Why Shortening the Bench Hurts Youth Hockey Development

What is "Shortening the Bench" in Youth Hockey?

“Shortening the bench” refers to the practice of limiting the number of players rotated onto the ice, often to favor more skilled or experienced players during moments in the game. Coaches may use this strategy in tight games, playoffs, or situations where they want to maximize the performance of their strongest players. This usually results in players deemed less skilled spending more time on the bench, reducing their ice time.

The Harmful impacts of "Shortening the Bench"

There are many reasons not do this, but the following are the "Big 3" that in my experience matter more than any others.

Undermines Enjoyment and Development
Players left sitting for extended periods feel undervalued and may lose confidence. A common theme I hear related to this is "it will cause them to work harder!" This is simply not true, sure a few kids might that are on AA or AAA teams, but a majority of players are doing this to have fun, if they aren't having fun they can and will withdraw from hockey/the program/the team instead. They will show up less to events, they will not practice the same or quit entirely.

Limited ice time stunts their growth, as there is only so much a Player can learn without being on the ice and doing it. Think about it for just a half a second, if you could become Gretzky by just watching hockey... everyone would be Gretzky. You learn by doing things, with the ability to learn via failure being much stronger than by success.

Exhaustion and Injuries
Overusing players without sufficient rest can lead to physical and/or mental exhaustion. This exhaustion negatively impacts the players performance as a tired player simply doesn't play the same as someone that is fresh and full of energy. This manifests in one of two ways:

1) Since they can no longer mentally process the game fast enough this will lead to bad plays that put themselves in a bad position where they are more likely to get hurt or hurt others. Examples: Turning their back along the boards at the last second and getting boarded. Skating with their head down and running into someone/something. Making a bad decision that causes a penalty.

2) Due to being physically tired they could more easily pull a muscle, catch an edge and fall due to tired legs, or worse lazily stick their leg out and make knee on knee contact with someone.

Disrupts Team Dynamics
Prioritizing only a few players creates resentment among teammates and parents, damaging morale and cohesion. It sends the wrong message in that certain players matter more than the rest, which contradicts the team-oriented nature of hockey.

I have seen and heard of teams being torn apart over this aspect alone, with youth players leaving the team, leaving the program or the negative feelings start the spread to other players creating "cliques" leading to a downward spiral of performance for the team. Hockey is defined by team and line dynamics, screw that up and it's a downward death spiral.

What should the goal be instead?

Coaches should aim to involve every player, even in high-pressure situations. Providing equal opportunities fosters long-term development, teaches resilience, and promotes teamwork. Teaching all players to work in all situations, strengthens a team by giving overall higher resilience and flexibility in lines and situations.

Think about it, if you only have 4 players that you put on a penalty kill and 5 on a power play, what happens when one or more are in the penalty box, injured or missing? Your now putting people out there with no experience doing it, they will be nervous since they are afraid to "mess up". Remember these are kids with little to no life experience; not adults, and definitely not professional athletes.

"Special Teams" vs. "Shortening the Bench"

Special teams are not the same as shortening the bench. Using special teams is a strategic decision that should balance competition with inclusivity, development of the players still remains a priority.

• • What are Special Teams? They are tactical units used during power plays (player advantage) or penalty kills (player disadvantage). These units consist of players with specific skills suited to the situation.
  • What is the Difference? Special teams only apply to specific scenarios and do not exclude players from regular shifts.

Should you Have More Than One Special Team Unit?

In youth hockey, having multiple power-play and penalty-kill units benefits both the team and individual players in the following ways:

Encourages Development
Rotating multiple full units (not just 1 or 2 players) ensures that more players gain experience in special situations, helping them develop a more flexible set of offensive and defensive skills. The experience gained adds up to a more effective and well rounded team. This shows up especially if a player is out of the lineup for some reason, creating a more resilient team.

In Youth hockey a lot of times it's just better to keep your lines together as much as possible, as the chemistry between players and fresh legs is often more important than skill level alone.

Prevents Fatigue
Fresh players bring energy to the ice, improving performance and preventing burnout. This is the #1 mistake I see coaches make, tired players are not good players! A good Rotation can mean the difference between a win and a loss. If your 1st line was out there and then you get a power play, putting those players out there for another rotation just makes them tired. Having two lines and some different fill in players gives players a chance to rest.

Youth players largely don't have a good understanding of when they are tired and often will just keep going if the coach does not maintain a constant watch on their energy level, do not use the players words as your main piece of information!

Promotes Morale
By involving more players in special teams, coaches boost morale and foster a sense of contribution, ensuring no one feels excluded from key moments. Hockey is a team sport and Morale is a vital part of the dynamic for success.

As a parent what to Do If the Bench Is Shortened?

If you notice the bench being shortened, here’s how to approach the situation:

Assess the Context
Determine whether the coach shortens the bench consistently or only during crucial moments. Occasional adjustments may be understandable, but a pattern of exclusion warrants attention. A sample of one game does not constitute a "pattern" as in a game many one off situations can occur. Patterns only emerge over a 3-5 game window.

Context and pattern matters more than you think, getting mad over a one game/time occurrence that could be due to injury of a player, penalties, the coach just had a momentary lapse, or any other random issue doesn't serve anyone any good.

Talk to Your Child
If they mention it as an issue to you, talk to them about the context/pattern you saw and iterate not to rush to judgement over one instance. Kids do tend to misunderstand the reasons that a shift might be shorter than normal, longer than normal and missed all the time.

Ask how they feel about their ice time and experience. Understanding their perspective will help you advocate effectively. Kids can be easily influenced so don't ask questions in a leading way, ask questions that promote their own thoughts.

Speak with the Coach
After assessing the context and establishing a pattern, approach the coach respectfully, emphasizing the importance of development and fair play for all players. Frame the conversation around growth rather than criticism.

Which coach you talk to matters as well, as decisions aren't always made by one coach as the head coach can override an assistant coach. Sometimes talking to an assistant that deals with the relevant side of the bench to understand the situation more before continuing can help (situation: their decisions might have been overridden by the head coach).

Examples:

If it's only an issue around special teams ask why they aren't on the special teams or what they can do to get onto them.

If they aren't on the ice at the beginning and end of games (or periods), ask them what skills are necessary to allow them to get into those situations.

Does the coach have particular philosophy; like to pair certain players so maybe they were "resetting" the lines after someone was in the penalty box or hurt?

Escalate If Necessary
If the issue persists over a long time, involve team leadership or league officials to address fairness and inclusivity concerns. Different organizations and level of hockey handle this differently and this is where knowing the organization and coaches philosophy matters.

Support Your Child
Remind your child that their value isn’t tied to ice time. Focus on their growth, enjoyment, and love for the game. If necessary, explore other teams, leagues or levels of hockey that align with your values.

Is It OK to Shorten the Bench at Higher Competitive Levels?

Perspective: The vast majority of youth hockey players, even as you go up levels, will not play professionally. The focus should remain on skill-building, teamwork, and fostering a lifelong passion for the sport.

The more competitive a tier; such as AAA, AA, or A hockey, shortening the bench gets unfortunately more common, especially in high-stakes situations. However, it should still be done judiciously even by those that support such tactics.

• • High-Stakes Moments: Coaches may lean on top players during playoffs, critical games, trying to tie up a game or prevent a tie up by an opponent, but this should not be a routine approach.
  • Development Still Matters: Even at competitive levels, all players deserve opportunities to improve. Prioritizing short-term wins over long-term development does a disservice to young athletes and the team as a whole.

Final Thoughts

Shortening the bench may seem like a sound strategic choice, but in youth hockey, it often comes at the expense of development, team cohesion, and enjoyment. Coaches should prioritize growth and team cohesion over short-term wins, ensuring that all players feel valued and have the opportunity to thrive.

Citation:
Lorentzen, Christian. “Allocation of Playing Time within Team Sports - A Problem for Discussion.” Idrettsforskning (Norwegian School of Sport Sciences), 2017. https://www.tandfonline.com/doi/full/10.1080/23265507.2016.1266694

Rückel, Lisa-Marie. Bench Player versus Line-Up: The Relationship between Active Playing Time in Team Sports and Mental Well-Being, Competition Anxiety and Satisfaction with the Coach. Master’s thesis, University of Twente, 2019.  https://www.researchgate.net/

Camiré, Martin, and Pierre Trudel. “Coaches’ Perspectives on the Use of Benching and Punishment in Youth Sport.” International Sport Coaching Journal, vol. 3, no. 1, 2016, pp. 54–66. https://journals.humankinetics.com/view/journals/iscj/10/2/article-p266.xml