Can You Ice Skate on Hockey Tiles?

There are several different types of hockey tiles. Whether or not you can ice skate on them will depend on what they are made out of and what type of flooring they will be. In terms of dryland hockey tiles, of course, the answer is no. However, if we are referring to synthetic ice tiles, that is a different story. 

Dryland Hockey Flooring 

Dryland hockey flooring, also known as slick tiles, is a type of flooring that is made mostly for inline skates, or tennis shoes. The material that the tiles are made out of has lubricants that are infused into the plastic so that the puck and the stick will slide across it similar to the way they would on real ice, but the material is way too soft to be able to support ice skates. Ice skating on slick tiles would not be recommended.

Dryland hockey tiles are small and easy to fit together so that you can form a hockey training area in a small place, then break the tiles down and rebuild them in another place if you want to. They are compact and versatile, but in no way can ever be confused with synthetic ice.

Synthetic Ice Tiles

Another type of popular hockey flooring is synthetic ice. Synthetic ice is made out of high-density polymer plastic which makes the surface harder and more solid than softer surfaces. High-quality synthetic ice is able to withstand the abuse of constant ice skaters on it. It also has the ability to produce its own lubricant so that it never has to be lubricated by outside sources or additives. The polymer chains that the flooring is made up of are easily infused molecularly with lubricants and conditioners that can aid in creating an ice-like surface that is perfect for ice skates. 

Although synthetic ice flooring is ideal for ice skates, it is not recommended that you play wearing inline skates. Dryland hockey flooring works great with rollerblades, but synthetic ice does not.

Rubber Hockey Tiles

Another popular type of flooring in the hockey realm is rubberized hockey flooring. No, it is not like ice hockey at all because instead of pucks, they use balls. However, hockey is hockey no matter where you play. At least that’s what some people say. The differences between ice hockey and dryland hockey are far too many to list in this article. One thing for certain is that you can’t ice skate on rubber hockey flooring. The thin metal blades of the ice skates are not built to slide smoothly across rubber surfaces. Although it may be possible to four-wheel skate on rubber flooring, inline skates may not be a good idea either.

Conclusion

Genuine ice rinks are probably the best way to enjoy ice skating. Although synthetic ice is a close match, it is just not the same. As for ice skating on hockey tiles, dryland and rubber tiles are not made for ice skates. Synthetic ice tiles, however, were created for ice skates. If you want to ice skate, stick to real ice or synthetic ice rinks. Otherwise, you will run into problems.

***Sniper’s Edge Hockey loves Canada! We proudly ship all of our products to Canada and offer the same return policies as we do for everybody else. We realize the exchange rates for the Canadian dollar are not the best right now, so we’re trying to help by giving you free shipping and no customs/duty.***

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