BEFORE YOU SWEAT HOCKEY : STRETCHING THE LIMITS OF HOCKEY PREPARATION.

Byline: Heesun Wee Daily News Staff Writer

It was once reputed as a sport reserved for colder bastions, a pastime fit only for big and burly guys, an event of sprints and grunts where fights seemed more the aim of the game than the hot pursuit of a cookie-sized disk with a stick.

Not anymore.

During the 1980s, hockey underwent a dramatic image change, catching the eye of many recreational players - young and old, big and small.

Ice rinks have sprouted up in milder states, including California and Texas. More kids are making the transition from in-line skating to ice skating - with stick and puck in tow. National Hockey League season games fill prime-time television spots.

So, to the rink they go, hockey fans of all ages.

They rush to the rink, they strap on their skates, they slap on their equipment and tear onto the ice, dodging imaginary opponents.

What they often forget is that this high-impact sport requires a high level of physical fitness. What they often forget, say hockey experts, are the pregame preparations - the very same steps even the pros wouldn't skip.

Pete Demers, the Los Angeles Kings' head trainer for 25 years, says too many beginners overlook stretching.

``In the eyes of the general population, stretching is not seen as a component of strength,'' said Demers, who handles injury prevention, treatment and rehabilitation of Kings players and also is president of the Professional Hockey Athletic Trainers' Society.

``But the elasticity of a muscle is indeed one of the measurements of a muscle's effectiveness and strength,'' Demers added. ``Stretching can be overlooked and taken for granted by the recreational player.''

Other ice hockey watchdogs agree.

``There's not much that goes on at the rink before the kid gets on the rink to get loose,'' said Pat Kelleher, hockey program coordinator for the Ice Skating Institute of America (ISIA). The organization, based in Buffalo Grove, Ill., represents the management side of the ice rink industry.

Recreational skaters usually see the sport as a source of stress relief and fun. So, they sometimes argue, why bother with a cumbersome stretching routine?

Besides, ice time is expensive, they'll say. Better to spend that pricey few minutes practicing maneuvers on the ice than stretching on the floor of a locker room, right?

Wrong.

Say Demers and Carolyne Keeler, a fitness columnist for Roller Hockey magazine and a National Athletic Trainers' Association spokeswoman, overall cardiovascular and aerobic fitness coupled with regular pre- and post-game stretching significantly can improve a player's performance on the ice, and reduce the likeliness of injuries.

A strong heart and strong lungs allow a player to virtually sprint in the rink and recover, with relative ease, on the bench. Two other muscles also play strong roles in ice hockey - quadriceps and hip flexors. Hockey players heavily rely on the two groups of muscles to propel and maneuver in multiple directions around an arena.

Demers said the team makes it a habit to stretch about 15 minutes before and after practices and games. It's worth the small investment of time, he said.

Here's a sampling of the Kings' stretching routine, demonstrated by left wing Dan Bylsma. Each stretch should be held for about 15 seconds, without bouncing, and repeated on the opposite side when applicable.

CAPTION(S):

8 Photos

Photo: (1--Cover--Color) Getting ready for THE SPORT OF KINGS

Head trainer Pete Demers recommends getting a full-body stretch before you risk getting a full-body check

(2) Los Angeles Kings trainer Pete Demers leads team members in stretching in the locker room before a game.

(3) ``In the eyes of the general population, stretching is not seen as a component of strength,'' says Demers. ``But the elasticity of a muscle is indeed one of the measurements of a muscle's effectiveness and strength.''

John McCoy/Daily News

(4--5) Lower back - Step 1: Lie on the floor on your back, legs together and straight out in front of you. Bend and lift your right knee toward your chest; grab the knee with both hands. Step 2: Lean slightly to the left and lay your now-extended right leg on the floor, keeping your right arm extended on the right side of the floor. A strong lower back is essential in hockey because the skating stance requires you to constantly maintain a slightly low and forward position with knees bent.

(6) Groin - Kneel with both knees together. Place arms on hips. Step your right foot as far out as possible in front of you, keeping your knee bent. Lean forward into the bent knee to stretch the muscle. The constant stop-and-start motions and quick movements in various directions that are required in hockey give the groin muscles a serious workout.

(7) Hang loose - Perform this move at the end of a stretching routine. Stand with your feet as far apart as possible. Bend forward at the waist and simply ``hang loose,'' with your hands on or reaching for the floor.

(8) Hip flexor - Kneel with both knees together. Hands on hips. Extend your right leg and plant it to the right of you on the floor, as far away as possible. Strong hip flexors allow a player to propel and maneuver on the ice.

David R. Crane/Daily News