Anaheim Ducks: Physical Therapy Corner – John Gibson’s Plan

When I am not supplying content for Pucks of a Feather I work as a Physical Therapist Assistant. I wanted to bring my PT world into the Anaheim Ducks world. So this season, we will have a new feature. “PT Corner” will run whenever there is a significant Ducks injury.

I’ll examine the injury and what needs to happen from a physical therapy perspective for the player to return to the ice. I am not a doctor so by no means will this be a full medical brake-down but more of how I would go about a plan if “Player X” was a patient of mine. As the new season has yet to begin we’ll first examine injuries from last season and first up is franchise goaltender John Gibson.

Workplace injuries are common no matter your profession. Whether you are a construction worker, surgeon, teacher, professional athlete or any other career the threat of injury is always there. Some occupations more so than others, sure, but the threat is always there.

While the physical, emotional, and monetary factors come into play for everyone, pro athletes injuries come under the collective microscope. Especially in the NHL with some of the most rabid fan bases in sports.  Injuries to star players can make whole sections of the country hold their collective breath.

For Ducks Nation, no player causes this reaction more than net-minder, John Gibson. Gibson has been a superb goalie for Anaheim from the second he arrived in Anaheim. It was that play that gave Ducks management faith to give him the reins two seasons ago.

His overall numbers in the NHL are a record of 93-55-20, GAA 2.29, SV% .923. As the Ducks number one goalie, his stat line is a record of 56-34-16, GAA, 2.32 SV% .925. Needless to say, he’s been a great pick for a number one goalie. If there is one knock on Gibson it’s his ability to stay healthy.

Mr. Fanatastic

In his two starter seasons in Anaheim, Gibson has led the Ducks to the West Finals and been the main reason they made the playoffs. In his first year, however, he was hurt when it mattered most against Nashville and this season he missed significant time during the course of the season. In this day and age, in playing everything close to the vest, almost every injury is termed “lower-body” That could mean anything below the wais,t but when it comes to hockey goalies its usually the same thing, groin issue.

“Last year, it seemed like it was one injury that was lingering on a bit,” Gibson said. “Never fully got better. I definitely made sure I focused on that injury to take care of it this summer so I can come back with no restrictions or limitations. Get that under control, which I did”.

This quote was per Gibson right after he signed an 8-year extension a few weeks ago. So with him poised to be the Ducks netminder for the next decade, his health is something that needs to be addressed. It’s clear he thinks so too, it comes with the territory in being a goalie. You need to have quick lateral movements that put emphasis on the musculature of your legs (Quads, Hamstrings, Hip Abductors/Adductors etc.).

Especially the muscle groups, the hip abductors, and adductors. These muscles primarily allow you to bring your legs out to the side and back into the midline of your body. Muscles you need to make saves akin to this;

For groin injuries that are non contact they typically happen for one of two reasons, muscle imbalance or constant repetitive motions. Since Gibson can’t stop the way you need to and he plays goalie it is the first component he needs to focus on. So what exercises does Gibson need to focus on?

All about the Lowers

Gibson needs to focus on some key components on top of his normal workout and conditioning. He must strengthen his hip abductors as well as stretch his hip adductors. Your hip abductors are a group of muscles comprising typically on the outside of your leg. They are strong muscles but are often overlooked by most.

While they also aid in some hip rotation their prime role is to move your leg laterally. Specifically for Gibson, they are the prime muscles he uses to push off from side to move across the crease.

With such quick movements, if these muscles are not strong, compensation occurs to perform the movement. This makes muscles that don’t typically do this motion aid in the movement. It causes potential for injury because the additional muscles are doing a job they aren’t suited for. Compensating is a huge reason for injury and Gibson has to make sure he’s doing everything he can to allow his muscles to do their proper jobs, not other muscles jobs.

As the video shows, Gibson is using a strong push off from his hip abductors. That means it puts stress on the muscles that work opposite, his hip adductors. They are the muscles that bring your leg back to and past the mid-line of your body.

These muscles are often tight in most people that do intense training and not enough stretching. Also, these are the muscles that were most likely injured due to being tight or having a muscle imbalance with the abductors.

Gibson has to thoroughly stretch this area to remain extremely flexible. As much as strength is needed in sports, it’s the flexibility component that gets lost in the shuffle sometimes. People don’t take stretching as serious as they should.

If someone builds up one muscle but doesn’t make them, and then other muscles that work opposite it flexible, it doesn’t matter. Injuries will happen and perhaps more so than before. The human body wasn’t made for the positions Gibson puts his in. So even more so than some others, he needs to take stretching and being flexible seriously.

Putting in the Work

So what should Gibson have done this summer to make sure he can be the workhorse?

For hip abductors, a patient should use things such as a slide board. A board that mimics ice and causes him/her to push from a block on each side back and forth. This can be done with a weighted vest to mimic what his pads would be like on the ice. Also using resistance bands placed right above the knees. Then getting into a squat position and shuffling/stepping laterally.

This causes the leading leg to use the abductors to move the band. The elastic quality of the band forces you to use the abductors on the other leg to control the band so it doesn’t snap back in. This can be done by holding a weight also to increase the intensity.

Lastly while laying on the side and putting weight on the leg, right above the knee, and lifting up with increasing weights would also be a good exercise. All of these are high-intensity exercises and most of them are also sport specific. As an athlete, it is important that to train for the specific sport. While Gibson can’t be on the ice at all times, he can mimic it. The more his workout movements mimic his hockey movements the better off he will be.

As far as stretching goes, there are some simple ways to stretch hip adductors. Something to the effect of sitting and putting the soles of the feet together. Then trying to get the heels as close to their body as possible.

It can also start by laying on the stomach bringing both legs up into an army crawl position and holding there. Lastly sitting with legs out wide and attempting to reach the hand to the toes. All of these stretches should be done three times on each leg and held for 30-60 seconds. They should be done on a daily basis which contributes to an overall better workout for patients.

There are different schools of thought on stretching and its benefits. But stretching is needed to decrease injury risk and especially for someone like a patient dealing with these injuries. It’s clear this is the source of the injury and it needs the most attention. Along with stretches things like massage as well as heat and ice modalities can go a long way in decreasing injury risk and making the musculature overall stronger.