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Stopping
Possessing the skill to stop on a dime is a prerequisite for any hockey player. In an instant you may be called upon to convert from offensive to defensive positioning. This skill will often depend on your ability to execute instantaneously some form of stopping action. Penalty killing is a classic application of this skill. Most coaches encourage this special-teams unit to incorporate stop-and-go patterns of skating rather than making big turns, which take too much time and can be costly while defending.

On a more pragmatic note, imagine yourself about to be run over by a huge, fire-breathing opponent who has you lined up for a big hit. In this situation it would surely be helpful to be able to stop quickly and sidestep the attacker. Even in hockey, intelligence, not courage, is sometimes the greater part of valor. Being in control of stopping skills will let you live to skate another day.

Just as you have learned how to effect proper starting technique in chapter 4, you will learn here the fundamentals of efficient stopping mechanics. In this chapter we will show you how to use two stops to your skating advantage. Many times during a game, stopping will be a key in determining which team controls the puck, especially following a turnover. The ability to stop also provides a margin of safety for all players, regardless of age. As with starting, players must learn to control their skate edges to ensure quick and controlled stops during a game. Let’s examine the two key elements associated with stopping in hockey.

Key Elements:
1. Two-foot stop, or “hockey stop”
2. One-foot stop

Two-Foot Stop, or Hockey Stop
This is the stop hockey players most commonly use. The lower body plays the key role in ensuring proper mechanics. Because you must place all your weight over the balls of your feet to execute this stop, you must be able to maintain balance. This is difficult for new players to master because it requires a commitment to balance and edge control.

You will undoubtedly have a “strong” side for stopping, finding it easier to stop facing either to your left or right side. Realize that you must practice stopping drills to both sides because you need to be proficient in either direction during game situations. In the hockey stop you must stay low by bending your knees and ankles so they can act as shock absorbers as the stop begins. This will assist you in maintaining your weight over the balls of your feet. Keep the skates in a heel-to-toe spacing, positioning the heel area of your front skate slightly in front of the toe of your other skate. This formation provides sound weight distribution across both skate blades. You will notice that you use the outside edge of the inside skate blade. The lead skate will see the inside edge cutting the ice.

During a game a player must often stop suddenly to prevent or reduce contact with an opponent. The upper body must therefore be under control during the hockey stop to prepare for contact and so avoid uncomfortable situations. Similarly, when in possession of the puck a quick two-footed stop can allow you to change direction and deceive an opponent as you make your way to the net. In either situation, you should position the upper body over the inside skate to maximize balance and stability during a stopping sequence.

Common Problems
Be careful not to allow your body to come over the top of the skate edges. Leaning too far forward will cause you to fall. Leaning forward just a little will cause you to slide backwards. Both situations are a common occurrence for players just learning edge control.

Avoid spreading your legs too far apart or positioning them too close together. Try to keep your feet in a heel-to-toe relationship, approximately shoulder-width apart.

If you witness your blades chattering as the stop occurs, it normally means that your weight distribution is too far toward the heel areas.

Focus your eyes in the direction you want to travel when you complete the stop. This will ensure that the head turns first, which will help lead the body toward your intended target area.

Do not dip the shoulders while stopping. Try to keep them level to the ice surface when possible. This helps with overall balance and is especially important in maintaining puck control.

In open-ice situations without possession of the puck keep only one hand on the stick and use this to help you turn off a sudden stop as required.

Maintain a strong knee-bend position throughout the stop. After virtually every stop a start begins your momentum again, which means that you need good knee bend to push off in the other direction. Stay low as you complete the stop by bending the knees close to 90 degrees.

One-Foot Stop
As you develop more confidence in stopping, the one-foot stop will become another option. This stop requires tremendous confidence in your edge control because all your body weight will be focused on one blade, centered on either the outside or inside edge depending on which one-foot stop you use. This stop allows players to shift their weight quickly in another direction, decreasing the time required to change direction. Mastering this stop requires practice and great body awareness.

In a one-foot stop your body weight moves over the foot that is stopping. You must bend this leg close to 90 degrees to maximize efficiency in the stop. The other skate blade is close to the ice surface and, in preparation for a turn or quick movement, down and into the ice as you make the stop. Make sure that your upper body does not get too far forward over the front or toes of the stopping skate because this will result in a poor stop or possibly a fall.

When executing a one-foot stop all the body weight shifts toward a single edge located on one skate blade. With so much pressure being forced onto one contact point, it is vital that you distribute your weight over the ball of the foot. Just as in the two-footed stop, you must position the upper body over the stopping skate. Keep your head up and your eyes looking in the direction to which you next intend to move. As the stop begins you should keep your shoulders level and prepare to open them toward the intended direction of travel. Also, try to envision your back staying relatively straight throughout this stop, which will help achieve solid weight distribution. Finally, have your stick in one hand only and close to the ice, ready to move toward the next target area as you complete the stop.

Common Problems
If you do not bend the stopping leg properly, your weight will be located too far toward the heel area.

If you do not distribute your body weight over the ball of the foot and on the correct edge, your ankle may turn over. This will cause a poor stop or even a crash landing on the ice.

As with the two-footed stop, do not focus your eyes down and into the ice but up and toward your next destination.

If poor balance is evident watch shoulder location as the stop begins. Players often have their shoulders too far forward, which contributes to poor balance.

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*This excerpt is from High Performance Skating for Hockey by Steven Cady & K. Stelund and is used by permission from Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc., http://www.humankinetics.com
**To reprint this excerpt with permission from Human Kinetics Publishers, Inc., please contact the publicity department at 1-800-747-4457 or publicity@hkusa.com. © 2006 Human Kinetics, Inc. All Rights Reserved.