A big component of playing successful hockey is body positioning, which at its core, involves skating skills. Being a good defender is all about positioning yourself between the opponent and your own net. This is called defensive-side body position. Conversely, on offense, players are looking to gain body position on the offensive side of the opponent, between the opponent and their net. During the course of play, players are constantly jockeying for body position. The best skaters in terms of agility, quickness and speed have an advantage. That’s why, at all levels of competition, players must continually work on their skating skills.
