There can be no question that in the game today, particularly in light of the new Rules, skating is the foundation for every elite hockey player. Without being an excellent skater, a hockey player's future at the higher levels will inevitably be short lived.

The skating program for the Pursuit of Excellence Hockey Academy has been developed over 35 years by one of the world's most respected skating coaches, David Roy. David is the Director of the Academy and he has been the skating coach for the Philadelphia Flyers, Dallas Stars, Vancouver Canucks, Canada's National Team, and Canada's Women's Olympic Team.

Every day, one portion of the on-ice session is devoted to improving some aspect of the players' skating technique, speed, quickness, agility, and skating efficiency, and then that aspect of skating is applied to different game situations.

With the players being on the ice a total of 370 hours (not including the hours spent participating in the minor hockey league games and tournaments) you can imagine the transformation that occurs in every player's skating over the 10 month period. It has not been uncommon for a player to increase his sprint speed to the puck by 5 mph even within the first 3 months!


Each player has his/her skating video taped 3 times during the 10 month program and a skating analysis is done and given to every player on a DVD comparing the player's skating between September and December, and again between September and June. As soon as the first video tape of their skating is reviewed with each player in September, they set specific skating goals in their Smart Planner which they then will work on over the next several months. For example, players might concentrate on keeping the heels lower to the ice, improving the plantar flexion drive at the end of each stride, bringing the leg across the center of gravity, improving the direction of the arm swing for open ice speed.


We use on-ice video projection involving a 9' x 11' screen which, when using video cameras, enables the players' to see a huge blown up image of themselves while they are skating. Through this immediate
biofeedback, they are able to make corrections in their skating technique as they skate. Kinesthetically, a player is able to experience what the proper skating movement feels like, which results in rapid changes that are more permanently engrained.


A postural analysis of every player is completed. Players participate in simulated skating classes where they work on their skating technique off-ice. In the Pursuit classroom sessions, skating technique is studied using current NHL players and other players as examples.

During the additional 370 hours of off-ice training and skills sessions, much of the time, players are working on their leg power or speed and quickness. This training itself has a huge impact on each player's skating efficiency, speed, quickness, and agility.


The VERT computerized weight training equipment (the only one of its kind in Canada) was also purchased specifically to enhance a player's ability to instantly recruit his maximum muscle strength when sprinting for pucks.