Adapting NROL Workouts for In-Season Hockey Player

[The Mandingo]

I've been off for the last two weeks and will be off for the next two weeks until I start the Spring semester at the University. Since last June I have been playing in an adult recreational hockey league and I've let my time in the weight room suffer because of it. In the Spring I'll be playing for the University and would like to be in top form, strength-wise, when the season begins. And before you ask, unfortunately there is no strength training staff, the team is a club sport not a varsity sport.

Positives about playing: I've lost about 20 pounds from all the aerobic exercise and I've got much more stamina than last June.

Negatives about playing: The loss of strength and a recurrence of some hip flexor pain that always comes back unless I'm relentless in the gym (I haven't been) with squats and deadlifts to strengthen my ankles, knees and hip joints.

So I've been back in the gym doing the Strength I workouts. Fantastic stuff. Very challenging and I am definitely regaining some of my lost strength. My concern is this: these workouts are going to murder me during the season. How can I adapt them to be less brutal to allow me to make two practices (Tues/Thurs) and two full days of games (Sat/Sun) while still making progress in the gym? I'm not just talking about the Strength I workouts either, I plan on cycling through to keep muscular adaptation at bay.

From what I've read about NHL training, they take a good amount of time off and away from everything and then start lifting again in time for the season. Basic off season weight training has a warm-up to get the player reacquainted with the gym, hypertrophy period to bulk, maximal period to increase strength and finishes with a dynamic period to provide maximum explosive ability at the beginning of the season. Haven't read anything specific about the "in-season maintenance" routines because they're always just referred to as "in-season maintenance" routines.

Thanks in advance.