Even Elite Hockey Players Struggle with Back Pain

(And What I Wish I’d Known Sooner)

Yes—hockey players have back pain, too, and not just from falling on ice or slamming into the boards.

From 2014 to 2018, I worked as the massage therapist for Boston University’s men’s ice hockey team. I was part of an elite team of athletic trainers, strength coaches, and performance professionals supporting one of the top college hockey programs in the country.

Circa 2015, working with a goalie

Four years of home game tickets, Bean Pot tournaments, NCAA appearances (and heartbreak), and watching players go from college stars to NHL athletes.

But I have one big regret:

I couldn’t help their back pain the way I can now.

Despite their explosive power, advanced strength programs, nutrition, and support from people like me, back pain was common.

These were peak-performance athletes. Six-packs. Incredible lifts. Elite training.

And still... chronic tension, stiffness, and recurring spasms.

Here’s what I know now that I didn’t back then:

Back pain isn’t about strength. It’s about pressure.

These players didn’t need more planks or crunches. They needed better breathing mechanics.

They needed to build internal pressure through their breath to support their spine and stabilize their movement.

I wish I could go back and teach them what I teach my clients now: how to create deep, lasting spinal support from the inside out.

Try This Instead of Another Crunch:

Next time tension hits, skip the plank. Start with breath.

✅ Small Bite:

Breathing activates your deep core with every inhale and exhale, especially through the lower ribs & abdomen, where true support begins.

🏒 Big Win:

Breath-based stability builds a stronger foundation, reduces compensation patterns, and helps prevent injury without adding more load to a stressed system.

Whether you’re an elite athlete or a weekend warrior, your back pain might not be about weakness at all.

It might be about how you breathe.

👉 Book a free strategy call to find out how I help active clients get relief in 2 sessions, move better in 4, and live pain-free in 6.