Hello everyone!
I hope everyone is staying safe and healthy during this pandemic. We at Wild Wolf Hockey wanted to start a blog series about all things related to hockey. This includes topics such as off-ice training, game day preparation, on-ice training, mental preparation and so much more!
Today, we are going to take a look at rollerblading and the benefits they provide players of all ages. Our founder Kyle Callaghan has spent almost all of his past summers on his rollerblades and is a HUGE advocate for them. For Kyle, the biggest things were:
Accessibility
Cost Efficient
Stride + Movement Pattern Translation
NHL Payer Endorsement
Accessibility
With hockey arenas closed or under maintenance during summer, rollerblades provide a unique alternative to being able to skate on-ice. All you need for rollerblades to be effective is an open space of concrete or tarmac. The possibilities are endless and the restrictions are very minimal. Some examples include your driveway, the street, an unfinished basement, almost anywhere in your neighbourhood, even a parking lot can work! Rollerblades can be used while doing off-ice training, whether shooting or stick handling; rollerblading helps stimulates the on ice feeling. The best part about rollerblades is you can literally use it as a means of transportation during those beautiful sunny days! Try rollerblading to the grocery store instead of driving, or maybe even rollerblade with your dog instead of walking!
Cost Efficiency
Hockey is not a cheap sport, and I'm sure you can all agree with us on that. However, did you know that roller blades are normally only one third of the cost of on ice skates! That alone is crazy. Kyle normally wears top of the line skates on ice as he relies on them for performance reasons. What many don't know is that he has always used the heaviest roller blades possible. Since he used them to train his leg muscles in the summer, he wanted to feel uncomfortable and require his body to produce more force to recreate these movements. This simple and very cost effective method allowed Kyle to really develop his stride and skating abilities without being in skates.
Stride + Movement Pattern Translation
Striding on rollerblades is very similar to striding on-ice with skates. Players can use this downtime to practice and refine their stride mechanics for when they return to the ice. Rollerblades can also help players create good skating habits and to even correct bad habits as well. Although the edge control is obviously very different, the movement pattern behind the movements are identical. Remember, summer is considered the off-season, which means you should always be improving. As you get older, hockey becomes a series of movement patterns that over time, NHL players perfect. The translation between roller blading and skating helps teach your body these patterns so that when you do return to the ice, your body's movement patterns have a foundation to build on.
Have you ever worked on stick handling or even shooting and felt so unnatural because of the lack of movement? I know, me too. Doing drills off-ice and strictly on your feet can often feel slow and sluggish; your mind and body is used to being able to perform these skills while being able to glide around. Rollerblades can make off-ice training feel similar to on-ice and add that extra layer of speed and intensity to training. Most importantly, recent studies have shown how important training at “game speed” is. Without rollerblades and ice time, it's not possible to work on your game skills without having some kind of restrictions; and the more restrictions you have, the harder it is to translate the skill.
Endorsed by NHL players
In an interview with ESPN in April, Wayne Gretzky detailed a conversation he had with Alex Ovechkin in regards to staying in shape for a potential return of NHL games.
"I always tried to do the closest thing to playing hockey. I probably would have found a pair of Rollerblades, or in-line skates, and I would've been skating around flat property around the neighbourhood as much as I can. Because your hands and your shot and stickhandling, that's never going to go away, but one of the things you lose quickly, if you're not skating every day, is that skating stride. So if I was a player of today's generation and we were locked out, I would try to find places to Rollerblade as much as possible."
Connor McDavid, one of the NHL’s brightest young stars, is also a huge fan of rollerblading, to which he gives a lot of credit to it getting him to where he is today.
“Even when I wasn’t on the ice, I was always on my roller blades. It’s what has got me here. I love training that way. It’s kind of just by yourself. There’s no fancy skill coach, there’s no nothing. It’s just on your roller blades and working on some skills.”
Closing Thoughts
Rollerblading can help players stay active and train as if they were on-ice. Wild Wolf Hockey is proud to be working with the amazing company MarsBlade. They produce top of the line rollerblades that provide players with the feeling they are on actual skates. As Kyle puts it, if you don't have a pair of Marsblade roller frames, you're not serious enough about improving your game!
Kyle is probably the biggest advocate for roller blading during the off season, and if you don't believe me, ask him yourself. He is always open to sharing his thoughts, especially on a topic he is so passionate about.
Until next time,
Wild Wolf Hockey
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