Updated October 2026
Why Do Hockey Players Use Smelling Salts?
Hockey players use smelling salts as a pregame wake-up ritual: trainers hand out ammonia capsules on the bench, players crack them, wince, and shake — a routine that runs from juniors to the NHL. It's arousal and superstition, not measurable performance: the vial (0.3 ml, ~35% alcohol, ~15% ammonia per Sports Illustrated's reporting) delivers a sharp jolt that lasts less than a shift.
What does the bench ritual look like?
Sports Illustrated's 2016 NHL feature described it as choreography: after the anthem, trainers and equipment managers toss Tootsie-Roll-sized packets down the bench. Players squeeze to crack the glass vial inside the cotton sheath, wave it under the nose, and then — noses wrinkling, eyes squeezed shut — “wiggle and shake, like dogs after a bath.” Then the puck drops.
The reason it persists is that it does feel like something: ammonia irritates the nasal membranes and triggers a reflexive gasp, heart-rate bump, and a burst of alertness. The mechanism — and why that feeling doesn't translate into measured performance — is laid out on what do smelling salts do.
What do players actually say?
Verbatim, attributed as published or posted. Individual opinions — not typical results, not our claims.
“I love them. It doesn't give you any kind of energy, it just wakes you up. It's almost like a cerebral way of saying, ‘Hey, it's game time now. It's time to get going.’”
“They absolutely reek.”
“I have used them. Wakes you up, that's for sure! Improved performance, eh. I don't think it improves your reflexes.”
“Pros are they are a fast acting boost (it's like getting a singular toad boost thing in Mario Kart, it'll give ya a boost, but only for like half a shift). Cons are you can't smell shit afterwards and they don't last long enough.”
“We just use it for the memes, we have a good laugh and have a good vibe on the bench. Clears the sinuses and I can usually phantom smell it for a day or two.”
“Just don't try them for the first time immediately before a shift, might leave you coughing and crying”
Hockey smelling salts FAQ
Why do hockey players use smelling salts?
As a pregame wake-up ritual, not a performance drug. The ammonia vial triggers a sharp involuntary inhale and a brief arousal spike — players describe it as a mental “it's game time” switch. Sports Illustrated's 2016 NHL feature documented trainers handing out capsules on the bench before puck drop, a routine that runs from juniors to the NHL.
What's actually in a hockey smelling salt?
Per the SI feature, the standard bench capsule holds 0.3 milliliters of liquid — about 35% alcohol and 15% ammonia — sheathed in cotton. Squeeze, crack the glass vial inside, wave it under the nose. The label says it plainly: “CRUSH ONCE, USE AND DISCARD.”
Do smelling salts improve hockey performance?
The evidence says no. A Lakehead University master's thesis tested smelling salts on hockey players' reaction time and anaerobic power specifically; broader 2024 review evidence finds arousal and perceived performance rise while measured short-burst performance doesn't. Players themselves mostly agree — they call it a wake-up, a routine, or “for the memes,” not a power-up.
Are smelling salts banned in hockey?
No. The NHL has no prohibition — trainers still distribute them on benches openly. The contrast is the NFL, which banned team distribution in August 2025 over concussion-masking concerns. The same concussion logic applies on ice, which is why the practice draws growing scrutiny in a sport with hockey's head-injury history.
Are smelling salts safe for youth hockey players?
The FDA's August 2024 warning applies to alertness-marketed ammonia inhalants generally, and documented adverse events include shortness of breath and fainting. Beyond that, a stimulant ritual is a strange thing to teach a 14-year-old — even adult players on Reddit routinely tell beginners to skip them. For a minor, the honest answer is: don't.
What do hockey players use instead of smelling salts?
Common bench alternatives: caffeine (by far the most used), a hard skate in warm-up, cold water, and menthol — some players keep a menthol inhaler or rub for the airway-opening feeling without the ammonia reflex. Disclosure: we sell a Thai menthol-camphor inhaler, which lives in that last category.