Good hockey skating takes more than spending a lot of time on the ice. Of course, this is the first ingredient, but it is even more important to make the most of your time by understanding and executing proper technique and correcting flaws or inefficiencies. Proper technique and instruction are crucial when it comes to getting the most out of your skating.
Sprints
Think about the type of skating that you do when you play in a game and design your drills around these types of maneuvers. Hockey is a transitional game, and sudden starts and stops are the norm. If you spend time developing speed but do not develop the ability to stop on a dime and transition to the other direction, you will have difficulty keeping up with the game. Skate sprints from blue line to blue line and alternate the side you stop on. When stopping, concentrate on getting your legs staggered so that there is space between your legs. Distribute weight equally on both sides and have a buddy or coach time you to see that you are improving your numbers.
Acceleration
When you play hockey, you are constantly racing for the puck in different directions. To simulate this type of skating, stand beside a teammate and have your coach toss a puck in various directions. As soon as the coach tosses the puck, the race for control begins. This drill focuses on instant acceleration. The start-up stride is a shorter, more rapid stride with an emphasis on tempo, a straight back, good rhythm and a steady arm swing.
Sprinting with the Puck
Many players develop great speed without the puck but find themselves being caught by slower defenders when they have the puck. That's because skating with the puck needs to be practiced, and not enough skaters spend time on this. The most basic drill is to line up at the goal line with teammates, each carrying a puck. When the coach blows the whistle, a race to the far blue line begins. Maintain a steady stride and keep the puck out in front of you so that you can concentrate on the skating. Let the puck do the work for you by pushing it occasionally. This type of skating is necessary when you have possession of the puck in the neutral zone with no defenders closing.
Forward-Backward Sprints
Defensemen spend almost half of their ice time skating backward, and forwards do so as well. If you are not a good backward skater, you will be identified as a defensive liability and easily be out-maneuvered. To practice backward speed, start with a forward sprint to gain speed, then rotate to backwards skating on your coach's whistle. At high speed, the rotation can be tricky, so concentrate on getting it right. Learn to rotate in both directions, because your opponent might be on either side of you and you'll want to be facing them when you rotate. Once you've turned, skate backwards, with your back straight and your stick out in front of you, until the next whistle, while working on speed and control. As a separate backward skating drill, to develop power and technique bring your skates together with each stride.
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