Req 2a14 — Hockey Stop

The hockey stop is one of the most dramatic and satisfying techniques in ice skating — a sudden, powerful halt that sends a spray of ice shavings forward. It is the standard stopping method for hockey players and is more advanced than the snowplow stop you learned in Requirement 2a6.

How to Perform a Hockey Stop

1. Build real speed. The hockey stop works best with momentum behind it — approach your stopping point with strong forward skating speed.
2. Turn both feet sharply sideways. In one quick motion, rotate both feet 90° so they are perpendicular to your direction of travel. If you were skating left to right, your feet now point toward or away from the boards.
3. Dig in both inside edges. As you turn, press both inside edges hard into the ice. Your knees bend sharply as you sink into the stop.
4. Let your body follow the turn. Your hips and shoulders rotate with your feet — do not try to keep your torso facing forward while your feet turn sideways.
5. The ice shavings fly. Done correctly, the grinding edges throw a spray of ice in front of you and you come to a complete halt within one to two body lengths.

Which Side to Stop On?

Skaters typically stop on a preferred side (most commonly stopping to the left, or “heel side,” for right-handed skaters). Your counselor does not require you to stop on both sides, but practicing both will make you a more versatile skater.

Common Mistakes

Turning only the lower body. If your upper body fights the rotation, you will spin out or fall. Rotate everything together.

Not committing to the edge pressure. A tentative hockey stop is an incomplete stop. You need to trust the edges and commit to the full weight shift.

Trying it at slow speed. Counterintuitively, hockey stops are easier with more speed. At very slow speeds, the edge scrape just makes you stumble — you need momentum for the edges to bite cleanly.

Official Resources