Ice hockey is a global international team sport with 76 member countries of more than 1.6 million players registered in the International Ice Hockey Federation. Ice hockey games are characterized by explosive accelerations and decelerations on ice skates with frequent changes in speed and direction.1-3 These movement patterns occur repetitively in 30- to 90-second intervals (or "shifts") on ice, followed by a passive break of 3 to 5 minutes on the bench.4,5 Thus, ice hockey performance is unique because it is predominantly supported by anaerobic metabolism. Nevertheless, the aerobic system is important for recovery to generate repeated high-intensity on-ice performance.6,7 Compared with other major global team sports, such as football or basketball, ice hockey has received considerably less attention in sports science research, however, research focus on ice hockey performance is growing rapidly. In demonstration of this, using the search terms ("ice hockey") AND ("performance") in PubMed yields 0 published studies in 2000, but as many as 62 published studies in 2021. Unfortunately, despite the growing interest in ice hockey research, among the little amount of research that does exist, there are inconsistencies in terminology and methodology in the study of physiology and performance during games. The need for systematic and standardized reporting of study methodology is vital. This is true not only for ice hockey but also for all types of research. For example, previous reviews have highlighted the inconsistencies in methodological reporting of wearable sensor technology in sports.8,9 A lack of methodological detail or methodological inconsistencies makes it impossible to replicate published studies, and alterations in the methodologies used can influence the measured demands imposed on players. Accordingly, this prohibits the ability of coaches to generate game-replicating training programs, decreasing the application of research findings to practice. In addition, a lack of methodological detail or methodological inconsistencies can result in incorrect conclusions being made from research. As a result, we have developed this call to action to increase awareness regarding the current standard of methodological reporting in ice hockey-based game analysis research to allow for greater replication in future research and to increase the application of published findings to practice. We implore researchers in the field to adopt a detailed reporting standard of methodologies in future work to help improve the applicability of research outcomes.
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