How Fast Do Hockey Players Skate?

Ice hockey is known across the world as one of the fastest team sports out there and it’s just natural that faster players often have the edge over slower skaters. Speed can sometimes make up for mediocre skills in other departments such as passing, shooting and checking but the very best players usually combine both superior speed and skills. 

The fastest hockey players have been known to skate up to 25 miles per hour (40 kilometres per hour) on the ice while the average player can typically skate up to 20 miles per hour (32 kilometres per hour). 

Is Hockey the Fastest Contact Sport?

Ice hockey is considered to be the fastest contact team sport on the planet when it comes to the speed of the participants. While the players themselves can fly around the ice at up to 25 miles per hour (40 kilometres per hour), the puck can travel at a speed of more than 100 miles per hour (162 kilometres per hour). 

Speed Skater vs Hockey Skater, Who is Faster?

The fastest speed skaters can reach speeds between 30 and 35 miles per hour (48 to 56 kilometres per hour) but of course they aren’t wearing 20 lbs of equipment. In general, speed skaters are faster when it comes to the average and fastest speeds and they also travel a further distance at one time.

NHL players compete on a rink which is 85 feet wide by 200 feet long and usually play shifts of about a minute long. Speed-skating events include 10,000 metre competitions for males with a typical oval measuring between 111 metres and over 400 metres in length.  

Who are the Fastest NHL Players Ever to Play?

Some of the fastest hockey players ever to grace the NHL have included Connor McDavid, Pavel Bure, Paul Coffey, Yvan Cournoyer, Sergei Fedorov, Mike Gartner, Peter Bondra, Sami Kapanen, Bobby Hull, Scott Niedermayer, Erik Karlsson, Bobby Orr, Maurice ‘Rocket’ Richard, Syl Apps, Guy Lafleur, Bob Bourne, Marian Gaborik, Andrew Cogliano, Carl Hagelin, Dylan Larkin, Michael Grabner, Frank Mahovlich, Gilbert Perreault, Alexander Mogilny, Teemu Selanne, and Howie Morenz.

There are many other fast hockey players that could simply make the list, these names just come to mind. Year after year we see new talent arising and new players in the NHLs fastest skater challenge. If a player is in the NHL today they have no choice but to be a fast skater.

How Fast Does Connor McDavid Skate?

Canadian television sports channel Sportsnet has utilized technology that has recorded Connor McDavid’s skating at 25.4 miles per hour (40.9 kilometers per hour) during a game. The Edmonton Oilers’ captain achieved this speed while carrying the puck on an end-to-end rush.   

What is the Average Speed of an NHL Player?

Most NHL players skate between 12 to 20 miles per hour (20 to 30 kilometers per hour) on average during a game. Of course, the speed a player skates at will be determined on the specific game situation. 

What is the Fastest Skater Competition?

The Fastest Skater Competition is typically held by the NHL at its annual All-Star Weekend festivities. Also, individual teams may also hold the competition at various times during a season. The purpose of the competition is to determine who can skate the fastest. The event sees skaters take full one lap around the rink forwards usually in the counter-clockwise direction.

The first NHL competition was held in 1990 and consisted of full lap around the arena until 2008. The competition then used a designated skating course rather than a lap around the rink and then reverted to a full lap in 2016. Early editions of the competitions featured skaters having a moving start around the rink while the event now requires the participants to start from a standing position.

The current record holder is Dylan Larkin of the Detroit Red Wings who skated a full lap of the rink from a standing start in 13.172 seconds in 2016.

List Winners of the Fastest Skater Competition: (last 10 years)

The last 11 winners of the NHL’s Fastest Skater Competition during the league’s All-Star Weekends are as follows:

Year	Player	Speed
2008	Shawn Horcoff	14.395 seconds
2009	Andrew Cogliano	14.31 seconds
2011	Michael Grabner	14.060 seconds
2012	Carl Hagelin	13.218 seconds
2015	Jonathan Drouin	13.103 seconds
2016	Dylan Larkin	13.172 seconds
2017	Connor McDavid	13.310 seconds
2018	Connor McDavid	13.454 seconds
2019	Connor McDavid	13.378 seconds
2020	Mathew Barzal	13.175 seconds
2022	Jordan Kyrou	13.550 seconds

How Fast Do Hockey Players Skate Backwards?

It’s harder to clock a hockey player’s speed while skating backwards and it’s rarely attempted. However, players using a skating treadmill have reached speeds of up to 15 miles per hour (24 kilometres per hour) while skating backwards on ice skates.

Also, while the record for skating forwards at the NHL All Star Competition is 13.172 seconds for a full lap around the ice from a standing start, Kris Letang once achieved the feat skating backwards in 16.132 seconds during the 2012 skills competion.

Does Gear Evolution Play a Major Role in Speeding Up Hockey? 

In general, today’s hockey players are faster as the equipment they wear and sticks they carry are lighter and more aerodynamic, including their skates. In addition, The quality sharpness and quality of skates and the ice is far better these days which results in increased speed for the players.

We can’t rule out the effect of training techniques and physical fitness either when it comes to reasons for faster players. 

How Can Hockey Players Become Faster on the Ice?

It’s hard to say if hockey players have peaked when it comes to speed but it’s possible they may even become faster in the future. If the equipment and the quality of ice continues to improve down the road players may be faster than they are today. In addition, specific speed drills combined with on and off-ice training and leg exercises may result in added speed. 

Final Thoughts

Speed will always be an essential component of ice hockey as players appear to be getting faster and faster all the time. It’s conceivable to believe that a few exceptional skaters may be able to set new speed records in the future and the average speed of the game may increase slightly, but these players may be few and far between.