Taking ice shavings off your skate every shift

[snipe-show12 0]

Ive never done it until the end of the game/practise.

[Megamandan 0]

I only do it when I change on a whistle. That way I take time getting out on the ice and I have a chance to stomp my steel on the ice to knock off the snow. I know I could break my steel but I've never broken a pair of steel in my life, so why worry now?

[Edge 0]

I just do it between periods if at all.

[analog999 0]

Obviously no one knows why they do it except to speculate that it is just out of habit. I wonder if the shaved ice on the blade perhaps makes the steel colder and keeps it from melting the ice as quickly (regarding that article about melting layer from another topic)...

[sdh 0]

I wonder if any of the chemicals they use in the ice affect the edge. Keeping the blades warmer sounds like a good theory too.

[hockechamp14 0]

Actually I find it has to do with a couple things when the snow messes up your skating. Either the rink is usually really cold, so the snow almost freezes to your blade. Or the chemicals make it freeze really easily, again almost making the snow freeze to your skate.

[XeF4 0]

I always end up taking it all off in the locker room and end up with a puddle of slush under my feet when im taking off my equipment. :(

But I clean off my stick blade after every shift if that counts.

[chippa13 1844]

Actually I find it has to do with a couple things when the snow messes up your skating. Either the rink is usually really cold, so the snow almost freezes to your blade. Or the chemicals make it freeze really easily, again almost making the snow freeze to your skate.

You will find that snow clings to your blade more in warmer rinks than in colder rinks. Wet snow sticks, dry snow doesn't.

[analog999 0]

Now that I cut my skates to 3/4, I notice a lot more snow on my blades. I did end up fricking slicing my damned finger clearing the snow off! I don't even know how it happened. So anyway, I will clear snow with my glove on from now on.. worked just as well.

Also, I noticed that when I did clear it, I felt that I could feel the difference when making sharp turns.

[Jason 65]

So I'm not crazy then. I thought I could tell the difference. I also use a 3/4" cut. I never considered the blades being warmer too. I'm gonna keep doing it then. Not that I was ever going to stop anyway. :D

[analog999 0]

I don't see how it could hurt as long as you don't slice your fingers :lol:

[biff44 0]

You guys might be onto something. Read this about "thermoblades":

http://hfboards.com/archive/index.php/t-122319.html

[AlabamaICE 0]

I pull it off with my bare hand while on the bence. I think its just habit more or less. Plus I like to try to hit the ref with the snowball when he skates by.

[KYHockey3 0]

What they do is store up the shavings, and during the break they make a delicious snow cone!

YUMMMM

i was thinking probably supersticions(sp???), sometimes i do stupid things like that, i guess im supersticious

[kingjames23rulz 0]

for you guys who do infact take the snow off....why not just leave a towel on the bench that you can use and just wipe your skates off with that??

[ctaz 0]

one less thing for me to carry by leaving the towel in the lockerroom, if you go slow and are careful you won't slice your finger and if you do it won't even draw blood. Since most of the cuts you get is from the debris that the skate picked up.

However, you're correct a towel would be the easiest was to protect ones hands and gloves if they wanted to remove the ice buildup on their runners.