On Q Performance Therapy Podcast

69. Elite-Level Hockey Training with Vegas Golden Knights' Associate Director of Sports Performance and Strength & Conditioning

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SEASON 4, EPISODE 14 WITH DOUG DAVIDSON OF THE VEGAS GOLDEN KNIGHTS


In this episode, we sit down with Doug Davidson, Associate Director of Sports Performance and Strength & Conditioning for Stanley Cup Champions, the Vegas Golden Knights. we discuss common sports injuries amongst hockey players and Davidson's training philosophies for elite-level hockey players during both in-season and off-season programming.


In this episode, we cover:

  • Off-Ice conditioning protocols for elite hockey players during the season
  • The types of conditioning Davidson likes to incorporate.
  • Why running isn't his go-to conditioning exercise.
  • How important maximum strength is to hockey performance
  • What the key physical qualities Davidson focuses on during the off-season are.
  • How the amount of travel required during the season impacts an NHL team's training focus and schedule
  • How Davidson schedules lifts for the players around games.
  • How Davidson considers a player's autonomic nervous system and metabolic load when building out strength programs.
  • How Davidson consolidates the stress put on the players' bodies.
  • How training varies for players depending on playing position.


    • Doug Davidson on LinkedIn


    Doug Davidson is the Associate Director of Sports Performance and Strength & Conditioning for the Vegas Golden Knights, where he is responsible for maximizing the athletic potential of players through the development, instruction, progression, oversight and documentation of individual and group performance enhancements and recovery training activities.

    Prior to joining the Golden Knights, he spent two seasons as the Strength and Conditioning Coach for the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins, the American Hockey League affiliate of the Pittsburgh Penguins where he oversaw all aspects of off-ice training, assisted in rehab and oversaw team meals, supplement use, and nutrition. Before joining the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins Hockey Club, Davidson served as the Strength and Conditioning Coach at the Gary Roberts High-Performance Centre from 2013-15, where he worked with a variety of male and female athletes, including elite hockey players ranging from NHL players to aspiring youths to improve their performance while also correcting posture, muscle imbalances, and movement patterns. Davidson was a Strength and Conditioning Intern at Queen's University from 2010-13. In 2013 he received the Varsity Service Award for his contributions to Queen's University Varsity Athletics as a strength and conditioning intern. He also completed a strength and conditioning internship at Cressey Performance in 2012. Doug Davidson attended Queen's University, where he graduated with honors in 2013 with a Bachelor's degree in Physical and Health Education. He has a dual Masters's Degree in Sports Conditioning and Exercise & Sport Psychology from A.T. Still University and is a certified strength and conditioning coach through NSCA.

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    On Q Performance Therapy PodcastBy Mike Quintans, PT, DPT, OCS, TPI
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