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Every hockey player wants to get faster.
That makes sense.
Speed changes the game.
Speed creates separation.
Speed closes gaps.
Speed creates time.
But speed is not just “try harder.”
And it is not just “move your feet faster.”
Speed on the ice is a skill.
It is a combination of strength, power, mechanics, timing, edge control, rhythm, equipment, decision-making, and fatigue resistance.
That is why two players can look like they are working equally hard, but one is moving faster with less effort.
One player is fighting the ice.
The other is using it.
Why This Matters for Hockey Players
Hockey is not a straight-line sprint sport.
It is repeated bursts of acceleration, deceleration, turning, crossing over, gliding, reacting, battling, and changing direction.
The game is built on short, high-intensity efforts.
A hockey player needs to be able to accelerate quickly, hold speed, change direction, recover between bursts, and repeat that over and over.
Vigh-Larsen and Mohr describe hockey as a sport of repeated fast-paced skating, rapid speed and direction changes, and frequent physical encounters. Players typically complete short shifts, often around 30–80 seconds, with repeated high-intensity efforts and passive recovery between shifts. [5]
That matters because skating speed is not one thing.
It is several things.
| Skating Need |
What It Requires |
| First-step quickness |
Starting power, body angle, edge position, and intent |
| Acceleration |
Horizontal force, hip extension, ankle action, and repeated pushes |
| Top-speed skating |
Rhythm, stride length, stride rate, edge efficiency, and relaxation |
| Crossovers |
Lateral force, rotation control, edge confidence, and timing |
| Stops and starts |
Deceleration, eccentric strength, trunk control, and edge bite |
| Game speed |
Mechanics that hold up under fatigue, contact, and decisions |
This is why “just skate harder” is not enough.
Better speed usually starts with better movement.
What the Research Tells Us
Skating speed is multifactorial.
A recent systematic review by Silvestri and colleagues found that skating speed in hockey players is associated with several qualities, including on-land sprinting ability, jumping performance, body composition, and anaerobic power. [4]
That means speed is not only a skating issue.
It is also a strength and power issue.
Perez and colleagues studied elite female hockey players and found that on-ice mechanical capacity, especially horizontal power output, was strongly related to 40-meter skating sprint performance. Off-ice measures like squat jump height and 30-meter sprint time also related to on-ice skating performance. [3]
Keiner and colleagues found that maximum strength and power performance helped explain meaningful portions of in-game peak skating speed in elite youth hockey players. [7]
That does not mean a bigger squat automatically makes a player faster.
It means the athlete needs enough force and power to create speed.
But then they need the skill to express it on the ice.
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Hockey Health Takeaway:
The fastest players are not just strong. They are strong enough, powerful enough, and skilled enough to use that force on the ice.
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Part 1
Speed Starts With Mechanics
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A good skating stride is not just about moving the legs quickly.
The athlete has to put force into the ice in a way that moves the body forward.
That sounds simple, but it is not.
The skate blade is not a shoe. The athlete does not push straight down into the ground like running. The blade has to find an edge, push into the ice, create force, and then recover back under the body.
Buckeridge and colleagues used an on-ice measurement system to analyze forward skating biomechanics. Their work showed that acceleration and steady-state skating are not exactly the same. Acceleration relied more on plantar-flexor activity and hip extension, while steady-state skating involved more knee extensor activity and hip abduction range of motion. [2]
Translation?
The first few steps and the faster rhythm later in the stride may require slightly different solutions.
| Skating Phase |
Main Goal |
What Usually Matters |
| Start / First Steps |
Get moving quickly |
Body angle, force, hip extension, ankle action |
| Acceleration |
Build speed |
Horizontal power, repeated pushes, forward intent |
| Steady-State Speed |
Maintain speed efficiently |
Rhythm, stride length, stride rate, edge control |
| Game Speed |
Use speed under pressure |
Timing, decisions, fatigue resistance, contact tolerance |
This is why coaching speed should be more specific than:
“Bend your knees.”
That cue can help.
But speed is more than knee bend.
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Part 2
Simple Skating Heuristics
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A heuristic is a simple rule that helps guide movement.
It is not a perfect law.
It is a useful shortcut.
Hockey players do not need 14 biomechanical cues in their head while skating. They need a few simple ideas that help them move better.
Here are some useful skating heuristics:
| Heuristic |
What It Means |
| Get loaded before you get fast |
Speed comes from being in a position where the athlete can push |
| Push the ice away |
The goal is force into the edge, not just fast feet |
| Recover under the body |
The leg has to come back underneath to set up the next push |
| Comfortable before fast |
Speed should build after the movement looks clean |
| Planned before reactive |
Learn the movement before adding chaos |
| Own the edge before adding pressure |
Edge control should come before traffic, contact, and fatigue |
| Quality before conditioning |
Do not turn every skating session into survival |
These are not just coaching phrases.
They are decision-making tools.
They help answer:
Is this player actually getting faster?
Or are they just working harder?
The Most Important Heuristic: Push, Do Not Spin
When a player is trying to skate faster, they often start moving their feet quicker.
Sometimes that helps.
But sometimes the feet move fast and the body does not go anywhere.
That is spinning.
Speed requires force into the ice.
A player needs to push with enough direction and enough power to move the body.
That is why horizontal power matters.
Perez and colleagues found that on-ice horizontal power output was strongly related to forward skating sprint performance. [3]
For parents and players, the simple version is this:
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Fast feet only matter if they move the body.
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| What It Looks Like |
What It Usually Means |
| Fast feet, little movement |
The athlete may be spinning |
| Big pushes but slow recovery |
The athlete may lack rhythm |
| Strong push, clean recovery |
The athlete is creating usable speed |
| Good mechanics early, breakdown late |
Fatigue may be stealing speed |
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Hockey Health Takeaway:
Speed is not just foot speed. Speed is usable force in the right direction.
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Part 3
Acceleration vs. Top Speed
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Not all speed work should look the same.
Acceleration and top-speed skating have different goals.
Acceleration is about getting moving.
Top speed is about maintaining speed efficiently.
| Quality |
Acceleration |
Top-Speed / Flying Speed |
| Body position |
More aggressive forward intent |
More rhythm and relaxation |
| Stride feel |
Shorter, powerful, repeated pushes |
Longer, smoother, more efficient strides |
| Main goal |
Build speed quickly |
Hold speed without wasting energy |
| Common mistake |
Standing up too early |
Overstriding or reaching |
| Training focus |
Starts, first 3–5 strides, power |
Rhythm, stride length, stride rate, glide efficiency |
A player who struggles with acceleration may not need “more conditioning.”
They may need a better start position, better first-step force, better ankle/hip action, or more lower-body power.
A player who gets up to speed but looks inefficient may need better rhythm, better recovery, better edge use, or better relaxation.
That distinction matters.
Because the drill should match the problem.
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Part 4
Equipment Can Change the Movement
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Equipment does not replace training.
But equipment can change how the athlete accesses movement.
This is especially true with skates.
A skate can influence ankle motion, edge feel, glide, bite, comfort, and confidence.
That does not mean every player needs to change their setup.
It means equipment should be part of the conversation when the movement does not match the athlete.
Dropping an Eyelet
One common equipment modification is dropping the top eyelet.
The idea is simple:
Give the ankle a little more freedom to move.
This can help some players access more ankle motion, get into a better skating position, and use the edge more effectively.
Research on skate design supports this concept.
Robert-Lachaine and colleagues studied a modified hockey skate with altered tendon guard and eyelet configuration. The modified skate increased ankle dorsi-plantarflexion range of motion by about 5–9 degrees and changed the timing of force production during plantarflexion. [8]
That does not mean every player should immediately drop an eyelet.
It means ankle freedom can matter.
For some athletes, especially those who look stiff, upright, or unable to get over the blade, changing how the skate is laced may help them access a better position.
| Possible Benefit |
Possible Tradeoff |
| More ankle motion |
Less perceived support |
| Easier knee-over-toe position |
May feel unstable at first |
| Better access to skating depth |
May require adjustment time |
| Improved edge alignment for some players |
Not ideal for every athlete or injury stage |
The key is to test it.
Not guess.
A player returning from injury should not make a major skate setup change and immediately jump into high-speed skating.
Treat it like a rehab progression.
Start controlled.
Watch mechanics.
Monitor symptoms.
Check the next-day response.
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Hockey Health Takeaway:
Dropping an eyelet is not a magic speed fix. It is a way to explore whether more ankle freedom helps the athlete access better skating mechanics.
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Radius and Hollow
Blade setup also matters.
Two common terms are:
| Term |
What It Means |
| Radius / Profile |
The front-to-back shape of the blade and how much blade contacts the ice |
| Hollow |
The concave sharpening cut between the inside and outside edges |
These can change how the skate feels.
A deeper hollow usually gives more bite into the ice.
A shallower hollow usually gives more glide.
But more bite is not always better.
Too much bite can make the player feel stuck in the ice. That may reduce glide, make transitions feel choppy, or increase the effort needed to skate.
Too little bite can make the player feel like they do not trust the edge.
| Setup Change |
Potential Effect |
Possible Tradeoff |
| Deeper hollow |
More edge bite and grip |
More drag, less glide, may feel slower |
| Shallower hollow |
More glide and less drag |
Less bite, may feel less secure |
| Shorter profile radius |
More agility and easier turning |
Less stability at speed |
| Longer profile radius |
More stability and glide |
May feel less maneuverable |
| Forward pitch/profile change |
May help some players access forward lean |
Can feel awkward if changed too aggressively |
The research here is more limited than most players realize.
The practical takeaway is not that one hollow or radius is best.
The practical takeaway is that blade setup changes the way the athlete interacts with the ice.
So it should be individualized.
A heavier player, a lighter player, a player with strong edges, a player returning from injury, and a player who lacks confidence on one side may all need different setups.
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Hockey Health Takeaway:
A sharpening or profile change should be treated like a training variable. Change one thing, test it, and watch how the athlete moves.
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Part 5
Skill Acquisition: Do Not Chase Perfect Form
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This is where the skating conversation can go wrong.
Players, parents, and coaches often want the “perfect stride.”
But hockey is not a perfect-stride contest.
It is a game.
The athlete needs a skating solution that works under pressure, fatigue, contact, and decision-making.
Skill acquisition research emphasizes that practice quality matters, the challenge needs to fit the athlete, and learning should transfer beyond the drill. [9,10]
That fits hockey perfectly.
A player can look great in a clean skating drill and still lose speed in a game.
Why?
Because the game adds constraints.
Traffic.
Pressure.
Fatigue.
Puck decisions.
Contact.
Timing.
Emotion.
Space.
That is why the goal is not to make every drill look perfect.
The goal is to help the athlete build movement solutions that hold up.
| Practice Type |
When It Helps |
Limitation |
| Clean technical work |
Learning a movement or improving mechanics |
May not transfer if it never becomes game-like |
| Variable skating work |
Building adaptability |
Can get messy if too hard too soon |
| Decision-based drills |
Connecting skating to hockey |
Requires enough skill base first |
| Small-area games |
Testing skill under pressure |
Can become conditioning or chaos if poorly dosed |
The lesson is simple:
Start clean enough to learn.
Then make it variable enough to transfer.
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Part 6
Returning to Play After Injury
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This is where skating biomechanics becomes more than a performance topic.
After injury, skating speed is not just about getting faster.
It is about restoring trust, capacity, and timing.
A player returning from injury may not need to sprint on day one.
They need to rebuild the pieces that make speed possible.
| Return-to-Play Stage |
Skating Focus |
What to Watch |
| Early return to ice |
Comfortable speed, open space, planned movement |
Symptoms, swelling, confidence, symmetry |
| Controlled skill exposure |
Crossovers, stops, starts, puck work |
Edge trust, loading the involved side, mechanics |
| Higher-speed exposure |
Faster starts, transitions, repeat efforts |
Fatigue response and next-day response |
| Team practice |
Timing, spacing, decisions |
Guarding, avoidance, late-session breakdown |
| Game simulation |
Pressure, traffic, contact, repeat shifts |
Does speed hold up when hockey gets messy? |
The same skating heuristic applies:
Comfortable before fast. Planned before reactive. Fresh before tired.
That does not mean rehab should be soft.
It means the progression should be intentional.
Speed Work After Injury
Here is a practical way to think about speed after injury.
| Question |
Why It Matters |
| Can the athlete skate symmetrically at comfortable speed? |
Establishes the baseline |
| Can they accelerate without guarding? |
Shows force production and trust |
| Can they stop and start without symptoms? |
Tests deceleration and edge control |
| Can they crossover both directions? |
Tests lateral force, rotation, and confidence |
| Can they repeat efforts without mechanics falling apart? |
Tests fatigue resistance |
| Can they recover the next day? |
Shows whether the dose was appropriate |
This is why speed should be added in layers.
Not all at once.
A player who looks good for three fast reps but breaks down by rep eight is giving you information.
The issue might be strength.
It might be conditioning.
It might be confidence.
It might be mechanics.
It might be too much too soon.
The answer is not always more skating.
Sometimes the answer is better dosing.
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Part 7
The Speed Builder Framework
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For hockey players, speed development should include both off-ice and on-ice pieces.
| Training Area |
Why It Matters |
| Lower-body strength |
Gives the athlete the ability to produce and absorb force |
| Power and jumping |
Helps express force quickly |
| Acceleration work |
Builds first-step and early-stride mechanics |
| Deceleration work |
Supports stops, starts, and change of direction |
| Ankle and hip mobility |
Helps the athlete access skating positions |
| Edge control |
Lets the player use the blade effectively |
| Conditioning |
Helps mechanics hold up late in shifts |
| Skill transfer |
Connects speed to puck play, pressure, and decisions |
Do not pick just one.
Speed is a system.
The player needs enough physical capacity to create speed and enough skating skill to use it.
A Simple Weekly Speed Plan
This is not a perfect plan for every athlete, but it shows the idea.
| Day |
Focus |
Goal |
| Monday |
Lower-body strength |
Build force capacity |
| Tuesday |
On-ice acceleration |
First 3–5 strides, starts, controlled speed |
| Wednesday |
Recovery / mobility |
Restore quality |
| Thursday |
On-ice skill + speed |
Crossovers, transitions, puck work at manageable speed |
| Friday |
Power + deceleration |
Jumping, landing, stopping mechanics |
| Saturday |
Game-like skating exposure |
Controlled pressure, timing, repeat efforts |
| Sunday |
Off or low-load recovery |
Absorb the week |
Notice what this is not.
It is not hard skating every day.
It is not a conditioning test every session.
It is not random speed work stacked on top of a full hockey schedule.
This connects back to a theme we have already talked about:
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Busy does not mean better.
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Speed improves when the athlete gets the right work, at the right dose, with enough recovery to adapt.
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Part 8
What Parents and Players Should Watch
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Parents do not need to become biomechanics experts.
But they can learn to see patterns.
| What You See |
What It May Mean |
| Player looks busy but not faster |
They may be spinning instead of pushing |
| Player stands up after first few strides |
They may be losing acceleration position |
| Stride looks different side to side |
Strength, mobility, confidence, or pain may be affecting mechanics |
| Player is fast early but fades quickly |
Fatigue resistance may be the limiter |
| Player avoids one crossover direction |
Edge confidence, hip/knee control, or prior injury may matter |
| Player looks slower after added training |
Load may be exceeding recovery |
| Player changes mechanics late in practice |
Conditioning or strength may not support game-speed skating yet |
One bad skate is not a crisis.
But patterns matter.
If the player is trying harder and getting slower, something needs to change.
Key Takeaways
| Key Point |
Why It Matters |
| Speed is a skill |
It can be trained, refined, and transferred |
| Fast feet are not enough |
Speed requires force into the ice |
| Acceleration and top speed are different |
The drill should match the skating problem |
| Equipment can influence mechanics |
Lacing, boot motion, hollow, and profile can affect how the athlete uses the ice |
| Dropping an eyelet may help some players |
It can allow more ankle freedom, but it is not automatic for everyone |
| Hollow and radius should be individualized |
Grip, glide, stability, and confidence all matter |
| Heuristics simplify coaching |
Simple rules help players move better without overthinking |
| Return-to-play speed must be layered |
Comfortable before fast, planned before reactive, fresh before tired |
Final Thought
Every hockey player wants more speed.
But speed is not just effort.
It is not just grinding harder.
And it is not just doing more skating.
Speed is the result of the athlete’s body, blade, mechanics, equipment, timing, strength, power, confidence, and decision-making working together.
The best skaters do not just move fast.
They use the ice well.
That is the goal.
For healthy players, that means building strength, power, edge control, and better skating habits.
For injured players returning to hockey, it means earning speed layer by layer.
Do not rush straight to game speed.
Build the movement.
Build the force.
Build the edge.
Build the confidence.
Then add chaos.
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Speed is a skill. Build it that way.
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This Week’s Challenge
Watch one skating session this week and ask:
| Question |
What It Tells You |
| Is the player pushing the ice away or just moving their feet? |
Force quality |
| Can they stay loaded without looking stiff? |
Skating position |
| Can they crossover both directions confidently? |
Edge trust and symmetry |
| Does speed improve or fall apart with fatigue? |
Conditioning and capacity |
| Does a cue improve the movement or make it worse? |
Coaching fit |
| Does the player recover well the next day? |
Dose appropriateness |
Find the limiter.
Then train the next layer.
References
- Montgomery DL. Physiology of ice hockey. Sports Medicine. 1988;5(2):99-126. doi:10.2165/00007256-198805020-00003.
- Buckeridge E, LeVangie MC, Stetter B, Nigg SR, Nigg BM. An on-ice measurement approach to analyse the biomechanics of ice hockey skating. PLOS ONE. 2015;10(5). doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0127324.
- Perez J, Guilhem G, Hager R, Brocherie F. Mechanical determinants of forward skating sprint inferred from off- and on-ice force-velocity evaluations in elite female ice hockey players. European Journal of Sport Science. 2021;21(2):192-203. doi:10.1080/17461391.2020.1751304.
- Silvestri MA, Cleather DJ, Callaghan S, Perri J, Legg HS. Examining the determinants of skating speed in ice hockey athletes: a systematic review. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2025;39(4):507-514. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000005054.
- Vigh-Larsen JF, Mohr M. The physiology of ice hockey performance: an update. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. 2024;34(1). doi:10.1111/sms.14284.
- Sperlich B, Zoppirolli C, Hettinga F, et al. Olympic ice sports: a narrative review and perspectives toward Milano-Cortina 2026. Scandinavian Journal of Medicine & Science in Sports. 2026;36(2). doi:10.1111/sms.70213.
- Keiner M, Kierot M, Stendahl M, Brauner T, Suchomel TJ. Maximum strength and power as determinants of match skating performance in elite youth ice hockey players. Journal of Strength and Conditioning Research. 2024;38(6):1090-1094. doi:10.1519/JSC.0000000000004745.
- Robert-Lachaine X, Turcotte RA, Dixon PC, Pearsall DJ. Impact of hockey skate design on ankle motion and force production. Sports Engineering. 2012;15(4):197-206. doi:10.1007/s12283-012-0103-x.
- Williams AM, Hodges NJ. Effective practice and instruction: a skill acquisition framework for excellence. Journal of Sports Sciences. 2023;41(9):833-849. doi:10.1080/02640414.2023.2240630.
- Hodges NJ, Lohse KR. An extended challenge-based framework for practice design in sports coaching. Journal of Sports Sciences. 2022;40(7):754-768. doi:10.1080/02640414.2021.2015917.
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