Synthetic Ice for Hockey Players

SmartRink is serious about helping you understand using synthetic ice for hockey practice. Therefore, we would like to work with you to help you understand how our products differ from other synthetic ice panels for hockey players. Our mission is to provide the best overall synthetic ice skating experience on a synthetic hockey surface. Our primary advantages over other brands are:

FOREVER warranty due to our incredible synthetic panel durability for hockey training.
Superior Glide Performance for hockey training due to our uncompromising attention to our sinter pressed materials
Client Product Confidence due to our Home Trial advantage allows you, the player and/or the parent to try the product

Skills improvement

When it comes to hockey skills improvement there is likely no better training tool than synthetic ice for hockey players. Sure it’s easy enough to shoot 50 or 100 pucks every day or practice your stick handling drills in your sneakers, but if you can do these with your skates on then the learning will accelerate. Think about it. When you practice shooting wearing your sneakers for example you are training your body (and your mind) to do a repetitive motion over and over to develop muscle memory of that movement. Then you go to the rink and put your skates on and are suddenly 3inches taller and everything looks and feels different. That shot that was so easy when you were shooting at home in your sneakers has suddenly abandoned you. What’s going on?

Well there are a number of possible explanations of course but it’s hard to deny that if a hockey player was able to do most of their skills training on synthetic hockey ice with skates on then they would most likely immediately transfer those skills to real ice. Furthemore, it doesn’t need to be a large pad of synthetic ice either. For example if your primary focus was shooting (verses skating for example) then installing a 10 foot x 10 foot synthetic ice pad in your basement or garage – large enough to shoot or stick handle with skates on – could make a huge difference in the acceleration of basic hockey skills.

So here’s a thought

Ditch those sneakers for skates and train for hockey the way it was meant to be played – with skates on!

it’s pretty easy to show and recommend someone the synthetic ice when the product is so good and works so well”
~ M. Evans, Kingston, Ontario

I bought the ice from SmartRink and it is the best!!! …my son went from one of the lowest rated players in hockey to making the PeeweeA1 team this year!”
~ Coach O Pighin, British Columbia

Synthetic Ice Panels for Hockey

Our best synthetic ice panels for hockey are SINTER Pressed. Most North American brands we come across are extruded material. We sell extruded material also, but because we sell both extruded and sinter pressed material we feel very comfortable comparing them. We also feel we can be more helpful in assisting you to make an informed decision about buying synthetic ice panels for hockey practise.

If you feel you would like additional information or maybe looking for a product and price comparison then please hit the Product / Price Request button below and a SmartRink representative will assist you as soon as possible.

PRODUCT / PRICE REQUEST

SmartSkate8000 Synthetic Ice Skating Panels for Hockey

Ready for hockey training at home? This is our high performance synthetic ice skating panel – for less. Both indoors and outdoors, this synthetic hockey ice product will beat the hockey pants off the best North American produced synthetic ice materials.

Incredibly durable, this German produced synthetic ice material is well suited with both budget and performance in mind.

Forever guaranteed synthetic ice skating surface!
Higher performance for less!
SINTER pressed solid sheets – greater density – great durability
No messy powdery residue
UV stabilized
Can be used anywhere there is a solid flat, level surface

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Profast8000-SG Synthetic Ice Skating Panels for Hockey

The Best synthetic ice for hockey! Others try but they can’t come close to this glide and FOREVER Warranty!

This is our professional series product – but for the DIY home hockey market. If you want the best synthetic ice panel material for hockey on the market produced today, then this is it!

This German engineered and produced panel is made with SmartGlide Technology which means the spray on glide enhancer is 100% optional, and not required! EVER!

VHMWPe providing excellent balance between longevity and market leading, exceptional performance.
Multiple slip additives provide superior glide – for life!
Infused permanent glide enhancer
LIFETIME warranty
Extreme durability – no messy powdery residue
UV stabilized
can be used anywhere there is a solid flat, level surface

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Synthetic Ice for Hockey Frequently Asked Questions

We get many questions from people interested in buying or just curious about synthetic ice products for hockey players. Frankly there is a lot of conflicting information on the internet so we decided to help set the record straight and clear up some of the confusion.

Most people would agree that with practice over time you will improve as a hockey player. Therefore, the problem we solve with SmartRink is that the hockey player can now practice with skates on anytime they wish. As a result, repetitions of proper training techniques develop muscle memory. If kids start practicing on a SmartRink surface at a relatively young age (5,6,7) then they will accelerate their development and then have the benefit of years of extra practice from training at home in addition to their regular team practices.
The quick answer is that nothing skates like real ice. That said there are some products where the experience is excellent but most fall well short of their marketing claims. Strong skaters will find better products easier to skate on. Weaker skaters will notice the increased resistance. This will be more apparent with lower quality products. The best products skate the best and there is nothing that can’t be duplicated on synthetic ice as with real ice – using a high quality panel. A very good product is one where the skater does not have to change their body mechanics to perform the same task as on real ice. They should be able to pivot, turn, skate backwards and stop just the same as real ice. Poor products force the skater to develop bad habits with posture, knee bend and stride length – all things you want to avoid.
A smartRink synthetic ice rink is a little more resistant than a real ice surface but not so resistant that it would affect stickhandling or shooting. Players will learn to be stronger on the puck especially for passing. Hence, shooting is essentially the same as on real ice. Stick handling can be enhanced using specially designed pucks that may slide easier on the synthetic – but its not really required – regular pucks work just fine.
This is the most common question. Price is the one thing that people do understand and can compare. The problem is that unless you know the material you are comparing it is almost meaningless. As a result, we’ve seen price per square foot as low as $8 and as high as $28. Also, we’ve written about understanding the importance of molecular weight in the past and how that relates to panel thickness and pricing relationships. If you want a true comparison send us a request and we’ll do our best to answer your questions directly with fact based information. The best raw material costs the most money and that directly translates into a higher cost panel – plain and simple. In the case of synthetic ice – paying less money is almost never a good thing.
Panel size can be important. Some companies promote the advantages of very small panels, while others promote very larg panels, such as 8 ft x 4 ft. These companies promote fewer joints as an advantage, but if the application is correct and it’s a good quality panel, the skater will never feel the joint anyway. We feel that for home synthetic ice rinks a 1m x 1m size is perfect. Smaller synthetic ice panels are cheaper to ship, can sit on a standard pallet size and easier for the average person to install. For thickness, high quality panels with a good molecular weight need not be thicker than 8mm (5/16 of an inch) to last 15+ years. Often we see cheap less expensive material sold in thick panel configurations as a way to cover up that it will wear down rapidly.
Actually it’s quite easy – but it does have to be maintained – just like any flooring product does. Typically that means vacuuming and washing the surface. As a result, plain hot water and some elbow grease will work fine. Also, anything from a wet mop to a stiff brush will work depending on how dirty the surface it. Larger surfaces typically use a commercial floor scrubber. Also most products suggest using a glide solution to enhance the skating experience. Consequently, this needs to be applied regularly. Hence, each manufacturer will be able to provide instructions on that.
Yes! Please read this one kids success story using SmartRink Synthetic Ice.

Synthetic Ice Hockey Photos

Be inspired by some of these synthetic ice hockey rink photos. Let your imagination be your guide as your consider what your synthetic ice hockey rink design might be. From the most simplistic basement shooting pad, to a more professional looking backyard set-up – here are some great synthetic ice images and examples to get you thinking about your own synthetic ice surface at home!