Edges are the most important aspect of skating in hockey. Without good edge control, a player will struggle to become an efficient and confident skater leading to loss of energy and precision on the ice. Edges are used in all aspects of hockey skating including striding, crossovers, stops and starts, and glide turns. Becoming an excellent skater all starts with this critical skill of edge control.
When working on these skills it can be helpful to divide them up into thinking about the inside edge, outside edge, and flats. Sculling and skiing drills are two of the most common types of drills to develop edges.
All practices benefit from having a component focused strictly on edge control. 10 minutes of sculling and skiing drills at the beginning of each practice are a great way to get started. Remember: edges are the foundation to becoming an efficient and powerful skater.