Dryland area flooring is becoming more and more popular these days because of the pandemic and everybody wanting to stay home to practice. However, are slick tiles a good thing for hockey? This all depends on the way you look at this question.

What Is Dryland Area Flooring?

Dryland area flooring, also known as “slick tiles” are squares that easily lock together to create a hockey flooring environment that is a lot like ice. They can be laid down on many types of flat surfaces. The tiles are square 1 foot by 1 foot so that they can be placed in even a small room. The best thing about them is that you can create your own home training area. They are easy to assemble and extremely durable. They will last you a long time even if you use them every day.

Feels Like Ice

If you get high-quality dryland hockey flooring you will feel like you are practicing on real ice. Although ice tiles are not made to use ice skates on, they are designed to help you dangle your stick and slap biscuits into the goal just like when you’re training with a coach. This is great when it comes to honing in your specific skillset that needs work. When you use a shooting tarp and a puck rebounder it is just like playing a real game…but without other players.

Shoes Or Inline Skates

So as we discussed earlier it is not a good idea to try ice skates on these tiles, but it is great for shoes or inline skates. Practicing in inline skates may not be like skating on the ice, but when you practice in them you are building muscles and developing muscle memory. When you build this type of muscle memory it stays with you when you start playing for real. You build the balance, the stamina, and the strength that you get from skating on dry land, but when you get to the ice your body automatically remembers the core muscles that you developed as you practiced. It doesn’t know the difference between inline skates and ice skates, it only knows the skills that you developed.

Are Tiles Good For Hockey?

So, as we discussed earlier the answer to this question depends on the way you look at it. As for actually playing a game of ice hockey on them…probably not. You can’t use ice skates on them. However, as a whole, using dryland hockey tiles to practice is great for hockey because you retain all of the skills that you learn from training on them then they automatically come to you when you play an actual game. The tiles are designed to allow the puck to easily glide over the top of them as if they were actually made of ice. This makes your shots seem like you are actually shooting on ice. This is how you become great at the game instead of being good. So, yes. Dryland tile flooring is great for hockey. And for hockey players.