The crowd comes to its feet when a player gets his stick on an errant puck and begins streaking up the ice on a breakaway. The key element for the player when intercepting a puck is anticipation. To get ahead of the defense and stay ahead, he needs skating speed. That speed is influenced by how deep the grooves are in his hockey skates.
Type of Hollow
The blades of hockey skates are not just a straight, flat blade. The blades consist of two edges with a groove between them.That groove is referred to as the "hollow" of the skate. Different types of hockey players use skates that have different depths to their grooves. Players who glide more and depend on speed want less depth to the groove. Typically, the right and left wing are more dependent on speed than the center. The center wants a deeper groove in his skate because the center changes direction and turns with greater frequency than his line mates.
Personal Comfort
A key to skating well on the ice is having skates sharpened to a player's comfort level. A right wing who is seemingly dependent on speed might normally want a shallower cut to the groove of his skates. However, if this player is a two-way player who puts as much effort into defense as he does into creating scoring opportunities, he may feel more comfortable with a deeper groove so he can turn easily and skate with an opponent who has the puck.
Typical Depths
Skate cuts are measured in fractions of inches. A groove that has a radius of 1/2 inch or 7/16 inch is considered a shallow cut and is preferable for a player who is dependent on speed and gliding ability. A groove that has a radius of 3/8 or 5/16 inch is often better for players who need more maneuverability and turn with frequency.
Problems with Skate Sharpening
Players should be able to skate faster and with more precision after getting their skates sharpened. However, many skaters will struggle with newly sharpened skates. That's because there can be several issues with skates aside from dull edges. Over the course of time, the blades lose their shape. The width of the skate blades may be uneven, the edges can get damaged, one edge may be higher or lower than the other or the blades may be slightly askew. All blades must be checked before the sharpening process begins.
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