Coach JeremyIn my last article I shared some stickhandling drills used by the pro’s. In this post I wanted to share some great skating compilations that I feel will help you get an edge over your opponent (if you practice them)
In hockey there are a lot of ways to skate. Your most common are the forward stride, backwards skating, and crossovers. Then we can get into using your edges more with turns, spread eagle (heel to heel), shuffle strides, and more. Most instructors and hockey camps focus on the fundamentals above, but once you play high level hockey EVERYONE is skilled at performing the fundamental skating skills. So how do you set yourself apart? Take a page out of Sidney Crosby’s book and learn to skate very well in tight quarters while constantly blending many skills.
I’ve embedded two videos below that I hope will inspire you to practice some new moves on the ice.
Sidney Crosby Edges
Whenever I’m teaching at a hockey camp I stress the importance of speed in transitions, crossovers, turns, and lateral movement. It’s great if you can skate in a straight line, but the real advantages can be made in quick changes of direction.
Sidney Crosby Puck Protection
Another very important skill in hockey is the ability to protect the puck. Most players spend countless hours on toe drags and fancy dekes, but if you want to keep the puck on your blade you should spend more time practicing puck protection. If you want some inspiration, watch Crosby below
Both of these videos were made by Daniel Laflamme, check out is Youtube channel here.
For more tips to improve your hockey skills you can follow me on social media through any of the links in my author box below.
