make the next day easier.

Parent Check-In: Signs Recovery May Be Slipping

Parents do not need to track every detail. Start by watching patterns.

Sign	What It May Mean
Waking up tired most mornings	Sleep amount or sleep quality may be too low.
Frequent headaches	Hydration, sleep, nutrition, or recovery may need attention.
More soreness than usual	Training load may be exceeding recovery.
Poor mood or low motivation	Fatigue may be building.
Nagging aches during skating	The body may not be adapting well.
Trouble focusing during training or games	Sleep and hydration may be affecting readiness.

One rough night is not a crisis. One dehydrated practice is not the end of the world.

The concern is the pattern.

If the athlete is constantly tired, sore, moody, unfocused, or dealing with nagging aches, recovery habits are a good place to start.

The 7-Day Summer Recovery Challenge

For the next 7 days, pick one sleep habit and one hydration habit.

Do not try to fix everything at once. Choose one habit from each category and repeat it.

Sleep Goal: Pick One

Keep bedtime and wake time within 60 minutes most days.
Turn screens off 30–60 minutes before bed.
Get morning sunlight within the first hour of waking.
Use a short 20–30 minute nap after a hard training day if nighttime sleep was poor.
Protect sleep the night after games, camps, tournaments, or hard lifts.

Hydration Goal: Pick One

Drink water within 30 minutes of waking.
Bring a water bottle to every skate, lift, camp, or workout.
Drink water with each meal.
Start hydrating before getting to the rink.
Rehydrate after activity with water and a meal or snack that includes some sodium.

Simple rule:

Pick one sleep habit and one hydration habit. Repeat them until they become automatic.

Final Thought

Recovery does not need to be complicated.

For hockey players, the foundation starts with two simple habits: sleep enough and drink water consistently.

These habits may not feel exciting, but they support the body’s ability to train, adapt, recover, and stay healthy.

The players who build these habits in the summer are often better prepared when the season becomes busy.

Better recovery leads to better hockey.

And a healthier season starts before the season begins.

This Week’s Challenge

Pick one sleep habit and one hydration habit to improve this week.

The goal is not perfection.

The goal is building habits that carry into the hockey season.

References

Dobrosielski DA, Sweeney L, Lisman PJ. The association between poor sleep and the incidence of sport and physical training-related injuries in adult athletic populations: a systematic review. Sports Medicine. 2021;51(4):777-793. doi:10.1007/s40279-020-01416-3.
Craven J, McCartney D, Desbrow B, et al. Effects of acute sleep loss on physical performance: a systematic and meta-analytical review. Sports Medicine. 2022;52(11):2669-2690. doi:10.1007/s40279-022-01706-y.
Fox JL, Scanlan AT, Stanton R, Sargent C. Insufficient sleep in young athletes? Causes, consequences, and potential treatments. Sports Medicine. 2020;50(3):461-470. doi:10.1007/s40279-019-01220-8.
Gao B, Dwivedi S, Milewski MD, Cruz AI. Lack of sleep and sports injuries in adolescents: a systematic review and meta-analysis. Journal of Pediatric Orthopedics. 2019;39(5). doi:10.1097/BPO.0000000000001306.
Walsh NP, Halson SL, Sargent C, et al. Sleep and the athlete: narrative review and 2021 expert consensus recommendations. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2020. doi:10.1136/bjsports-2020-102025.
Creado SA, Advani S. Sleep disorders in the athlete. Psychiatric Clinics of North America. 2021;44(3):393-403. doi:10.1016/j.psc.2021.04.010.
Montero A, Stevens D, Adams R, Drummond M. Sleep and mental health issues in current and former athletes: a mini review. Frontiers in Psychology. 2022;13:868614. doi:10.3389/fpsyg.2022.868614.
American Academy of Pediatrics. Choose Water for Healthy Hydration. HealthyChildren.org. Updated July 26, 2024.
National Sleep Foundation. The Family That Sleeps Well, Does Well. Available at: thensf.org.

See you on the ice,

Jeremy O’Keefe, PT, DPT, SCS, CSCS
Integrated Performance

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