Why Groin Injuries Wreck Hockey Seasons – And What To Do About Them

Why groin injuries are such a problem in hockey

If you play ice hockey long enough, your groin will get your attention.

In elite male hockey, groin and adductor injuries make up roughly 10 to 24 percent of all injuries. That is a huge chunk of lost games, missed practices, and restricted ice time.

At Rehabletics, we see the same pattern over and over:

• A little tightness in the groin or front of the hip
• A quick tweak in a game or practice
• A few days off, some ice, maybe a stretch
• Then a bigger strain that knocks the athlete out for weeks

Groin injury hockey issues are not just bad luck.

They are a predictable result of the demands of skating combined with missing strength, mobility, and load management.

Our goal in this article: show you why these injuries happen, what real prevention and groin strain rehab looks like, and how to return to the ice with confidence instead of guessing.

TL;DR

Why the hockey stride beats up your groin

Skating is not just running on ice.

Every stride demands a powerful push off into abduction (leg out to the side) followed by a fast recovery phase where the adductors have to pull the leg back under you.

Those adductors are working hard to:

• Generate force in the push
• Control the leg as you glide
• Decelerate the leg during crossover, pivot, or stop

Add in rapid transitions, hard cuts, and contact, and your groin is under high load in awkward angles, at high speed.

A few key reasons this matters:

• The adductors and hip flexors have to handle big lateral forces
• They work eccentrically (braking) when they are most vulnerable
• Fatigue late in games and practices makes timing and control worse

If your adductors are underprepared, your hips are stiff, or your core cannot stabilize the pelvis, your risk of adductor strain hockey problems spikes.

The usual suspects: common groin and hip injuries in hockey

1. Adductor strains

This is the classic “pulled groin.”

It usually hits the adductor longus or related adductor muscles on the inside of the thigh.

You might feel:

• Sharp pain with a lateral push or change of direction
• Pain with squeezing the legs together
• Soreness after skating, especially next morning

Research in other field and ice sports shows that stronger adductors can reduce groin injury risk by over 40 percent. That is a massive return on smart strength work.

2. “Hip flexor” pain that is really adductor-related

A lot of skaters say “my hip flexor is tight.”

In reality, a big chunk of that pain is coming from the adductors and the front-inner hip.

According to clinical sports medicine research, a majority of athletes with hip and groin pain actually have adductor-related issues rather than isolated hip flexor problems.

If you treat it as just hip flexor stretching, you miss the real problem.

3. Sports hernia / athletic pubalgia

This is not a true hernia in the way most people think.

Sports hernia in hockey usually means pain where the lower abs, adductors, and soft tissues near the pubic bone all meet.

Athletes describe:

• Deep ache in the lower abdomen or groin
• Pain with hard shots, powerful strides, or coughing
• Pain that eases with rest but keeps coming back when they skate hard

This is a complex injury and needs a targeted plan, not random stretches or crunches.

4. Hip impingement and labral issues

Many hockey players have cam or pincer morphology in the hip (extra bone at the femoral head or acetabulum).

That can create hip impingement and labral irritation, especially in deep flexion or rotation.

This can show up as:

• Pinching in the front of the hip with deep stride or squat
• Catching or clicking in the hip
• Pain with prolonged skating or sitting

Hip morphology cannot be changed, but strength, control, and mobility around it can.

Early warning signs hockey players ignore

Most season-wrecking groin injury hockey stories start with ignored yellow flags.

Common early signs:

• “Tight” groin that never fully loosens up, even after warmup
• Pinch in the front of the hip with full stride extension
• Pain the day after games that lingers more than 48 hours
• One side that always feels weaker or stiffer
• Needing to shorten your stride to stay comfortable

If you notice these, that is not soft.

That is smart data.

Catching issues early is how pros string seasons together instead of bouncing in and out of the lineup.

Key risk factors you can actually control

You cannot control a random collision.

You can control most of the major risk factors for groin and hip injuries.

Big ones:

1. Lack of off-season preparation

Showing up to camp without a base of skating-specific strength is a recipe for trouble.

The jump from summer inactivity or general lifting straight into 5 to 7 skates a week is huge for the adductors.

The tissue is not prepared for that load.

2. Poor adductor strength

If your groin strength is significantly lower than your hip abductors, your risk goes up.

Soccer research has shown that athletes with weak adductors are much more likely to develop groin strains.

Hockey has similar lateral demands, so this absolutely carries over.

3. Asymmetry in hip strength and ROM

If one hip rotates further or feels much stronger than the other, your stride will be asymmetrical.

That asymmetry can drive overload into the weaker or stiffer side.

Studies have shown that large side-to-side differences in hip range of motion and strength are linked with higher groin injury rates.

4. Limited hip mobility in the right directions

You need enough hip rotation and extension to hit a powerful stride without forcing motion at the low back or groin.

Too stiff and your body cheats.

Those cheats usually load the groin and front hip.

5. Poor neuromuscular control of deceleration

It is not just how hard you can push.

It is how well you can brake.

If your adductors, glutes, and core cannot coordinate to absorb force during cuts, pivots, and stops, the groin ends up taking more load than it should.

Smart prevention: building groin and hip armor

Preventing skating-related hip injuries is not complicated, but it has to be specific.

We are not talking about random leg machines and static stretching.

We are talking about targeted strength, mobility, and control built around the hockey stride.

1. Hip mobility that actually transfers to the ice

You want:

• Sufficient internal and external rotation
• Extension without low back arching
• Controlled mobility, not sloppy flexibility

Examples of useful mobility work:

• 90-90 hip rotations with slow control
• Half-kneeling hip flexor plus glute squeeze, not just “lean and hang”
• Adductor rock backs to open the inner thigh in a skating-like angle

Focus on control and breath, not just yanking into end range.

2. Core and adductor strength

Strong adductors are one of the best insurance policies you can buy.

Evidence from team sports shows that specific adductor strengthening can reduce groin injury risk by around 40 percent.

Key patterns to train:

• Isometric squeezes: ball or pad between knees, bent and straight legs
• Side-lying adductor raises: long-lever and short-lever variations
• Copenhagen adduction progressions at appropriate intensity
• Lateral lunge and cossack squat patterns

Pair that with anti-rotation and anti-extension core work:

• Pallof presses
• Dead bugs and variations
• Front rack or goblet carries

The goal: your trunk and pelvis stay rock solid while your legs drive power.

3. Neuromuscular control and deceleration

You need to train how you stop and cut, not just how you accelerate.

Good options off the ice:

• Lateral bounds with controlled landings
• Deceleration drills that emphasize quiet, stable landings
• Change of direction patterns that build from pre-planned to reactive

Keep reps crisp.

You are training quality, not exhaustion.

4. Progressive load management through the season

Even perfect strength work will not save you from terrible scheduling.

Think about:

• Gradual ramp-up of ice time early in the year
• Avoiding big sudden spikes in volume or intensity
• Building in lighter weeks during heavy travel or playoffs

In-season prevention should feel like support, not another workout that buries you.

This is where a hockey PT or performance coach who understands your schedule is huge.

What real groin rehab looks like (not just rest and ice)

If you already have a groin strain or hockey hip pain, resting for a week and hoping is not a plan.

Real rehab is active, progressive, and built around what your sport demands.

A typical smart framework:

Phase 1: Calm things down, keep things moving

• Reduce aggravating loads, but avoid full shutdown if possible
• Gentle isometrics for adductors and core to maintain activation
• Pain-free range of motion and low-level mobility

Goal: settle symptoms while maintaining capacity.

Phase 2: Build strength and capacity

• Progressive adductor strengthening in multiple angles
• Core stability and hip strength around the groin
• Tempo and eccentric work to build braking capacity

We load into discomfort only within safe limits and with clear guardrails.

Phase 3: Restore skating-specific power

• Lateral strength and power drills that mirror the stride
• Change of direction and pivot work
• Controlled on-ice progressions in volume and intensity

This is where the line between rehab and performance starts to blur.

You are not just fixing pain.

You are upgrading the engine.

If you want to see how we approach this at Rehabletics, check out our recovery options designed for high-performance athletes.

Return-to-play: why force testing matters

Clearing a player to return because “it feels better” is how you get repeat injuries.

A smart return-to-play process for groin strain rehab should include objective measures.

Examples of what we look at clinically:

• Adductor strength testing and side-to-side comparisons
• Hip range of motion in multiple directions
• Single-leg strength and control (split squats, lateral patterns)
• Change of direction and deceleration quality

Ideally, your injured side is at least as strong as your uninjured side, and you can tolerate repeated high-intensity efforts without symptom flare.

Without that, you are guessing.

With it, you are making a calculated return based on numbers and performance, not just vibes.

In-season groin maintenance without overloading

You do not need 60 extra minutes in the gym to keep your groin healthy in-season.

You need 10 to 15 focused minutes, consistently.

A sample in-season micro-session for hockey groin strengthening:

• Light dynamic warmup: 3 to 5 minutes
• Adductor isometrics or low-volume Copenhagen work
• 1 to 2 sets each of lateral lunge and single-leg RDL
• Short core circuit: one anti-rotation, one anti-extension drill

Done 2 times per week around practices or lifts, this can keep your adductors and hips strong without wrecking your legs for games.

Adjust volume around your heaviest weeks.

Listen to your body, but do not abandon the work completely once the season starts.

When to see a hockey PT

You do not need to wait until you can barely skate.

Consider getting evaluated by a hockey-savvy physical therapist if:

• You have had more than one groin or hip issue in the past 12 months
• Pain has lasted longer than 7 to 10 days, even at a low level
• You feel recurring tightness or pinching every time you push your speed
• You have noticeable side-to-side differences in strength or motion

A good hockey PT in Cherry Hill or your local area will:

• Assess your hips, adductors, and core in detail
• Look at your stride demands, position, and schedule
• Build a plan that fits your season, not fights it

At Rehabletics, our entire approach is built around helping athletes recover, rebuild, and perform at a high level without guesswork.

Take control of your groin health this season

Groin and hip injuries are not just “part of hockey.”

They are a signal that your current strength, mobility, and load do not match your performance demands.

If you:

• Build adductor and core strength
• Clean up hip mobility
• Train deceleration and lateral power
• Use objective testing before full return to play

You dramatically lower your risk of the strain that ruins your season.

Ready to get your hips and groin dialed in?

Book a movement assessment or return-to-play consult for hockey athletes dealing with groin or hip pain.

We will walk through your history, test what matters, and build a plan that respects both your body and your season.

Information in this article is for educational purposes only and is not a substitute for professional medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Always consult a qualified healthcare provider for questions about a medical condition or injury.