Conditioning is often seen as something separate and different from the rest of hockey practices. Typically, coaches use conditioning to get players ready for games and they typically put conditioning on the end of their practice plans. Why? Well, they think that there are a lot of other important things to do like practice the power play or work on break-outs. Now, those things are important, and we need to practice them. However, drills should be designed so that they simulate game activity. That is, players should do the drill, rest shortly, and then get after it again.
So we can condition two different ways:
1) Players can condition at the end of practice by skating in straight lines (like many coaches have them do...it's very game-like!)
OR
2) Players can go through drills that work all types of skills at high intensity, with short rest intervals, and condition THROUGHOUT THE ENTIRE PRACTICE!!!
I'll let you decide which you think is the better method.
