With Hockey being the longest season of all sports, coupled with the length of the game, your conditioning must be of the highest level.  When you use the Xvest with your line drills over an extended period of time, your conditioning level will be at a higher level, because of the higher resistance due to the added weight.  If you weigh 200 lbs, put the Xvest on with 20 lbs of weights (10 to 12 percent of body weight maximum) and do your conditioning, when you take the vest off, your body is going to relate to 220 lbs; thus, making your conditioning level higher.  You will also find that you will improve your ability to get to the puck faster and break away from the defender faster.

Another example of Plyometric exercises in Hockey would be zigzag alternating drills.  Set up two lines at a designated distance apart, start out on one line on the outside foot, hop over a barrier to the opposite foot, hop back to the other foot and do this over a distance.  This will improve your lateral strength.  In hockey, your ability to explode in a straight line, even though you are pushing laterally with the blade of the skate, is very important.  Doing this with the Xvest will improve your skills on the ice and give you the ability to break away from your defensive opponent.

You can also use the Xvest to work on speed drills.  Straight line skating at a higher resistance than your body is accustomed to, over a period of time, will build endurance.  Take the vest off to teach your body to work at that newfound speed (Contrast Training).  Over time, you will find that you will become quicker, faster and better conditioned.