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Training Camp Hip & Groin Readiness
Monitor early. Build adductor capacity. Train strength through the ranges hockey actually uses.
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Welcome back to the Hockey Health Brief.
With training camp getting closer, a lot of attention goes toward testing, conditioning, and first impressions. Those things matter, but today I want to focus on something that may have an even bigger impact once the skates go on: the hips and groin.
This is not about making players afraid of getting hurt. It is about helping players understand one of the most important areas for skating performance, camp readiness, and staying available once the season starts.
Hip and groin issues are part of hockey.
That does not mean they should be accepted as normal, ignored, or treated like “just part of the season.” But if you spend enough time around hockey players, you know how common this conversation is.
A player feels a little tight after skating. The groin feels a little sore during crossovers. Stride width starts to disappear. The player avoids certain pushes, transitions, or battle positions.
Sometimes they miss time.
Often, they do not.
That is part of the problem.
Hip and groin issues in hockey are often an iceberg. The time-loss injuries are only the part we see. Underneath the surface are the players skating through tightness, soreness, reduced range, lower confidence, and gradual changes in how they move.
That matters because training camp is where those small problems can get exposed.
The problem is bigger than missed games
One of the biggest mistakes we make with hip and groin issues is only counting them when a player misses time.
Prospective research in Swedish professional and semiprofessional male ice hockey players found a cumulative seasonal incidence of hip and groin problems around 45%, with professional players reporting even higher rates. Importantly, only about one in five problems led to formal time loss, and most had a gradual onset.[1,2]
That means many players are not suddenly injured out of nowhere. They are often managing something for days, weeks, or months before it becomes obvious.
NCAA data tell a similar story. Men’s ice hockey has among the highest rates of hip flexor and adductor strains across collegiate sports, with recurrence rates reported between 16% and 31%.[3]
That recurrence piece matters.
If a player has dealt with groin symptoms before, especially symptoms they played through, that history should not be brushed off. In hockey-specific research, prior hip/groin problems, even those that did not cause missed time, were among the strongest predictors of future problems.[1]
So the first question before camp is not just, “Are you healthy?”
A better question is:
“Have you had anything in the hip or groin that changed how you skated, trained, or recovered over the past year?”
Why camp exposes the hips and groin
Training camp is not just more hockey. It is a specific type of workload spike.
More high-intensity skating. More small-area games. More battle drills. More stops and starts. More crossovers. More edge work. More practices stacked close together. More fatigue. More pressure.
The hip and groin sit right in the middle of all of that.
They help the player push laterally, recover the leg underneath the body, control the pelvis, rotate, hold edges, and repeat high-force skating positions. They are involved when a player accelerates, changes direction, protects the puck, battles along the wall, and tries to keep skating quality high when tired.
That is why this is not just an injury topic.
It is a performance topic.
| The hip/groin helps with |
Why it matters during camp |
| Stride width and lateral push-off |
Helps create speed and separation |
| Adductor strength |
Helps tolerate repeated wide pushes, crossovers, and battles |
| Hip rotation and control |
Helps access skating positions without compensation |
| Trunk and pelvis control |
Helps transfer force and maintain body position |
| Repeated skating under fatigue |
Helps preserve mechanics as camp volume builds |
| Early symptom awareness |
Helps prevent small problems from becoming missed time |
The hips and groin are not just injury areas.
They are skating performance areas.
The first major take-home: monitor early, do not guess
The previous version of this newsletter focused heavily on Copenhagen progressions, and that still matters. But before we get to the exercise plan, there is another important point:
Players, parents, coaches, and clinicians should not have to guess whether the hip and groin are handling camp.
They should monitor it.
That does not mean every youth player needs force plates, a ForceFrame, or a professional testing setup. It means teams and athletes should have a simple way to track whether the groin is getting stronger, staying stable, or starting to trend in the wrong direction.
The best starting point is still the simplest one: symptom history. Prior groin symptoms are one of the strongest predictors of future problems in hockey, and many of those symptoms never show up as “missed games.”[1]
From there, practical monitoring can include an adductor squeeze test, a pain rating during squeezing, a quick hip/groin symptom questionnaire, and observation of skating quality. For higher-level teams, more objective strength testing can help identify strength changes over time. Early detection strategies in other team sports have used regular adductor strength testing and patient-reported outcomes to identify players who may need intervention before a time-loss injury occurs.[16,17]
| Monitoring tool |
What it tells us |
Practical use |
| Prior symptom history |
Whether the athlete has had hip/groin problems before |
Best first screen before camp |
| Adductor squeeze test |
Pain and/or strength response |
Quick way to see if the groin is tolerating load |
| Copenhagen 5-second squeeze style check |
Pain plus force tolerance in one simple test |
Useful because pain during squeeze can be meaningful |
| HAGOS-style symptom tracking |
Pain, sport function, and confidence over time |
Helps catch gradual-onset problems |
| Skating observation |
Stride width, crossovers, transitions, guarding |
Shows whether symptoms are changing hockey movement |
| Recovery response |
How the player feels 24–48 hours after skating |
Helps identify workload that is exceeding capacity |
The point is not to create anxiety.
The point is to create awareness.
Hip and groin problems often build gradually. A player may not miss practice, but they may start skating differently. That is the window where monitoring matters most.
The second major take-home: strength has to match the skating demand
The strongest modifiable target in the broader literature is hip adductor strength. A 2025 systematic review and meta-analysis found that reduced hip adductor strength was associated with future groin pain and time-loss groin injury across athletes.[4]
For hockey players, this makes sense.
The adductors are not just “groin muscles.” They help control the leg during the skating stride, tolerate lateral loading, and manage repeated force as the leg moves away from and back toward the body.
But hockey adds an important layer.
The groin does not only need to be strong in one neutral position. It needs to create and control force through the positions skating actually uses.
During skating, the adductors are loaded across a wide arc of hip abduction. They help recover the leg back underneath the body and help control the leg as it moves away during push-off. Skating-specific research has shown that testing hip strength at joint-specific angles, including 0°, 25°, and 50° of hip abduction, may reveal deficits that standard bilateral squeeze testing can miss.[8]
That is a huge concept for hockey.
A player may look okay on a basic squeeze test but still struggle to produce force farther out in the skating stride. In Secomb’s hockey work, players who later sustained noncontact hip/groin injuries showed less hip abduction range of motion and a drop-off in adduction strength between 25° and 50° of abduction.[8]
This should not be overstated. That finding still needs more prospective validation in larger hockey cohorts.
But clinically, it makes sense.
The player does not just need a strong groin.
They need a groin that can tolerate skating range.
The 24-hour window matters
Another important piece is what happens after skating.
Suits and colleagues showed that a single ice hockey exposure produced measurable changes in hip and groin markers. Total hip rotation and adductor strength decreased immediately after skating, and those changes were even larger 24 hours later. Total hip rotation decreased by 18.5° and adductor strength decreased by 6.56 kg at 24 hours post-skating. Perceived exertion did not correlate with the magnitude of these changes.[9]
That last part matters.
Players may not be able to accurately judge how much their hip and groin capacity changed based only on how hard the session felt.
This has direct implications for training camp. If a player stacks hard skating days, extra conditioning, and adductor work without recovery, the hip and groin may not get enough time to rebound. The athlete may feel mentally ready to do more, but their tissues may still be recovering.
This is why “busy does not mean better” keeps coming back.
More work only helps if the player can adapt to it.
What actually works?
The best-supported exercise in the literature is the Copenhagen Adduction Exercise.
It has the strongest evidence base for groin prevention in team-sport athletes. A large cluster-randomized trial in male football players found that an adductor strengthening program using the Copenhagen exercise reduced groin problems by 41%.[6]
That was not a hockey study, and we should be honest about that. Most of the strongest prevention evidence comes from football/soccer populations.
But the logic carries over well to hockey because the adductors are heavily loaded in skating, groin and adductor strains are common in hockey, and the only hockey-specific prevention trial also supports targeted adductor strengthening.[5]
More recently, a dose-response study in high-level youth rink hockey players found that performing the Copenhagen Adduction Exercise twice per week produced greater adductor strength gains than once per week, with strong compliance and minimal soreness.[7]
That matters for practical use.
This does not need to be complicated.
It needs to be consistent.
Copenhagen progression for hockey players
The Copenhagen exercise is valuable, but it needs to be progressed intelligently. Dropping every player into long-lever Copenhagens the week before camp is not the plan.
| Level |
Exercise option |
Best fit |
| Level 1 |
Side-lying adduction or short-range adductor lift |
Younger players, beginners, or players with soreness |
| Level 2 |
Short-lever Copenhagen |
Most players building tolerance |
| Level 3 |
Long-lever Copenhagen |
Stronger, more experienced players who tolerate adductor loading well |
| Level 4 |
Dynamic or hockey-specific adductor progressions |
Advanced players needing higher skating-specific demand |
The goal is not to make the groin sore.
The goal is to build capacity that shows up on the ice.
A good program should feel challenging but repeatable. If the player is limping, losing skating quality, or feeling worse for two days after every adductor session, the dose is too high.
A better hip and groin camp plan
The practical plan is not just “do Copenhagens.”
It is a three-part approach:
- Monitor early.
- Build adductor capacity.
- Match strength to skating demand.
| Focus |
What it means |
Practical example |
| Monitor early |
Do not wait until symptoms cause missed time |
Ask about prior symptoms, use squeeze testing, track pain and sport function |
| Build adductor capacity |
Strength is the key modifiable target |
Copenhagen progression 2–3 times per week in preseason |
| Train through skating range |
Hockey loads the adductors in wide hip positions |
Progress from basic strength to lateral, rotational, and skating-specific control |
| Manage the 24-hour response |
Hip ROM and strength can drop after skating |
Avoid stacking hard sessions when soreness or mechanics are trending worse |
| Maintain in-season |
Capacity can drift if the work disappears |
Continue 1–2 adductor strength exposures per week |
This framing is important because it keeps the message practical.
Copenhagens are a great tool, but they are not the whole system.
The system is monitoring, progressive strength, skating-specific control, and smart load management.
Stretching is not the plan
This is one of the biggest myths around groin injuries.
When players feel tight, they often assume they need to stretch more.
Mobility can have a place, especially when a player lacks usable hip range. But stretching alone is not a strong groin prevention strategy.
The evidence points much more clearly toward strengthening, especially targeted adductor strengthening.[4,6]
That does not mean mobility is useless. It means mobility needs to be paired with control and strength.
A hockey player does not just need to access a position. They need to produce force from that position, recover from that position, and repeat it under fatigue.
That is the difference between flexibility and usable range.
What to screen before camp
A preseason screen does not need to be complicated to be useful.
The goal is to find players who may need closer monitoring before camp volume spikes.
| Screen |
What it tells us |
Why it matters |
| Symptom history |
Prior hip/groin problems, even non-time-loss |
Strong predictor of future problems in hockey |
| Adductor squeeze or strength test |
Adductor capacity and pain response |
Helps identify players who may need targeted strengthening |
| Copenhagen 5-second squeeze style check |
Pain response plus force tolerance |
Practical dual-purpose screen |
| Hip range of motion |
Flexion, internal rotation, adduction, abduction |
May identify restrictions associated with hip/groin pain |
| FADIR test |
Hip-related groin pain or possible intra-articular sensitivity |
Positive tests have been associated with increased odds of hip-related groin pain |
| Skating observation |
Stride width, crossovers, transitions, guarding |
Shows whether the issue changes actual hockey movement |
| Recovery response |
Soreness lasting beyond 24–48 hours |
May show workload is exceeding current capacity |
This is not about labeling players as injured.
It is about knowing who needs a plan.
A note on FAI in hockey players
Femoroacetabular impingement morphology is common in hockey players, especially cam morphology. Research in youth hockey players has found a high prevalence of increased alpha angles, and prevalence appears to increase with age.[13]
That does not mean every hockey player with cam morphology has a problem.
Many players are asymptomatic.
This is important because the goal is not to scare every player into thinking their hip structure is dangerous. The better takeaway is that clinicians, strength coaches, and medical teams should pay attention when a hockey player has persistent hip or groin pain, loss of hip motion, painful impingement testing, or symptoms that do not behave like a simple muscle strain.
In those cases, it may be more than “tight hips.”
Training camp load management
Even the best groin program can get overwhelmed by a sudden spike in skating volume.
That is why load management matters.
The ACSM/AMSSM Team Physician Consensus Statement emphasizes early screening, workload management, periodization, and neuromuscular training for athletes in sports involving rapid acceleration and deceleration.[12]
That fits hockey well.
A player who goes from casual summer skating to intense daily practices, small-area games, testing, and battles may experience a sharp increase in hip and groin demand. The athlete may be fit, but that does not guarantee the tissues are prepared for the specific workload.
The goal is not to avoid hard skating.
The goal is to progress toward it.
| Camp load mistake |
Better approach |
| Going from low skating volume to full camp intensity overnight |
Build skating exposure before camp starts |
| Adding extra conditioning because the player feels anxious |
Keep extra work purposeful and recoverable |
| Ignoring recurring tightness because the player is not missing time |
Track symptoms early and adjust before mechanics change |
| Using stretching as the only response to groin pain |
Add targeted adductor strength and load management |
| Pushing through worsening pain during crossovers or wide pushes |
Modify workload and get assessed early |
| Waiting until camp week to start Copenhagen exercises |
Build adductor capacity several weeks ahead |
A practical weekly plan before camp
This does not need to become a separate 45-minute hip and groin program. It can be built into the warm-up, lift, or accessory work.
| Priority |
Target |
| Adductor strengthening |
2–3 times per week in preseason |
| Copenhagen progression |
Start at the level the player can control |
| Hip mobility and control |
Short, frequent doses throughout the week |
| Lateral and rotational strength |
1–2 focused exposures per week |
| Skating exposure |
Progress gradually toward camp demands |
| Symptom tracking |
Watch for soreness that worsens, lingers, or changes mechanics |
| In-season maintenance |
1–2 adductor strength exposures per week |
The key is consistency.
The best prevention program is not the one that crushes the player for a week.
It is the one they can actually sustain.
What players should watch for
Not every ache is a crisis. Training camp is demanding, and some soreness is expected.
But players should pay attention when symptoms start changing performance.
| What the player notices |
Why it matters |
| Groin tightness that warms up and stays mild |
Monitor and recover |
| Soreness that increases each skate |
Load may be exceeding capacity |
| Pain with crossovers, wide pushes, or transitions |
The adductor/hip may not be tolerating skating positions |
| Loss of stride width or guarded skating |
The player may be compensating |
| Symptoms lasting 24–48+ hours after skating |
Recovery may not be matching workload |
| Sharp pain, limping, or altered mechanics |
Stop pushing through and seek medical guidance |
The goal is not to panic early.
The goal is to respond early.
What this means for players and parents
Players do not need to obsess over their groin. Parents do not need to diagnose hip pain from the stands.
But everyone should understand the pattern.
Most hip and groin problems are not dramatic at first. They often build gradually. The player keeps skating, keeps training, and keeps saying they are fine until the issue starts showing up in stride mechanics, recovery, or confidence.
That is the window where smart decisions matter.
If the player has a history of groin symptoms, build the adductor work in now. If the player feels tight after every skate, do not just stretch harder. If the player starts avoiding crossovers, wide pushes, or lateral battle positions, do not ignore it.
Addressing it early does not make the player soft.
It keeps them available.
Key takeaways
| Takeaway |
What it means |
| Hip/groin problems are common in hockey |
Many do not cause missed time, so they are easy to underestimate |
| Prior symptoms matter |
Even non-time-loss groin problems can predict future issues |
| Monitor early |
Squeeze testing, symptom tracking, and skating observation can catch trends |
| Adductor strength is a key target |
Reduced adductor strength is one of the strongest modifiable risk factors |
| Strength has to match skating |
Players need capacity through the ranges hockey actually uses |
| Copenhagen exercises are well supported |
They have strong evidence in team sports and practical carryover to hockey |
| Stretching alone is not enough |
Players need strength, control, and usable range |
| Camp load matters |
Sudden spikes in skating volume can expose capacity gaps |
| Early response beats late reaction |
Small symptoms are easier to manage before mechanics change |
The bottom line
Training camp is not just a test of conditioning.
It is a test of whether the body is prepared for hockey again.
For many players, the hips and groin are central to that answer.
The goal is not to stretch randomly, strengthen aggressively, or panic because camp is coming. The goal is to build capacity that supports skating performance: strong adductors, usable hip range, good trunk and pelvis control, gradual skating exposure, and enough recovery to adapt.
The major take-home is not just “do Copenhagens.”
It is this:
Monitor early. Build adductor capacity. Train strength through the ranges hockey actually uses.
If you have followed along this summer, this should sound familiar.
Busy does not mean better.
Recovery matters.
Load management matters.
Hip, groin, and core capacity matter.
The players who respect those principles are in a better position to do more than survive camp. They are in a better position to skate well, compete with confidence, and start the season healthy.
References
- Wörner T, Thorborg K, Clarsen B, Eek F. Incidence, Prevalence, and Severity of and Risk Factors for Hip and Groin Problems in Swedish Male Ice Hockey Players: A 1-Season Prospective Cohort Study. Journal of Athletic Training. 2022;57(1):72–78.
- Wörner T, Thorborg K, Eek F. High Prevalence of Hip and Groin Problems in Professional Ice Hockey Players, Regardless of Playing Position. Knee Surgery, Sports Traumatology, Arthroscopy. 2020;28(7):2302–2308.
- Eckard TG, Padua DA, Dompier TP, et al. Epidemiology of Hip Flexor and Hip Adductor Strains in NCAA Athletes, 2009/2010–2014/2015. American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2017;45(12):2713–2722.
- Quintana-Cepedal M, Vicente-Rodríguez G, Crespo I, Olmedillas H. Is Hip Adductor or Abductor Strength in Healthy Athletes Associated With Future Groin Pain? A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2025;59(7):501–509.
- Tyler TF, Nicholas SJ, Campbell RJ, Donellan S, McHugh MP. The Effectiveness of a Preseason Exercise Program to Prevent Adductor Muscle Strains in Professional Ice Hockey Players. American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2002;30(5):680–683.
- Harøy J, Clarsen B, Wiger EG, et al. The Adductor Strengthening Programme Prevents Groin Problems Among Male Football Players: A Cluster-Randomised Controlled Trial. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2019;53(3):150–157.
- Quintana-Cepedal M, de la Calle O, Medina-Sánchez M, Crespo I, Olmedillas H. The Dose-Response of the Copenhagen Adduction Exercise on Adductor Strength in High-Level Youth Hockey Players: A Three-Arm Randomised Controlled Trial. Journal of Sports Sciences. 2024;42(24):2326–2332.
- Secomb JL, Kelly M, Dascombe BJ. Hip Strength Profiling of Ice Hockey Athletes Across Various Joint-Specific Angles: Monitoring and Injury Implications. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2023;37(7):e422–e429.
- Suits WH, O’Neil MM, Fogarty KJ. Acute Effects of Ice Hockey on Hip Range of Motion, Strength, and Pelvic Tilt in Competitive Male Players. Sports Health. 2024;16(4):616–621.
- Thorborg K, Hölmich P, Christensen R, Petersen J, Roos EM. The Copenhagen Hip and Groin Outcome Score: Development and Validation According to the COSMIN Checklist. British Journal of Sports Medicine. 2011;45(6):478–491.
- DeLang MD, Thorborg K, Hölmich P, Ishøi L. Are Pain and Strength During Adductor Squeeze Testing Associated With On-Pitch Football Performance and Pain in Male and Female Academy Players? Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. 2026;36(3):e70248.
- Herring SA, Kibler WB, Putukian M, et al. Initial Assessment and Management of Select Musculoskeletal Injuries: A Team Physician Consensus Statement. Medicine and Science in Sports and Exercise. 2024;56(3):385–401.
- Philippon MJ, Ho CP, Briggs KK, Stull J, LaPrade RF. Prevalence of Increased Alpha Angles as a Measure of Cam-Type Femoroacetabular Impingement in Youth Ice Hockey Players. American Journal of Sports Medicine. 2013;41(6):1357–1362.
- O’Connor C, Coyle E, McIntyre M, Delahunt E, Thorborg K. Implementing an Early Detection Strategy to Detect Early Signs of Groin Problems and to Monitor the Hip Strength of Rugby Union Players Throughout a Season. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. 2025.
- Wollin M, Thorborg K, Welvaert M, Pizzari T. In-Season Monitoring of Hip and Groin Strength, Health and Function in Elite Youth Soccer: Implementing an Early Detection and Management Strategy Over Two Consecutive Seasons. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport. 2018;21(10):988–993.
- Oliva-Lozano JM, Dominguez S, Paul D, Cost R, Gómez-Carmona C. Hip Adductor Strength Tests Used in the Context of Sports: Practical Considerations. International Journal of Sports Medicine. 2025;46(7):459–466.
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