Skate sharpening: the hollow, the profile, and how often.

No hockey rulebook we read sets a sharpening standard. The IIHF's 2026/27 Rule 9.10 only requires the blade to be smooth from front to back, with no toe pick, and secured in a holder that covers both ends. Apart from the edge-care advice from the Pashby fitting guide and Hockey Calgary, the rest of this page comes from makers of sharpening machines and from retailers, so treat it as their claims; Sparx itself says to adjust by preference.

Radius of hollow

Sparx Hockey, which makes skate sharpeners, describes the radius of hollow, often shortened to RoH, as the concave groove ground along the bottom of the blade. The groove leaves two edges, one on each side of the blade, which Sparx says should be sharp, smooth and level with each other.

The hollow is written as a fraction of an inch, and a smaller number means a deeper groove. So a 1/2 inch hollow is deeper than a 5/8 inch hollow.

Deeper or flatter: what Sparx says

Sparx says 1/2 inch and 5/8 inch are the most common hockey hollows, with 1/2 inch the usual default in shops. It suggests lighter youth players typically start around 1/2 inch and heavier players from high school age up around 5/8 inch, then adjust by feel. All of this is manufacturer guidance, not a rule.

Profile, or rocker

The profile is a different measurement. Sparx describes it as the radius of the circle that the blade's length follows from toe to heel, given in feet, while the hollow is given in inches or centimetres. It notes the two are often confused.

• Sparx gives 9, 11 and 13 feet as common profile radii.
• A smaller radius puts less blade on the ice, which Sparx says is generally better for agility. A larger radius puts more blade on the ice, which it says is generally better for speed.
• Some runners come with a profile built in. True, as described by a retailer, sells its Shift runners with a 9 ft profile at the front and 10 ft at the heel, and Graf's Cobra 2.0 stainless runners are described as using a 10 ft radius, with a titanium-coated version sold on a claim of better edge retention (manufacturer claims).

How often to sharpen

The sources disagree, and all of them are commercial:

• Sparx (manufacturer): a general guideline of about every 3 to 4 hours of ice time, roughly weekly in season, varying with the skater's weight, style and the ice.
• Icebox Hockey (retailer): about every 5 to 8 hours.

Neither figure is a standard. Sparx's broader advice is to check your edges before every skate, because stepping on hard surfaces or hitting the boards or posts can damage them between sharpenings.

Protecting the edges

• The Pashby fitting guide (Hockey Development Centre for Ontario with the Dr. Tom Pashby Sports Safety Fund) says to dry blades and holders immediately after use and to wear skate guards when walking off the ice or in transport.
• Hockey Calgary says to wipe blades dry after every use and take the insoles out so they do not stay wet and rust the rivets.
• Icebox Hockey recommends blade covers off the ice (claim).

For skate rules and fit, see skates. For drying and storage of the rest of your kit, see equipment care.