Why Skating Lives Inside Every Hockey Skill

I was privileged to have a six-year professional hockey career, mostly in the Central Hockey League. I got there through competitiveness, hard work, and a willingness to do whatever it took. But if you'd watched me skate at the peak of my career, you probably would have thought - wow, that guy cannot skate. And honestly? I would have agreed with you. That's the part I've been reflecting on a lot lately, because it comes up in conversation more than you'd think, especially with old teammates. And the more I think about it, the more I realize I had it wrong for a long time.

Here's the truth: I wasn't a “bad” skater. I would rarely lose a puck race. I could step up and lay a big hit. Any time there was a puck to retrieve, I was first there. Those things got me to where I was. So was I really a bad skater?

No, but I was an ugly, inefficient one. I made up for everything I lacked technically through sheer work ethic and competitiveness. And to scouts or coaches watching from the stands, the optics of how I moved on the ice told a story I couldn't argue with. That label stuck with me throughout my career.

Here's what's weird about that: even when you're winning battles and puck races, if you look like a bad skater, people will believe it. Smooth, efficient skating has value beyond just getting from point A to point B. The optics matter. And that realization is a big part of why I am so passionate about teaching it now.

Skating Lives Inside Every Skill

As our training season rolls into summer, one thing keeps coming up in my coaching — skating isn't just one skill. It's the foundation underneath every skill. Take shooting. I've been learning a ton about shot development lately, and it keeps coming back to footwork. Without the right skating mechanics underneath your shot, you're leaving power and accuracy on the table — especially if you want to shoot in stride.

What about picking up pucks along the wall? Did you know that over 80% of an NHL game is played between the dots and the boards? That's roughly 48 minutes of a 60-minute game. Watch the NHL playoffs coming up next week — watch what the elite players do when they retrieve a puck off the wall. Their upper body rotation is driving their edges into the ice, loading up a powerful turn to collect that puck cleanly and protect it. That's not an accident. That's skating.

Deception? One of my favorites. A well-executed outside edge slide into a quick punch turn will shake a defender almost every single time — and the crazy part is, even when you know someone is going to do it, your brain still bites for the fake. That's how good edge control feels when it's real. But you can't fake your way through that move with bad edges. It requires genuine control.

Seeing It in Practice

Here's an example of what this looks like in a real session.

First, our players warm up their skating specifically for a rim collection drill — priming their edges, their upper body rotation, their footwork mechanics before the puck even comes out.

Then we run the drill itself. The goal is simple: their brains should already be primed to use their edges and upper body rotation the way we just practiced. Watch how differently they move compared to players who haven't warmed up that way.

That's the whole idea. Skating isn't a separate thing we do before practice starts. It's woven into everything.

Thanks for reading — see you on the ice. 🏒

David Simoes — DS3 Hockey Development