Abstract
Purpose. Revealing the differences between Russian, Belorussian and North American, European approaches to testing and off-ice training management in professional ice hockey.
Subjects. 60 Russian and Belorussian hockey coaches took part in a survey, as well as 40 hockey coaches from North America and Europe. 26% of subjects worked in the KHL (the top Russian league), 26% - in the National hockey teams of different countries, 20% - in the NHL (the top hockey league of the World), 18% - in Belorussian Extraleague (the top division), 14% - in the MHL (the top junior league of Russia), 8% - in the top European championships.
Results. The most popular tests among Russian and Belorussian coaches are the Cooper test (32% of coaches prefer to use it), 3.000 meters run (15%), both of which evaluate aerobic endurance. In order to assess anaerobic-glycolytic endurance, coaches prefer to use 5x54 meters shuttle skating test (20%). Among speed tests the most popular is 30-60 meters sprint (29%), among strength tests - barbell bench press (27%), barbell back squat (19%), pull up (15%), among speed-strength tests - broad jump (22%).
North American and European hockey coaches in most cases (53%) prefer to use strength testing (barbell squat, bench press, pull up). In 33% of cases in order to assess power output Wingate test is used. Speed-stregth qualities are evaluated with broad or vertical jumps by 18% of coaches.
Only 58% of Russian and Belorussian coaches reported that they had model characteristics that players should strive for. For comparison, 85% North American and European had such indicators.
Conclusion. In the current situation it is beneficial to create an effective testing system that will provide an opportunity to evaluate the key physical qualities for hockey players, to develop model characteristics of players of different professional level and to design testing scales that meet the modern level of ice hockey.

Purpose
Revealing the differences between Russian, Belorussian and North American, European approaches to testing and off-ice training management in professional ice hockey.

Subjects
60 Russian and Belorussian (Eastern coaches) professional ice hockey coaches took part in a survey, as well as 40 hockey coaches from North America and Europe (Western coaches). 26% of subjects worked in the KHL, 26% - in the National hockey teams of different countries, 20% - in the NHL, 18% - in Belorussian Extraleague, 14% - in the MHL, 8% - in the top European championships.

Results
The importance of off-ice training was assessed as secondary (47%) by Eastern and 53% by Western coaches. This situation reveals an underestimation of the importance of off-ice preparation in modern hockey. It can be assumed that at the elite level, the tasks of physical training are assigned to the players themselves, who have many years of experience in professional hockey and, as they say, "feel their body well." Despite this, the majority of respondents consider it necessary to run off-ice testing (97% Eastern and 98% Western coaches). A little less than 90% of Eastern and 78% of Western practitioners recognise on-ice testing as an important one, which is a high indicator. This reflects a slightly better understanding of necessety of testing in the post-Soviet space, but the problem of practical implementation remains.

The absolute majority of Eastern and Western specialists apply testing at the beginning of the pre-season period - 87 and 88%, respectively. However, in the future, things are much worse: at the end of this period, 62% of Eastern and 38% of Western specialists assess the degree of progress of the players. This indicates that Western practitioners underestimate a very important tool for evaluating the effectiveness of their own training program. Undoubtedly, this affects the team management and professional development of the coach negatively. In the middle of the regular season, 43% of Eastern and 55% of Western specialists perform testing. At the end of the season the situation is slightly better: 57% of Eastern and 60% of Western coaches test the level of physical fitness. The information obtained at this point allows to assess the dynamics (loss or improvement) of physical qualities during the competition period.

An identical approach to testing of all teams of the club structure is used only in 32% of Eastern hockey clubs. It can be assumed that many clubs do not have a training system for their farm teams. Without monitoring the level of physical fitness, without applying a single approach to testing throughout the club and in the absence of a single database of all hockey players in the club structure, problem of players' development cannot be solved effectively.
The situation in Western hockey is better - a unified testing system has been adopted in 58% of clubs. However, there is also a serious reserve for improvement.

In 47% of cases the responsibility for testing conduction in Eastern hockey falls on the head coach. The positive thing is that the head coach actively monitors the physical fitness of the team and the progress of his athletes. The S&C training coach is responsible for monitoring in 39% of cases, the doctor and sports scientist - in 31%. In 14% of Eastern hockey clubs the entire coaching staff is involved in testing, which undoubtedly has a positive effect on the preparation process. 12% of the teams have a sports scientist, without which it is unlikely that an effective interpretation of the data obtained during the testing process is possible.
The situation is different in Western hockey: the responsibilities are clearly divided between all members of the coaching staff. That is why, in the vast majority of cases (80%), a S&C coach runs testing. The head coach participates in the testing procedure in 28% of the teams. A doctor, sports scientist, or the entire coaching staff are involved only in 3% of the teams.

Tests. The most popular tests among Russian and Belorussian coaches are the Cooper test (32% of coaches prefer to use it), 3.000 meters run (15%), both of which evaluate aerobic endurance. In order to assess anaerobic-glycolytic endurance, coaches prefer to use the on-ice 5x54 meters shuttle test (20%). Among speed tests the most popular is 30-60 meters sprint (29%), among strength tests - barbell bench press (27%), barbell back squat (19%), pull up (15%), among speed-strength tests - broad jump (22%).
North American and European hockey coaches in most cases (53%) prefer to use strength testing (barbell squat, bench press, pull up). In 33% of cases in order to assess power output the Wingate test is used. Speed-stregth qualities are evaluated with broad or vertical jumps by 18% of coaches.
Only 58% of Russian and Belorussian coaches reported that they had model characteristics that players should strive for. For comparison, 85% North American and European had such indicators.

Conclusion
In the current situation it is beneficial to create an effective testing system that will provide an opportunity to evaluate the key physical qualities for hockey players, to develop model characteristics of players of different professional level and to design testing scales that meet the modern level of ice hockey.

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