What is a Hockey Gym?
Simply put were talking about a gym tailored for hockey players! Starting from the “ice up”- it begins with a synthetic flooring (skateable or slick tiles), on which an athlete can train shooting, stickhandling and passing in their skates or shoes.
When access to ice time is limited, players shouldn’t be handcuffed to the arena schedule to work on their game. This is why both commercial and residential training spaces are surging nowadays.
Team organizations, skills coaches, and parents are investing in their athletes development. Accessibility to hockey training surfaces and tools is better than ever.
Now it’s time to pull your vision together based on your available space, budget, and training goals!
Commercial Hockey Gyms
Start Building Your Commercial Hockey Gym
So you’re looking to build a training center for hockey players in your community? You’re evaluating what it would cost to start, operate and offer the most comprehensive development for all athletes in your market? Well below are 5 building blocks to consider when starting out in your planning.
Location
Rule of thumb- your clientele can be considered the population within a 30min drive time.
Near existing commerce- high traffic shopping areas make it easy for the busy hockey family to buy-in to your services.
Bonus- close to or in an arena.
Space Size
Rule of thumb- there is no perfect space size. But starting with at least 1000 sqft of training area allows for small group sessions (4-5 players).
It all comes down to the type of training programs you wish to offer (Private lessons, Team sessions, Leagues) and the capacity requirements.
Bonus- Shooting SImulators and Skating Treadmills can offer efficient training sessions times and require low overhead (instructors) vs revenue potential
Synthetic Ice
Rule of thumb- If you’re going “skateable” for your commercial hockey gym, estimate $15/sqft (USD$) for a panel with proper lifespan in a high traffic facility.
Consider game markings (creases & face off dots) for training versatility and skill specific workshops. These are an additional cost
Caveats: Beware of cheaper priced synthetic ice panels on the market-often times they will wear down quicker costing you more in the long run. Choose a synthetic ice with a strong, proven connection system.
Technology
Rule of thumb- you can have the best coaching staff in the world, but today’s clientele want hard data feedback that can be analyzed on paper- err’ on-screen. Also, if you can automate the training in off-peak hours, you increase your revenue potential
Shooting & Stickhandling simulators and skatemills require low human capital vs training capacity and performance metrics- strongly consider these larger investment pieces (starting at $50K USD) when configuring your space.
Bonus- Gamefying any of your gym zones (portable or permanent equipment) promotes accessibility for all ages and enhances engagement/training time.
Installation
Rule of thumb- in the US the range for a General Contractor hourly is $50-150.hr. At times, if can also be calculated as 10-20% of the total construction project cost.
Aside, from any upfront installation costs indicated on supplier quotes- it’s important to dial in on the other build out costs with a local contractor/tradesperson, so you have a dedicated “project manager”
Bonus- Seek out local hockey connections for any GC/trades contacts that may be willing to offer their time & expertise in exchange for future training credit!
Residential Hockey Gyms
Getting Started with a Residential Hockey Gym
Reps at home has a nice ring to it! We can’t wait to learn more about your space- whether it be in the garage, basement or backyard- we’ll get you on your way to building the perfect skills development zone. In anticipation of working together to bring this project to life, here are 3 considerations to build your residential training hub.
Size of space needed
Rule of thumb: Age and desired skill to be practiced are the main factors here. Using the example of a high school age athlete (18U) we suggest no less than 200sqft for shooting practice and ideally 320 sqft for anything that involves small area puckhandling with skating..
Goal line to hashmarks (The Slot) on an NHL rink is 20’. This distance is a translatable goal scoring range.
Goalies? A standard NHL crease is 8’ wide by 6’ high. Give yourselves some buffer for angle tracking and movement at top of crease. 12’ wide by 8’ High is suggested minimum
Indoor or Outdoor Space
Rule of thumb: Indoor spaces require less maintenance, and guarantee more training hours. Outdoor set-ups often have the advantage of offering more training space.
If you have an indoor space that is ready to be outfitted- now it’s time to consider the wall & ceiling protection
Outdoors it is? All good! You’ll want a hard, firm, flat substrate. Usually that means a decking platform or concrete pad to ensure planity and best performance. Compacted, crushed stone base is possible- but can pose some challenges depending on climate.
Best Perimeter Options
Rule of thumb: Welded board frames vs DIY dasher frames can make or break a budget.
Contain pucks from siding off the surface with more economical options (parking blocks, 2x4 threshold barriers, etc.)
Vinyl backdrop tarps or netting with hemmed bottom are a creative way to limit chasing pucks- and also serve as great protection for surrounding walls/voids.