Hockey Skates Custom Profiling / Contouring (2024)

FAQs

Do NHL players get their skates profiled? ›

Hockey player skates will generally be from 9' to 11', with goalie skates in the 28' to 30' range. Speed skates are very flat, with radii often over 40'. Only the center 60% of the hockey player blade is actually profiled. It is also possible to vary the balance point of the profile, which is the center of the radius.

A great rule of thumb is to profile your skates three times per year: at the start of your season, at mid-season and before the playoffs.

what profile is best? A smaller profile (7′) will make less contact with the ice than a larger profile (13′). Less ice contact (7′) allows for greater maneuverability and acceleration, but also digs into the ice more than a larger profile (13′), which means slower top speeds and increased fatigue.

Answer: Blade contouring is done by using a custom made boot layout gauge to determine accurate measuring points, a series of machined radius bars to achieved the desired radius (length of contact), and a specifically designed skate holder to adjust the pitch/lie of the blades.

Connor McDavid uses custom Tydan Performance Blades. This Hockey Blade curve is a great option for players who play the game with the puck on the toe of their stick, due to the toe curve with an open face. This makes it very easy for players to get the puck off their blade and into the top corner quickly.

A good example of a player using a neutral Profile is Sidney Crosby. He utilizes a 30/60 Cag Profile.

When you get your hockey skates sharpened, you are altering the hollow of the blade depending on your preference. On the other hand, profiling is altering the whole blade's radius to adjust which parts of the steel are contacting the ice. Changing the radius depends on the type of player you are and how you perform.

The most common sizes are a 9 foot radius, an 11 foot radius and a 13 foot radius, although they are not limited to just these. With a smaller radius (9 ft), less of the skate blade comes in contact with the ice. With a larger radius (13 ft), more of the skate blade comes in contact with the ice.

Profiling skates is the customisation of the steel skate blade contour to provide speacialised performance benefits. Skate profiling customises the blade shape to each player's body position, skating ability, and stride.

What sharpness do NHL players use? ›

An interesting fact worth noting is that NHL players tend to, on average, skate on much flatter RoHs than your typical recreational player. One NHL team that we are close to claims that greater than 50% of the players are at ⁵/₈” RoH and larger with many in the ³/₄”, ⁷/₈”, and 1” RoH range.

The deeper the cut, the more grip the blade will have. The shallower the cut, the more glide the blade will have. For the youth or junior player, we recommend starting with a 1/2" standard sharpening. For the adult player, we recommend starting with a 5/8" standard sharpening.

– A profile focused on great acceleration and agility but also providing good speed and stability. Combi 9 – 10 (9 ft. – 10 ft.) – A profile focused on excellent acceleration and agility.

Preheat your home oven to 175F, wait 15 minutes, turn it off and wait another 30 seconds. Place your skates on a baking tray in the middle of the oven. Wait 5 to 7 minutes, depending on the manufacturer. Remove the skates with an oven mitt, lace them up pulling outward (not upward) with 75% tension.

Hockey skate profiling is a term used to describe the shape of an ice skate blade where it makes contact with the ice viewing from the side. Other terms for hockey skate profiling you may hear are rocker, radius (not to be confused with a radius of hollow), or contouring.

Profiling skates is the customisation of the steel skate blade contour to provide speacialised performance benefits. Skate profiling customises the blade shape to each player's body position, skating ability, and stride.

Skate profiling is the process of shaping your blades to determine how much contact your steel will have with the ice. Proper profiling will provide better balance, maneuverer ability, and overall speed. Determining which profile is best for you correlates to which type of player you are.

There really isn't a correct answer as everyone is different even the pros. For example, Jake Allen will get his skates sharpened twice a week with swapping out steel every two weeks. Then Deven Dubynik will get his skates sharpened before every game. Robin Lehner will get his skates sharpened once a year.