Hockey in the South Bay is close. SAP Center sits in downtown San Jose, and the rinks that feed the sport, Sharks Ice among them, are a familiar drive from Los Altos.
I work with hockey athletes who need hips, groin and shoulders that still skate after a long week. Rec-league night, junior or college, former players, and people who want private work while they are in town for a game.
Independent practice. Paul Andersen, NMT is not employed by the San Jose Sharks or the NHL, and this is not an official team site. If you already have a club trainer or physician, this work is meant to sit beside that plan, not replace it.
Skating is a different load than running or football. The stride hammers adductors and hip flexors. The stance loads the low back. Battles along the boards light up shoulders and wrists. Goalies live in a crouch that most spa massage never touches.
Sessions here are clothed, assessment-led and built around how you actually skate.
It takes an athlete to work on an athlete
Working on a pro or high-level hockey body takes real strength.
Adductors that have skated all week. A goalie’s hips. A winger’s low back. Light spa pressure never gets into that tissue.
I have the strength to hold genuine deep pressure for a full session and the control to stay specific. Clients who train hard tend to say the same thing: it takes an athlete to work on an athlete.
Nearly 20 years of clinical sports work, including elite competitors. I will not overpower a guarded groin, and I will not fade out of a dense hip just because the last therapist got tired.
Close to SAP Center, private in Los Altos
The studio is at 4546 El Camino Real, Suite B2, a straightforward drive from downtown San Jose, usually around 20 to 25 minutes off-peak.
Prefer to stay near the rink or your hotel? Mobile sessions cover San Jose and the mid-Peninsula. Text 408-329-3900 with where you are staying and what is barking.
What a hockey session targets
Hips and groin
Adductors, hip flexors and the stride that shortens when volume jumps.
Low back
The crouched skating posture that stacks the lumbar spine after a long ice time.
Shoulders and wrists
Board battles, stick load and the goalie stance that never quite lets the upper body rest.
Goalies vs skaters
I bias the session to the position. Butterfly hips are not a winger’s stride.
Groin injuries deserve a real progression
Adductor strains are the classic hockey injury, and they are the classic re-injury too. Pain often settles before mobility and load tolerance are back.
So we do not skip steps. Assess, treat, mobilize, stretch, strengthen, reload, then return to skating. The stretching between sessions is part of the treatment, not an extra. There is more on why in understanding fascia, soft tissue and elasticity.
Who this page is for
Adult rec players who skate after work. High-school and junior hockey. College players home on a break. Long-time Sharks fans who still play drop-in. Visiting athletes who want a quiet table instead of a hotel massage special.
The door is the same whether you have a letter on your sweater or a beer-league bag.
Sudden severe pain, numbness or a suspected fracture belongs with a physician first. Soft-tissue work cannot diagnose a hip labrum or a separated shoulder. It can change the tissue that keeps you compensating around one.
Explore related services
49ers & Football Athletes
Collision-sport work near Levi’s Stadium for football bodies.
Sciatica Massage
Hip and low-back patterns that refer down the leg, common after a skating crouch.
Deep Tissue Massage
Strong, precise work for chronic tension and hard training.
Myofascial Release
Slow, sustained work that restores glide in restricted hips.
Frequently asked questions
Are you the official Sharks or NHL team massage therapist?
No. Andersen Sports Massage is an independent Los Altos practice. I am not employed by the San Jose Sharks or the NHL. This page is for hockey athletes who live, train or stay in the South Bay and want private clinical bodywork.
Do you work with rec-league players or only pros?
Both. Adult rec, high school, junior, college and former players book here. The skating load on hips and groin does not wait for a roster spot.
Is the pressure deep enough for a hockey body?
Yes. Skating tissue is dense. It takes real strength to reach the adductors, hips and low back and stay there. I have that strength, and I keep it specific so you can still breathe.
Can you come to San Jose near SAP Center?
Yes. Mobile sessions are available in San Jose and across the mid-Peninsula, including hotel and in-home visits. The Los Altos studio is also a straight drive from downtown San Jose. Text 408-329-3900.
When should a hockey player book around a game?
Keep deep work a few days away from a start. After a game, wait until the worst soreness settles, then restore hip and adductor range instead of pounding already angry tissue.
Do I need to undress?
No. Work is clothed, with no oils or draping. Wear shorts and a shirt you can move in.