Having proper fitting skates is very important, but most players fail to have the blades shaped and sharpened properly. I have mentioned this before, but I think it is very important to repeat. 
In essence, ALL skates need to be reshaped when they are new and at least once a year. 

Skate blades are shaped for the average player and range from a 9- to 10-foot radius. Here is a link to explain: http://www.ssmprodukt.com/contour-a-skate.html.   

To simplify, the larger the radius the more blade there is on the ice, and that means more speed. I recommend that the boys play with an 11-foot radius shape on their skates. Speed is very important in hockey.

The next critical element is hollow grind (sharpening). This is also referred to as the “bite “ of the blades. Typical hollow grind is 3/8ths to 5/8ths. Two reasons for this: 

1. Young players are OK with these grinds as they do not weigh very much and the extra bite helps them skate.  

2. Most sharpening places like to use the same hollow grind because it is easier for them so they do not have to reshape the grinding wheel.  

For the past 10 years, I have encouraged our high school players to gradually increase the hollow to 1 inch or even 1¼ inches. This reduces the “bite,” but also allows for more speed, less energy burn and better performance from the skates. The offseason is a great time to gradually move the hollow grind up until they find a comfortable level. It will take a bit of time, but it is worth doing. 

See images below. This matters. 

A hollow of 1 inch or 1¼ inches is best for high school players, while ¾ inches is good for PeeWees and Bantams. 

One final piece is balance point. Be sure that your son/daughter is present and puts the skates on and bends at the knees. The technician would then measure for the balance point around which the radius is centered. 

For more from longtime coach Hal Tearse, go to www.mminnesotahockey.blogspot.com.