While hockey wheels may appear identical on the surface, this is far from the case in reality. Hockey wheels are designed to be used for quick starting and stopping, sharp turning and enduring the abuse of pucks and hockey sticks. Many different factors go into hockey wheels, and each player has his own preferences as to which wheel works for him.
History
Inline skates became famous due to the popularity of Rollerblade skates in the late 1980s. The history of inline skates actually goes back nearly 300 years. According to Hickok Sports, the first roller skates ever invented were inline skates, and until the invention of "quad" skates in 1863, inline skates were the only types of roller skates available. The popularity of inline skates, coupled with hockey star Wayne Gretzky's arrival in the United States in 1988, caused many players to embrace roller hockey and, more specifically, inline hockey. By 1993, a professional inline hockey league, Roller Hockey International, had been launched, and inline skates were the preferred choice of hockey players
Size
The chassis on most hockey skates accepts only certain sizes of wheels. These sizes sometimes are printed on the size of the skate for easy reference. Many hockey skates utilize a HiLo arrangement, meaning that the back two wheels are larger than the two front wheels. This is popular with hockey players because they use their back wheels to stop and pivot, causing those wheels to wear down faster. The different sizes also allow players to increase their agility on skates.
Durometer
Durometer is the most critical choice you'll make as you buy new wheels. Durometer is measured on a scale of 0-100, and the lower the durometer, the softer the wheel. Hockey players tend to prefer soft wheels because it allows their skates to grip the playing surface better. A softer wheel can also prevent you from falling while making sharp turns.
Considerations
Hockey players who play primarily inside will want to invest in hard wheels with a durometer of 80A or higher. Hard wheels tend to absorb more shock, but on a smooth indoor surface such as wood, there won't be much shock to absorb. The hard wheels also allow players to go faster. Indoor wheels tend to wear out quickly if used on rough surfaces like concrete.
Effects
Outdoor wheels are soft and are designed to handle the rough terrain of outside play. The soft wheels allow players to turn better and keep from losing their balance. These wheels don't accelerate as well as indoor wheels and wear out even faster, but they absorb impact from the ground very well and keep debris from interfering with regular skating. Outdoor wheels can also be used on indoor surfaces that are not entirely smooth, like Sport Court, which is used in many roller hockey leagues.
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