Upper body strength...
Due to the nature of the sport it is vital that you have a good base of upper 
body strength, this will allow you to play the sport effectively and efficiently. General stick play, stick handling and shooting all require great levels upper body strength. the ultimate use of upper body strength is to keep you safe on the ice. Think of increased muscle bulk as extra pads!
How do you get stronger ?
A muscle will only strengthen when forced to operate beyond what its used too, Overload can be progressed by increasing the :
- Increased resistance
- Number of repetitions with a particular weight
- Number of sets of the exercise
- Reducing rest periods
Example exercises