Hours per week for an NHLer

[Celtic Note]

I am wondering if anyone has read information about how many hours the typical NHL player puts into work each week. I would have to imagine it’s well over a standard 40 hours with practices, workouts, video, games, travel, etc.
has anyone run across that information?

 

[Machinehead]

It's more of a lifestyle than a job. When I clock out, I go home and I don't have a job anymore until I clock in the next day. That doesn't happen in the NHL. Your entire life is situated around hockey.

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

Speaks to our indoctrination infatuation regarding work where 40 is considered average, a lot of people work 60+ just to afford the basics, and meanwhile many in Europe work 30-32 per week.

No clue OP. It seems cushier than that from the outside, imo, but the pressure and walking around with daily aches from your job has gotta get old. Meanwhile you’ve been trained in one very specific thing and likely lack any sorta worldview- damn, who pissed in my cheerios? Probably my CEO.

I would be interested in a weekly schedule, personally.

 

[LokiDog]

It's more of a lifestyle than a job. When I clock out, I go home and I don't have a job anymore until I clock in the next day. That doesn't happen in the NHL. Your entire life is situated around hockey.

There’s also the fact that my commute to/from work doesn’t count as hours worked, nor does my time in the gym. It’s not like these guys are going through the line at JFK for every flight they board either - hop on a private jet with your boys and watch Netflix until you arrive at your nice hotel. Hit the ice with the boys, then the video room, then the gym, then hang around and get worked on by the masseuse or hop in the sauna. It takes crazy hard work to get there, but looking at all of the hours spent around the team the same way as you would view “work hours” can never be a fair comparison. As you said… it’s a lifestyle, bruh #pucklife

 

[Machinehead]

There’s also the fact that my commute to/from work doesn’t count as hours worked, nor does my time in the gym. It’s not like these guys are going through the line at JFK for every flight they board either - hop on a private jet with your boys and watch Netflix until you arrive at your nice hotel. Hit the ice with the boys, then the video room, then the gym, then hang around and get worked on by the masseuse or hop in the sauna. It takes crazy hard work to get there, but looking at all of the hours spent around the team the same way as you would view “work hours” can never be a fair comparison. As you said… it’s a lifestyle, bruh #pucklife

Yeah it's not to say it doesn't have its advantages. But there's like, nothing else in your life so much time. It would be hard for me.

 

[Bjornar Moxnes]

Speaks to our indoctrination infatuation regarding work where 40 is considered average, a lot of people work 60+ just to afford the basics, and meanwhile many in Europe work 30-32 per week.

No clue OP. It seems cushier than that from the outside, imo, but the pressure and walking around with daily aches from your job has gotta get old. Meanwhile you’ve been trained in one very specific thing and likely lack any sorta worldview- damn, who pissed in my cheerios? Probably my CEO.

I would be interested in a weekly schedule, personally.

Most people in Norway still work 40 hours a week minimum, even though yes there are more companies that give reduced hours compared to the states.

 

[tfwnogf]

I imagine a lot of time is spent on training and long trips being on the road, but they probably get a good amount of freetime. I work 30 hours a week so they probably put in more hours than that but they also get the summers off and lots of money so I don't feel bad for them.

 

[bert]

It's alot more demanding than most appear to think in this thread. You always have to be on. The pressure to be consistent is also something that almost no one has to deal with.

 

[Albatros]

Most people in Norway still work 40 hours a week minimum, even though yes there are more companies that give reduced hours compared to the states.

Also shorter than in any EU country except Denmark.

 

[Phil McKraken]

Yeah it's not to say it doesn't have its advantages. But there's like, nothing else in your life so much time. It would be hard for me.

They probably see it as an investment. Put in 15 years and look forward to early retirement, or to some cushy business ownership.

 

[Machinehead]

They probably see it as an investment. Put in 15 years and look forward to early retirement, or to some cushy business ownership.

For the guys that really get set up, yeah.

Gotta be tougher on the yo-yo players who make a few shekels comparatively speaking.

 

[WarriorOfGandhi]

The Athletic did a neat piece on the hour-by-hour day of an NFL qb.

Op-ed: Rams QB John Wolford on Wednesdays during the NFL season

"What do you do all day?" John Wolford gets that question from friends and family and here's part of the quarterback's answer.

theathletic.com

 

[tarheelhockey]

It depends on what you consider "work".

They are certainly not in physical exercise for anything close to 40 hours a week. They spend more time in the gym during the summer than during the season, which is largely spent in maintenance mode.

There is film study and chalk talk in hockey, but not to nearly the extent that one would see in the NFL for example. They review their prior games, get some video on tomorrow's opponent, and move on. They are not spending hours and hours in meetings.

On a typical day they spend an hour or two on the ice outside of gametime. It depends on the schedule, but a morning skate is standard.

Games of course run about 2.5 hours, bearing in mind the players show up to the rink hours beforehand, and leave perhaps an hour after the end.

Combining all of the above, I'd arbitrarily say they spend 4-5 hours a non-gameday on work related activities (workouts, film training, skates). On gameday that jumps to more like 6-8.

The big hidden factor is travel. When they leave the arena, they head to the airport and take a 3-hour flight, then head to a hotel. That might be a 6 hour process all together. During that process they're maintaining their bodies in terms of nutrition, sleep, injury treatment, etc. Is that "work"? If so, the number of working hours gets much larger. In a certain sense, one could argue that they only get a few hours a day truly away from their training, where they're not eating or sleeping or exercising or being coached.

 

[Maple Leaf]

40 hours per week? lol

 

[hatterson]

It depends on what you consider "work".

They are certainly not in physical exercise for anything close to 40 hours a week. They spend more time in the gym during the summer than during the season, which is largely spent in maintenance mode.

There is film study and chalk talk in hockey, but not to nearly the extent that one would see in the NFL for example. They review their prior games, get some video on tomorrow's opponent, and move on. They are not spending hours and hours in meetings.

On a typical day they spend an hour or two on the ice outside of gametime. It depends on the schedule, but a morning skate is standard.

Games of course run about 2.5 hours, bearing in mind the players show up to the rink hours beforehand, and leave perhaps an hour after the end.

Combining all of the above, I'd arbitrarily say they spend 4-5 hours a non-gameday on work related activities (workouts, film training, skates). On gameday that jumps to more like 6-8.

The big hidden factor is travel. When they leave the arena, they head to the airport and take a 3-hour flight, then head to a hotel. That might be a 6 hour process all together. During that process they're maintaining their bodies in terms of nutrition, sleep, injury treatment, etc. Is that "work"? If so, the number of working hours gets much larger. In a certain sense, one could argue that they only get a few hours a day truly away from their training, where they're not eating or sleeping or exercising or being coached.

Professional athlete is not a career you get into if you really care about separating personal and work life or having a specific schedule. As someone mentioned earlier, it’s far more of a lifestyle than a career for these guys.

There’s also things they do that are not hockey related activities but could easily be called “work” like media appearances, advertising things, or fan interactions.

 

[Auston Marlander]

40 hours per week? lol

I work 37.5 hours a week now, previously I was 40-50. Not everyone lives to work.

As for players, I'd imagine they spend 50-60 hours per week on hockey related activities in season and far less out of season.

 

[tarheelhockey]

Professional athlete is not a career you get into if you really care about separating personal and work life or having a specific schedule. As someone mentioned earlier, it’s far more of a lifestyle than a career for these guys.

There’s also things they do that are not hockey related activities but could easily be called “work” like media appearances, advertising things, or fan interactions.

Indeed, it really depends where we draw the line for "work activities". Is eating lunch part of your work, when you're a professional athlete? Playing Xbox with teammates in the in the team lounge an hour before practice, is that work? That's where you get into lifestyle stuff that crosses into team-building. The teams and players certainly view it all as part of building a championship culture, even if they understand that the time isn't being spent on hockey skills.

 

[dalewood12]

I know the NHLPA players agreement guarantees 3 (or maybe 4) days off a month during the regular season, where no games, practices, workouts, travel or team meetings are allowed.

 

[PunchImlach is Alive]

From my understanding, professional athletes should usually be aiming for 30-35 hours of workout time per week across 7 days. Taking games, practices, gym time into account plus squeezing in travel and other responsibilities, I'm sure it's a lot over the course of a season.

 

[tarheelhockey]

From my understanding, professional athletes should usually be aiming for 30-35 hours of workout time per week across 7 days. Taking games, practices, gym time into account plus squeezing in travel and other responsibilities, I'm sure it's a lot over the course of a season.

Is that in-season for team athletes, though? Summer workouts are more intense than in-season training, because they make big gains in the summer and then spend the rest of the year maintaining them.

I just have my doubts that NHL players are averaging 4-5 hours a day working out, unless we are including games and skates/warmups in that number.

 

[Video Nasty]

Like any specialized field with limited openings, it’s more than the average unskilled/non-speciality worker thinks.

 

[NYRfan85]

Plus, factor in all of the PR/media events and press conferences they have to do, as well as all of the charity stuff, and I'm sure all of that eats up a good chunk of their time.

 

[steleh]

There’s also the fact that my commute to/from work doesn’t count as hours worked, nor does my time in the gym. It’s not like these guys are going through the line at JFK for every flight they board either - hop on a private jet with your boys and watch Netflix until you arrive at your nice hotel. Hit the ice with the boys, then the video room, then the gym, then hang around and get worked on by the masseuse or hop in the sauna. It takes crazy hard work to get there, but looking at all of the hours spent around the team the same way as you would view “work hours” can never be a fair comparison. As you said… it’s a lifestyle, bruh #pucklife

There's that side to it, sure, then there's also the addiction to pain killers, addiction to sleeping pills from jumping time zones and irregular sleep. I don't think it's such a fabulous lifestyle a few years in to the career. But they love it and it's a sacrifice they're willing to make, and they are well compensated for it

 

[Voight]

A lot of people don't realize the NHL guys essentially have to be at the top of their profession for their entire career. If you have a regular bank or teaching job for example, you don't need to do the absolute best for the 30 or 40 years you spend working.

 

[steleh]

From my understanding, professional athletes should usually be aiming for 30-35 hours of workout time per week across 7 days. Taking games, practices, gym time into account plus squeezing in travel and other responsibilities, I'm sure it's a lot over the course of a season.

They train nowhere near that much. Even in summers.
Top cyclists and triathletes train about 20-25 hours a week in their heavy blocks. And those are sports where volume training is key. So many many hours at low intensity. I doubt hockey players exceed 12-14 hours even in summer training.