Inline skating is particularly good for the younger hockey players who are still developing their skating skills. Inline skating can help teach and improve balance while reinforcing good habits such as hockey stance and keeping knees bent.
Roller hockey is a form of hockey played on a dry surface using wheeled skates. It can be played with traditional roller skates (quad skates) or with inline skates and either a ball or puck.
Other than the surface (ice vs. solid land), the skates themselves are the main difference between ice hockey and inline hockey. Inline skates have a chassis and wheels instead of a blade and blade holder. Even so, the boots of the skates are almost exactly the same, so much so that ice hockey skates are often converted into inline skates.
Inline Hockey is a great way to train hockey skills without having to step onto the ice. Although not played on ice, inline hockey has similar situations that the player will encounter in an ice game, such as one-on-one situations and face offs. If a player plays inline hockey before they begin playing ice hockey, they will be prepared for those situations when they take them on in the future.
In the past year, more than 300 NHLers have been using Marsblades as an off-ice training tool. That includes McDavid, Cale Makar, Quinn Hughes, Evgeni Malkin, Roman Josi and Auston Matthews.