Ask any coach what they wish their players had more of and the answer is almost always the same: speed. It wins races to loose pucks, creates time and space, and turns a good player into a dangerous one. The myth is that you are either born fast or you are not. The truth is that skating speed is built, and most of the building happens away from the rink.
That is good news, because it means you have real control over it. To get faster on the ice you have to understand what speed is actually made of, then train each part of it off the ice where you can load it, measure it, and improve it. Let us break it down.
Why top speed is built off the ice
On-ice practice sharpens your skating skill: edges, crossovers, timing. What it does not do well is build the raw physical engine that powers a fast stride. You cannot meaningfully overload a single leg on the ice the way you can with a jump or a sprint on land. That is why the fastest players in the world spend their summers in the gym and on the track, not just on the rink.
And the carryover is real. In high-level players, a program that combined plyometrics with strength training produced greater improvement in on-ice sprint speed than strength training alone. In young elite players, a structured strength and power program improved 15-metre and 30-metre skating times. The speed you build off the ice does not stay there. It shows up in your first step. And the same lower-body power shows up in your shot, which is why a harder shot is built the same way.
What actually makes a skater fast
Skating speed comes down to three drivers working together. Improve any one and you get faster. Improve all three and the change is dramatic.
1. Stride power: force into the ice
Every stride is a push. The harder you can drive your leg into the ice, the more you accelerate. This is why the strongest, most powerful players tend to have the most explosive first few steps. Stride power comes from lower-body strength turned into fast, forceful extension. You build it with strength work and with jumps.
2. Stride rate: quick turnover
Power is only half the story. You also need to recover each leg and put it back down quickly. A fast, repeatable turnover keeps you accelerating instead of gliding. Stride rate is trained with sprinting, quick ground-contact plyometrics, and fast resisted starts.
3. Mechanics: clean technique
Even great power leaks away through sloppy mechanics. Good ankle stiffness, a stable core, and balanced single-leg control let you transfer force into the ice instead of wasting it. This is where mobility and stability work pays off, and it is trainable off the ice through single-leg and landing drills.
The off-ice work that builds each driver
Once you know the three drivers, the training writes itself. Each one has a clear off-ice tool.
| Speed driver | Off-ice work | Example |
|---|---|---|
| Stride power | Strength + jumps | Squats, broad jumps, skater bounds |
| Stride rate | Sprints + fast plyos | Short sprints, pogo hops, A-skips |
| Mechanics | Single-leg + landings | Single-leg balance, stick landings, core |
You do not glide your way to a faster first step. You build it, one hard push at a time.
A simple off-ice speed week
You do not need hours a day. Two to three focused off-ice sessions a week, done with quality, will move the needle in a single off-season. Speed work should always come when you are fresh, near the start of a session, never tacked on tired at the end.
- Day 1: Power. A short warm-up, then jumps and bounds, then lower-body strength.
- Day 2: Speed. A thorough warm-up, then short sprints and quick plyometrics while fresh.
- Day 3: Strength and control. Single-leg strength, core, and mobility to clean up mechanics.
Want this mapped out for you?
Our 8-week off-ice programs build all three speed drivers in the right order, with the exact sets, reps, and a demo video for every exercise.
The exercises that build speed
These are the highest-value off-ice exercises for skating speed, and every one can be done at home. Each links to a full demo in our exercise library.
- Broad jumps for horizontal power, the engine of acceleration. See the broad jump.
- Lateral skater bounds for the side-to-side power that drives the stride. See the lateral bound.
- Pogo hops for stiff, fast ankles and a quicker turnover. See pogo hops.
- Short sprints for pure stride rate and acceleration. See the 10m sprint.
- Single-leg balance for the control that keeps power from leaking. See single-leg balance.
For the complete picture of how these fit together, read our guide to off-ice hockey training.
Mistakes that keep players slow
- Training speed when tired. Speed work done at the end of a hard session just trains slowness. Do it fresh.
- Only doing slow cardio. Long jogs build endurance, not speed. Train fast to get fast.
- Skipping strength. Without a strong leg there is no force to put into the ice.
- Sloppy reps. A fast, clean jump beats ten tired, ugly ones. Quality first.
- No recovery. Full rest between sprints is what lets each one be fast.
Does this change by age?
The three drivers are the same at every age. What changes is the emphasis and the loading, which should match a player's age and training experience.
Youth · 9 to 14
Build speed through fun sprinting, jumping, and games, plus bodyweight strength. Skill and coordination first. 9 to 11 program →
Teens · 15 to 18
The window to build real strength and power under the stride with structured lifting and serious sprint work. 15 to 18 program →
Adults · 19+
Keep your edge with consistent power and strength work, plus the mobility that protects a long stride. 19 to 39 program →
Frequently asked questions
How can I skate faster at home?
Train the three drivers off the ice: jumps and bounds for power, short sprints and pogo hops for turnover, and single-leg work for mechanics. All of it can be done with bodyweight and a little space.
How long does it take to get faster?
With consistent, quality off-ice work two to three times a week, most players feel a difference within a single 8-week off-season, and measurable gains follow.
Does lifting weights make you a faster skater?
Strength is the foundation of stride power, but on its own it is not enough. The fastest results come from combining strength with jumps and sprints, which transfers best to on-ice speed.
Is slow distance running good for skating speed?
Not for speed. Long, slow running builds endurance but can blunt explosiveness. To get faster, train fast: short sprints with full recovery.
The bottom line
Fast skaters are built, not just born. Speed is the product of stride power, stride rate, and clean mechanics, and all three respond to the right off-ice training. Build strength under your stride, train your jumps and sprints while fresh, clean up your single-leg control, and stay consistent. Do that, and the next stride you take will be a faster one.
References
The performance claims above are drawn from peer-reviewed research and recognized strength-and-conditioning sources.
- Dæhlin TE, et al. Improvement of ice hockey players' on-ice sprint with combined plyometric and strength training. International Journal of Sports Physiology and Performance. 2017. PubMed 27918670
- Functional strength training and on-ice speed and agility in young elite ice hockey players. Frontiers in Physiology. 2025. PMC11936901
- Ramirez-Campillo R, et al. Plyometric jump training effects on the physical fitness of individual-sport athletes: a systematic review with meta-analysis. PeerJ. 2021. PMC7931718
David builds science-based off-ice training for hockey players at every level, from first-year youth skaters to adult and masters players. Elite Hockey Drills exists to put real sport science in the hands of players who want to train smarter, not just harder.