At what age does a player start slowing down?

[JonoDigz 4]

To the older guys on this forum..at what age did you relize you were slowing down and couldn't keep up with the younger kids on the ice ? Is it all just a mental thing where you just don't feel hungry anymore therfore your game hits a decline or is it your body that is saying no? If you look at jagr he's in his 40s but he can still play and make an impact in the nhl wich gives me an idea it's all a mental thing. Since he has no family or kids to worry about he can spend more time in the gym to maintain his game..i know older guys have to work twice as hard. Some people think it doesn't matter what u do when u reach a certain age your body starts slowing down I'm still young in the 20s but it's depressing me just thinking about getting old and slowing down..is there a certain age u reach when u decline or is it all just a mental thing ?

Everyone declines at a different pace. Most important thing to do is find a league or pick up game that is the speed you enjoy. Some mid 40's can play and enjoy a game with mid 20's. Some mid 20's might still have speed but are clueless, so a good mid 40's player wont enjoy playing with them. In a nut shell... Find a game with the speed you enjoy. Im 33 and from Boston area, so I can find any level of game within a 15 minute drive.

[skinni44 3]

I haven't read all the posts but most, me personally, I've never been very athletic and never been the quickest but a lot of the time I've been the smartest and that's only got better as I've got older. I know I'm only 29 but I'm heavier then I was and don't have as much time to excercise as much as I want but I still do a job. You won't find me skating loads but I will have a better +/- then those that do. Being a D I will be the second or third assist (I know they don't exist most places but you get what I'm saying). That's my job and I love it. I would love to score goals but they don't always win you games.

I've adapted my game over the years and stuck to what I was good at which helps as you get older. Some guys do slow down and some don't but they all adapt and change to carry on playing. Although the more sessions you will help, they always have for me.

I will stop when my body breaks not before.

[Ram 1]

I don't think there is a specific age that you decline, I play with guys in their mid 40's who are still absolute beauties and guys in their 20's and 30's whose game has fallen off a cliff in a short period. Since hitting 30 the biggest thing I've noticed is my acceleration has declinced, I certainly need to wind it up more to get speed but I also chalk that up to my fitness level. Going for a couple jogs a week isn't working the same as it did 5 years ago. I think the biggest thing is your interest level, I mean as long as you want to keep playing you will find a way to keep getting better or maintain your level of play.

[Neo5370 132]

Everyone declines at a different pace. Most important thing to do is find a league or pick up game that is the speed you enjoy. Some mid 40's can play and enjoy a game with mid 20's. Some mid 20's might still have speed but are clueless, so a good mid 40's player wont enjoy playing with them. In a nut shell... Find a game with the speed you enjoy. Im 33 and from Boston area, so I can find any level of game within a 15 minute drive.

Stinky Socks?

[JonoDigz 4]

Stinky Socks?

Never played stinky socks but currently NESHL and HPuck

[MN old and slow 92]

I was slow at da rink in Duluth at 3 and over 5 decades later I am still slow. In my mind I am the rocket or Bobby Orr.

So, as long as you are having fun, play da game.

And you kids need to let the old guy deke you once in awhile without letting us know you let us by.

That my friends is manners.

And you young goalies be a sport and pretend to try while letting us geezers sneak one buy.

That my friends is class.

[MN old and slow 92]

Typed wrong should have said say let one by. Old man cannot type on I-pad. Old man can still skate and shoot da puck. I will slow down when I am dead not one second before.

[slo_rider 1]

I'm still young in the 20s but it's depressing me just thinking about getting old and slowing down..is there a certain age u reach when u decline or is it all just a mental thing ?

Been lurking on here for over a year, but this is my first post. Love this site, so thanks to all who contribute.

Everybody's different and will age differently, but there's no specific age where your athleticism declines automatically if you continue to exercise and train regularly. On the other hand, a lot of guys I played ball with in college (guys who absolutely ripped when they were young) have aged rapidly over the years simply because they stopped training, adopted sedentary life-styles, and failed to pay attention to their nutrition. And aging is definitely accelerated by smoking tobacco regularly or drinking heavily.

But it doesn't have to be that way. When I was in my 20's, the best guys on our college's club-level hockey team were 2 professors in their 40's, and the best player in the whole league was one of those 2: he was 5'6" and maybe 135 lbs dripping wet (if that), but he was explosively quick, sneaky as hell, and had stick handling skills for days as well as an impressive arsenal of dekes and shots. He was a true inspiration that getting older didn't always mean slowing down, and I remember thinking that I wanted to be like him (although I could live forever and never have half his skill).

I've read that fast twitch muscle fibers decline as you age, but the decline can be slowed down or even reversed with training. Reaction time also declines as you age, but it declines very slowly until you hit your 50's, and then it declines more rapidly. So if you're in your 20's now and continue to train (endurance, power, and skills), you'll probably only see a small drop in quickness/power/reaction time, but your overall athleticism likely won't decline by much and your endurance can remain the same or even improve. One downside to getting older is that injuries seem to occur more easily, and definitely take more time to heal.

I just turned 50, and am lucky enough to have been able to train regularly since I started playing team sports as a kid (although I took a few years off after college to focus on my career, and later took a year off when I had a new baby and 2 year old since wife and I were simply struggling to survive). I do a few other sports in addition to playing hockey, and although I'll never be the quickest, fastest, or strongest guy out there, I can still hang with a lot of guys much younger than me. Although there's a legendary guy on the local cycling club who can drop me like a bad habit, and puts the screws to literally everyone. And he's in his 60's.

[sickwilly 37]

I slowed down a lot when I had kids, and struggled to make time to jog regularly. Gaining 25 or so pounds has also hurt me quite a bit. At 43, if I was able to jog regularly and lost the weight, I'd still be pretty fast for my size. I also find that my level of flexibility (which varies a lot) has a lot to do with how well/poorly I skate.

On a positive note, some of the guys that I skate with are in their 50s still skate really well, but they work out all the time.

[salibandy 21]

Been lurking on here for over a year, but this is my first post. Love this site, so thanks to all who contribute.

Everybody's different and will age differently, but there's no specific age where your athleticism declines automatically if you continue to exercise and train regularly. On the other hand, a lot of guys I played ball with in college (guys who absolutely ripped when they were young) have aged rapidly over the years simply because they stopped training, adopted sedentary life-styles, and failed to pay attention to their nutrition. And aging is definitely accelerated by smoking tobacco regularly or drinking heavily.

But it doesn't have to be that way. When I was in my 20's, the best guys on our college's club-level hockey team were 2 professors in their 40's, and the best player in the whole league was one of those 2: he was 5'6" and maybe 135 lbs dripping wet (if that), but he was explosively quick, sneaky as hell, and had stick handling skills for days as well as an impressive arsenal of dekes and shots. He was a true inspiration that getting older didn't always mean slowing down, and I remember thinking that I wanted to be like him (although I could live forever and never have half his skill).

I've read that fast twitch muscle fibers decline as you age, but the decline can be slowed down or even reversed with training. Reaction time also declines as you age, but it declines very slowly until you hit your 50's, and then it declines more rapidly. So if you're in your 20's now and continue to train (endurance, power, and skills), you'll probably only see a small drop in quickness/power/reaction time, but your overall athleticism likely won't decline by much and your endurance can remain the same or even improve. One downside to getting older is that injuries seem to occur more easily, and definitely take more time to heal.

I just turned 50, and am lucky enough to have been able to train regularly since I started playing team sports as a kid (although I took a few years off after college to focus on my career, and later took a year off when I had a new baby and 2 year old since wife and I were simply struggling to survive). I do a few other sports in addition to playing hockey, and although I'll never be the quickest, fastest, or strongest guy out there, I can still hang with a lot of guys much younger than me. Although there's a legendary guy on the local cycling club who can drop me like a bad habit, and puts the screws to literally everyone. And he's in his 60's.

Physiologically, abilities will diminish with age; VO2max is one example. But like slo_rider says here, it's absolutely about keeping that fitness and healthy lifestyle. I also agree with what slo_rider mentioned about nutrition; people often talk about and can be extensively knowledgeable about training methodologies, but falter when it comes to nutrition. Properly and adequately fuel your body and it'll work for you.

[mr13lcky 4]

I love this topic. I just turned 40, and I've always said the thing I hate most about getting older is the impending decline of my game.

Here's the thing, though: I'm a FAR better player now than I was at 30. Speed was never my strong suit to begin with, and now I'm a much better passer, shooter, and pretty good in the face-off circle.

Don't worry about losing speed. It's fine for 1-on-1 situations, but hockey is a team sport. As you get older, learn to become a better team player. I promise that no matter how fast a skater a guy is, he is moving slower than the puck after a crisp, clean, tape-to-tape pass. In other words, I can pass the puck up ice far quicker than anyone, even an NHL player, can skate there. That is what hockey is about.

How many fastest skater awards has Jagr won in his whole career? How about Yzerman, or Sakic, or Lemieux, or Gretzky?

The best players are the smartest players. When you slow down, you'll be forced to become a smarter player, and your game will improve.

As so many others have said, growing old doesn't mean becoming worse, it just means becoming a different player. Often, that new player you become will be better than the one you were.

And as long as you're having fun, who really cares, anyway?

[Vet88 674]

I play with a bunch of guys who were elite tri athletes / endurance runners in their day. The stuff they know about endurance, supplements, body fuel etc is endless. We all agree that come the age of around 45 your endurance engine starts to fall of a cliff. Like Jagr said, his job is to support and setup the young guys, not go up and down the ice 5 times in a 1 minute period and repeat this shift after shift after shift..... You can still keep most of your speed, form, style and get smarter but the endurance gets less and the time to recover, during and post game, gets longer. Training helps to keep you in good condition and shorter shifts keeps you competitive but nothing yet can turn back time.

[chk hrd 164]

I agree with everything you said but speed. That goes away with time. At 50 I can see the difference from when I was 45, 40, 35, on and on. There are 20 somethings that I play with and against who I know could not catch me or out run me when I was just a few years younger. You just have to change the way you play when you get older. If we get a good break out my team (and I) know that I will be the last forward coming in but I will be going to the net or high support. If I get a breakout pass, I'm not going end to end, I'm looking for the pass to a forward building up speed. When I play D I don't pinch down deep unless I know someone is covering. I use ice position more to keep the forwards to the outside instead of giving them any chance to get on the inside. As I've gotten older I play smarter since and take less risks.

[Whiteheat145 3]

Men's league requires you to adapt. YOU PLAY THE SAME PEOPLE FOR THE SEASON(sometimes season after season). They will learn your "filthy heel drag from the outside.." after you do it every game. That said player, should then turn his game into a playmaker as the attention will fall on him shift after shift, etc. The young kids that are now "not as great as they once were," are simply trying the same shit they tried when they were 17yr old Midget/High School players instead of thinking of better ways, better plays.

[Theloknesmonster 2]

On January 17, 2015 at 2:26 AM, tonguesOUT4life said:

To the older guys on this forum..at what age did you relize you were slowing down and couldn't keep up with the younger kids on the ice ? Is it all just a mental thing where you just don't feel hungry anymore therfore your game hits a decline or is it your body that is saying no? If you look at jagr he's in his 40s but he can still play and make an impact in the nhl wich gives me an idea it's all a mental thing. Since he has no family or kids to worry about he can spend more time in the gym to maintain his game..i know older guys have to work twice as hard. Some people think it doesn't matter what u do when u reach a certain age your body starts slowing down I'm still young in the 20s but it's depressing me just thinking about getting old and slowing down..is there a certain age u reach when u decline or is it all just a mental thing ?

Slow down?  HAHAHAHA!.  I'm 53, play 3 times a week, and have punks like you in my stool.

[clarkiestooth 235]

I'm 55, ex-college player, who "quit" hockey at 47 to become a serious bike racer (road racing).  After an 8 year break, I'm back player Senior Open level. I would say the science is indisputable: as we age we lose some strength and speed.  However, that doesn't mean your performance has to decline. Assuming that when you were younger you didn't absolutely "max out" your potential, you can stay at that level with proper training (getting a higher percentage of the "pie" you have left).