Improve Your First 3 Steps
Get faster with Philippe Veilleux and Paul Matheson
(Originally published June 2025)
There are many ways to be a good or poor skater.
The most important aspect, when we compare prospects who succeed and those who fail to make the NHL, is the ability to get out of the blocks quickly.
Some established NHLers lack feel on their outside edges. Others don’t glide so well. But all show tremendous first-step (or first-three-steps) quickness. This quality is a must in an environment where the puck changes hands over 200 times per game. A slow-reacting player will be late to offensive and defensive situations. They’ll therefore will have a severely limited ability to impact the game in a positive way.
Players such as Connor McDavid, Nathan MacKinnon and even Brad Marchand are known for their explosiveness when accelerating from a standstill.
So is skating pop genetics, work ethic or technique?
It’s all three, certainly.
Some are born gifted, but all can improve in this must-have attribute.
Here’s a video case study featuring 2025 NHL draft eligible Philippe Veilleux, a skilled offensive creator and an improving skater.
(If you’re an NHL scout interested in watching Veilleux’s high-definition, slow-motion skating clips, send me an email at jack.han@hey.com)
The Wrong Way
There are a few counter-productive habits that harm players’ ability to get going quickly:
Excess upper-body lean
Excess knee bend
Pushing front-to-back
Keeping skate blades in contact with the ice
Transitioning from sprinting to striding prematurely
Players who accelerate in such a manner will feel themselves working hard, but will not get as much pop as they could, relative to how much force they can create in the gym.
The Right Way
In collaborating with NHL skating coach Paul Matheson during the past two summers, I’ve developed a better understanding on how to create pop:
Moderate upper-body lean
Moderate knee bend
Looking to get both feet off the ground and into the air
Maintaining the running sensation as long as possible before transitioning to striding
The proof in the pudding. Paul’s students appear light on their feet, with an effortless ability to change speed and direction.
Philippe Veilleux Case Study
Philippe’s physical build (5’9” 165lb per EliteProspects) is not palatable to many NHL scouts. However the high-scoring forward will certainly match, if not exceed, two-time Cup winner Brad Marchand’s size (5’9” 176lb per EP) once he is fully developed.
The main hurdle, then, is the 18 year old’s skating ability.
When we started working together in 2020, Philippe already showed mastery of his outside edges in terms of using cutbacks and crossovers. However he also had a habit of skating on his heels, which resulted in unimpressive acceleration and top-end speed.
After years of hard work on and off the ice, including time spent training with Paul Matheson, Philippe’s become a far more efficient, explosive mover.
1. Inside Edge Jog
The warmup exercise above illustrates Paul’s skating philosophy. The idea is for the player (Philippe in black) to stay relatively upright and get off the ice by using quick, moderately-sized steps that minimize blade-to-ice contact.
Excessive lean or knee bend will cause the player to fall forward.
There should be zero gliding occurring during the movement.
2. Outside Edge Jog
Same as above, except players lands on their outside edges as they would on a crossover start.
It’s now even more important to maintain upper body control and to keep one’s center of mass over the skate blade.
3. Crossover Start (no puck)
Philippe’s refined posture and mindset allow him to launch himself off the ice in an explosive yet relaxed manner.
Critically, he takes six steps before gliding into a pass reception. This helps him get more pop on his first few strides and allows him to step around a defender prior to the catch, if need be.
4. Crossover Start (with puck)
A peppy start with a neutral upper body allows for a quick, dynamic puck play as opportunity presents itself.
5. Crossover Acceleration
Philippe no longer has to think about getting off his heels, as he’ll naturally drive off the balls of his feet when launching off the ice. This translates into improved burst acceleration to get around defenders when moving off the puck.
6. Accelerating Out of a Cutback
McDavid and MacKinnon are renowned for their ability to attack the middle out of a cutback. The secret, if there is such as thing, is an aggressive turn followed by an outstanding crossover start. Philippe shows good execution on such a move. He’ll get even better with a stronger core and lower body.
7. Reacting to a Loose Puck - Retrieval & Relocation
Anaheim Ducks prospect Alexandre Blais (in white) shows excellent sprinting technique on the offensive retrieval. He launches himself off the ice and takes seven steps before the retrieval.
Philippe turns the wrong way initially but recovers with a big crossover start and lands on his mark for the quick-release shot.
Postscript: Philippe Veilleux currently leads the QMJHL in scoring as a Draft+1 player