Obviously, good balance is key when playing hockey. You're on skates, on ice, trying to maneuver around other players while controlling the puck with a stick. If your balance is good then you can do it all without worrying about whether or not you're going to fall on your butt.
Off ice, there are some easy exercises you can do that will help you improve your balance. You can do these with shoes on, but it's better and a little harder to do them barefoot.
The first one is simple. Stand on one foot. For one minute. You'll feel all those little muscles in your feet, ankles and legs working to maintain your balance. Do this a couple of times a day for a week or two and you'll start to notice a big difference in how stable you feel.
When that seems easy, then do it again while standing on a pillow. You want a little bit of instability in the surface you're standing on, so a bath towel folded three or four times works well too. The soft cushion under your feet gives your body something new to deal with while maintaining your balance.
To make the above even harder, do them with your eyes closed. Then try again with your eyes closed and your head tilted back as if you were looking at the sky.
These little exercises will lead to a huge improvement in your balance. Bonus because I find I can do these any time during the day when I'm standing in line or waiting for something. Even if I can't do a full minute, every little bit helps.
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