How much skating should be done in hockey practices? When should the puck be incorporated?
I believe that skating should be included in every hockey practice; not just skating for endurance but skating for technique. Even if there’s only enough time to practice one move or maneuver for a few minutes out of every hour, this is better than no time at all. I think it’s most effective to teach skating maneuvers early in the season, review them often, and have players practice them (on a rotating basis and for short periods) as the season progresses. As players get moderately adept at a particular maneuver they should then practice the maneuver with pucks. Because youngsters can get bored if they don’t use pucks we often let them practice the maneuver with pucks even if they’re not actually ready for it. When they “mess up” stop and point out their mistakes. A great way of practicing skating technique in a fun manner is to have scrimmages that include “skating rules” – i.e, how many times players have to crossover (or turn, or pivot, or stride, or skate backward) before shooting
