Posture is the #1 Skating Fundamental
 
Good posture is the key to great skating Speed-skating coaches, and European hockey coaches teach skating by using dryland training to rehearse basic positions and gain strength. And skating strength at young ages is more about handling your own body weight on one leg, than weight training. Every speed-skating practice starts with dryland rehearsal of the two most basic positions ... Why not hockey?
Basic skating stance: Isometric squat
 
Flat-footed with shoulders up
shoulders “up” means a slight forward lean
of the trunk, but not an exaggerated bend
at the waist to more than 45°
 
Weight distributed on the entire foot
not over the toes. 
Try putting your weight too far forward over the toes, and you’ll see it is nearly impossible to move or jump sideways, compared to having weight distributed over the entire foot.
 
When cornering, force is directed sideways, toward the center of the circle.
This is why you can’t corner on your toes.
 
Start at a young age with ...
a) isometric two-legged squats
b) wide lunges.  
 
Then, duplicate them on-ice.
 
Dryland should be fun, so
call it “skating practice”
and use hockey sticks.
 
 
Next ... advance to
partner-assisted
one-legged dip squats for
strength and core stability.
 
Older players can start
more intense jumps
and one-legged
exercises for
strength/power.
 
Skating habits begin when a player first puts on skates, so coaches should ensure that the habits formed are good ones. Make these 2 basic positions your personal comfort zone
 
Lunge or “Load-up” position 
 
Without a good load-up position while skating, there is no chance of powerful extension in the next instant.
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