Real-world examples of skating technique drills for hockey players

Best examples of skating technique drills for hockey in 2024–2025

Let’s start with what you really came for: concrete, on-ice examples of skating technique drills for hockey that actually build skills you’ll feel in games. Modern training in 2024–2025 leans heavily on short, intense reps, tons of edgework, and small-area patterns that look like real shifts, not figure‑eight laps.

Below are some of the best examples, with simple setups you can use whether you’re a coach with a full team or a player grabbing a few extra minutes in a stick-and-puck session.

Edge control examples of skating technique drills for hockey

Shallow C-cuts and glide holds

This is a simple example of a drill that exposes weak edges fast.

Set up near the boards with 3–4 stick-lengths of space. From a basic hockey stance (knees bent, chest up, weight over the balls of your feet), push off with one foot using a shallow C-cut and glide on the other foot for 3–4 feet. Hold the glide, then reset. Alternate feet.

Key teaching points:

• Keep the glide knee bent; don’t pop up tall as you glide.
• Track your balance: if you wobble or your skate chatters, your edge control needs work.

Once players are comfortable, turn this into a lane of single‑leg glides down the ice. Real examples include:

• Gliding on the inside edge only for half a zone, then outside edge only on the way back.
• Adding a stick handle or head fake during the glide to simulate scanning for a pass.

Inside–outside edge “S” patterns

Another strong example of an edge-focused drill is the “S” pattern. Start on the goal line, skating forward with tiny, quick shifts from inside edge to outside edge, tracing an S shape down the ice. Think of your skates carving the ice instead of stepping.

Coaching cues:

• Hips and shoulders stay square; movement comes from ankles and knees.
• Short, controlled strides, not big power pushes.

These examples of skating technique drills for hockey build the ankle strength and fine control you need for tight turns, cutbacks, and sudden changes of direction—exactly what you see in today’s NHL and high-level youth games.

Acceleration and first-step examples of skating technique drills for hockey

Three-stride explosive starts

In modern hockey, your first three strides matter more than your top speed. Here’s an example of a drill that targets that.

Start on the goal line in a low stance. On the whistle, explode forward for exactly three powerful strides, then coast. Reset and repeat. Focus on:

• Full extension of the back leg.
• Quick recovery under the hip, not behind.
• Keeping the chest up so you’re not staring at the ice.

To make this more game-like, coaches often add a puck on the third stride or have players race to a loose puck at the blue line. These real examples of skating technique drills for hockey mirror the first steps you take on a breakout or loose-puck battle.

Half-circle acceleration with puck

Place a cone at the faceoff dot. Start at the boards, skate a half-circle around the cone, and accelerate straight out for 5–6 strides. Do it once without a puck, then again with a puck, then with light pressure from a defender.

Why it works:

• Forces crossovers into straight-line acceleration.
• Trains you to explode out of turns, not coast.

This is one of the best examples of blending skating and puck skills so players don’t develop a “good skater in drills, slow with the puck” split personality.

Transition and pivot examples of skating technique drills for hockey

Forward–backward transition lanes

Transitions are where a lot of players lose speed. Here’s a simple example of a drill that fixes that.

Set up a lane down the ice with cones every 15–20 feet. Players skate forward to the first cone, pivot to backward, skate backward to the next cone, pivot to forward, and so on.

Variations and real examples include:

• Always opening up to the same side (e.g., open to the right) for a few reps, then switching to train both sides.
• Adding a puck and requiring players to keep their head up as they pivot.

Key details:

• Stay low through the pivot; don’t stand up tall before turning.
• Push with both feet during the transition, not just rotate your hips and coast.

Mohawk turns around circles

Mohawk turns (hips open, both toes pointing out while you glide) are everywhere in today’s game—watch any NHL winger cut back along the wall. This makes them a perfect example of a modern skating technique drill.

Use the faceoff circle as your guide. Start at the bottom of the circle, skate forward, and enter a Mohawk turn at the top of the circle, keeping your hips open and your chest facing the center. Glide through the turn, then accelerate out.

Progressions:

• Start with no puck, slow speed.
• Add a puck once the hips stay stable.
• Add a fake shot or pass at the exit of the turn.

These examples of skating technique drills for hockey help players stay deceptive while changing direction—huge in small-area battles and power-play entries.

Small-area edgework and agility examples

Four-cone box agility pattern

Create a small box with four cones, about 12–15 feet apart. This drill is a great example of how to pack a lot of edgework into a small space.

Pattern ideas:

• Forward to the first cone, tight turn around it, backward to the next, tight turn, and so on around the box.
• Forward to cone 1, lateral shuffle to cone 2, backward to cone 3, lateral shuffle to cone 4.

Why coaches love it:

• Forces tight crossovers and quick feet.
• Mimics the stop-and-go chaos in front of the net or along the boards.

This is one of the best examples of skating technique drills for hockey that you can modify endlessly—shorter distances for younger players, more direction changes for advanced players.

Lane-change agility with edges

Mark three parallel lanes across the width of the ice using cones. Players start in the center lane, skating forward. On a whistle or verbal cue ("left” or “right"), they must cut hard to that lane using sharp edges, then return to center on the next cue.

Add layers:

• Use pucks once players handle the basic pattern.
• Add a coach in the middle pointing left or right instead of calling it, so players must keep their head up and react visually.

This drill is a real example of how to connect edgework to decision-making, which lines up with current research on sport-specific agility and cognitive load in athletes. For background on reaction and decision-making in sport, you can explore resources from organizations like the National Institutes of Health at https://www.nih.gov.

Puck-control examples of skating technique drills for hockey

Figure-8 puck control around dots

Place two cones or use two faceoff dots about 15–20 feet apart. Skate a continuous figure-8 pattern around them, always keeping the puck on the “inside” of the turn.

Teaching focus:

• Keep hands away from the body, not glued to your hips.
• Use your outside leg to power through the turn, not just glide around it.

Real examples of progressions:

• Start with wide turns, then tighten the pattern to force sharper edges.
• Add a quick shot or pass every time you cross the middle between the cones.

This is one of the best examples of skating technique drills for hockey players who can skate well without a puck but slow down when stickhandling.

Corner cutback with puck protection

Start in the corner with a puck. Skate up the wall a few strides, plant your inside edge, and cut back sharply toward the corner while keeping your body between the puck and an imaginary defender.

Details to emphasize:

• Strong outside leg push into the cutback.
• Low stance to stay balanced when you change direction.

Add a real defender for contact once the movement pattern is clean. This drill mirrors real game situations in the offensive zone and helps players connect strong edges with puck protection.

For players concerned about hip, knee, or ankle stress from repeated cutbacks and deep edges, it’s worth reading up on overuse injuries and training load. Sites like the Mayo Clinic (https://www.mayoclinic.org) and the CDC (https://www.cdc.gov) have accessible information on injury prevention and safe training habits.

Conditioning-focused examples of skating technique drills for hockey

30–40 second high-intensity intervals

Modern 2024–2025 training trends mirror real shift lengths: shorter, harder, more specific. Instead of long, slow laps, coaches are using high-intensity intervals that last about as long as a real shift—usually 30 to 45 seconds.

A practical example:

• Use a pattern like the four-cone box or lane-change agility drill.
• Players go all-out for 30–40 seconds, then rest 60–90 seconds.

This style of conditioning:

• Trains both technique and stamina under fatigue.
• Matches the work-to-rest ratio of actual games.

If you want to read more about interval training and cardiovascular health in athletes, you can explore resources from the American Heart Association or the NIH’s exercise and physical activity pages at https://www.nia.nih.gov/health/exercise-physical-activity.

“Puck every rep” rule

Another emerging trend: conditioning drills that always include a puck. Instead of skating lines with no puck, coaches are building in puck touches on nearly every rep.

Examples include:

• Sprinting blue line to blue line, but receiving and giving a pass every time you cross center.
• Doing figure-8 patterns at high speed with a shot at the end of each rep.

These are real examples of skating technique drills for hockey that sharpen hands and feet together, so players don’t have to “re-learn” how to move once the puck is involved.

How to use these examples of skating technique drills for hockey in a practice

It’s easy to collect drills and never run them well. The real payoff comes from how you organize them.

A simple 60-minute practice structure using the examples above might look like this:

• Warm-up: 5–10 minutes of light skating and stretching on the move.
• Edgework block: 10–15 minutes of shallow C-cuts, S-pattern edges, and Mohawk turns.
• Acceleration and transitions: 15–20 minutes of three-stride starts, half-circle accelerations, and forward–backward lanes.
• Puck and small-area work: 10–15 minutes of figure-8 puck control, corner cutbacks, and four-cone box agility with pucks.
• Short conditioning: 5–10 minutes of high-intensity intervals using any of the above patterns.

Rotate which examples you use each week so players don’t go on autopilot. The goal is focused, high-quality reps, not just “getting through” drills.

If you’re coaching youth or new players, remember to:

• Keep distances shorter.
• Use fewer direction changes.
• Stop and teach often, not just whistle and watch.

For older or more advanced players, layer in more decisions—visual cues, defenders, passes—so the drills stay game-relevant.

FAQ: common questions about examples of skating technique drills for hockey

Q: What are some simple examples of skating technique drills for hockey beginners?
For true beginners, think basic and short: single-leg glides down the ice, shallow C-cuts, forward to backward transitions at one cone, and wide figure-8 patterns without a puck. These are the best examples to build balance and confidence before adding speed or tight turns.

Q: Can you give an example of a drill that improves both speed and edgework?
The half-circle acceleration drill is a great example. You start with crossovers around a cone, then explode into straight-line speed. You’re forced to use strong edges in the turn and powerful strides on the exit, which is exactly how rushes and cutbacks feel in real games.

Q: How often should I use these examples of skating technique drills for hockey in a week?
For most players, 2–3 sessions per week that include at least 15–20 minutes of focused skating technique work is realistic. You can rotate through different examples so you’re not repeating the same pattern every time, but try to revisit key skills—like transitions and acceleration—weekly.

Q: Do I need special off-ice training to benefit from these drills?
You’ll benefit from these drills even without off-ice work, but basic strength and mobility training helps a lot. Strong legs, hips, and core support deeper knee bend and better balance. For general guidance on safe strength training and youth development, look at resources from organizations like the CDC (https://www.cdc.gov/physicalactivity) or major medical centers such as Mayo Clinic.

Q: Are these examples of skating technique drills for hockey safe for kids?
Yes, as long as distances are short, speeds are controlled, and you adjust difficulty to the age group. Avoid heavy contact in tight-edge drills for younger players, and build up intensity gradually. Always watch for signs of fatigue or pain—especially in knees, hips, and ankles—and encourage kids to speak up if something doesn’t feel right.