Olympics: Best Olympic Hockey Skater vs Patrick Chan vs Best Speed Skater

[illpucks]

There are 3 main events involving skating at the Olympics. Who is the best skater? Your pick for the best hockey skater at the Olympics or Patrick Chan or your pick for best speed skater at the Olympics?

Who is the best skater?

To the 2nd poster, Skating is everything, balance, speed, edge work, strength, power, dynamics, fluidity, speed. All parameters are up for consideration.

On EA the highest player rating is an aggregate of different parameters that a player is ranked in. Similarly, this is an aggregate of who excels the most in all of the different skating parameters.

If that is still confusing ask yourself this:
How would the best Olympic hockey skater do at figure skating and speed skating
How would the best Olympic figure skater do at hockey skating and speed skating
How would the best Olympic speed skater do at hockey skating and figure skating

When I say 'best' I mean the Overall best skater in their respective class.

Click to read more...

 

[J17 Vs Proclamation]

What exactly is your question? How are you defining best skater? Speed and tactical racing? Edge work and balance? Ability to do other things whilst skating? Turning skating into dough and broads? What a 23 yr old stunning tennis player thinks?

It's a stupid question, especially given you have offered no paramaters here. Three entirely different disciplines. One is a race. One is a team competition. One is judged in a stylistic arbitary fashion.

What is better ; the sock, the shoe or the central heating system?

 

[Alexdaman]

well the three have different skates so its like comparing the best skier vs the best snowboarder vs the best downhill speed skier.

 

[PG Canuck]

Really tough to answer the poll with limited parameters.

 

[illpucks]

Really tough to answer the poll with limited parameters.

I added some clarification in the OP. If you need more let me know.

 

[chunkylover53]

Well, I guess the thinking is that speed skaters are the fastest while figure skaters are the most agile while hockey has a bit of everything.

It's a tough question
(Obviously Jeff Skinner would win, great player+decently fast+use to figure skate)

 

[PG Canuck]

I added some clarification in the OP. If you need more let me know.

You could make strong arguments that a speed skater, hockey player and figure skater all reach the parameters you provided. It's tough to determine a clear-cut winner in each category. Like comparing apples and oranges.

 

[Alexdaman]

Okay I'll try to answer like this.

The best hockey skater, has the best overall endurance when skating at various levels of speed. He is able to use his skating for physical play and outskating opponents.

The best best artistic skater, has the best control, agility and stamina. But a large portion of his discipline isn't about skating itself.

The best speed skater is the best skater on a speed track, he has the best conditioning of his legs and he is the fastest on straight and oval tracks.

 

[Alexdaman]

You could make strong arguments that a speed skater, hockey player and figure skater all reach the parameters you provided. It's tough to determine a clear-cut winner in each category. Like comparing apples and oranges.

It's impossible since the three categories are sports that are too different from one to another, it's like comparing Rugby players to American Football players.

 

[Yemack]

I was a short track skater and a hockey player. Ive tried putting on a figure skate before as well so I think I can shed some light on this one.

Firstly, in terms of speed, fluidity speed skating can't be touched. Period. You have to understand these guys train 5-6 hrs a day going around in circle. They perfect any small mistake they might have in their style and their endurance in skating and stride can't be matched.

As for Balance and Power. Differnt kind of balance and power are needed on each so you can't really say which requires more.

As for Edgework, again, different sports require differnt edgework.. but I would say figure skating tops this one.

Skating in a hockey setting is usually quick burst of energy or quick change of direction. Nobody is going to reach top speed in a small NHL sized rink. It's mostly in acceleration.

Also speed skaters and short track skaters, they only skate straight or turn left. so while they need extreme finess in their technique, they dont use the whole edge of the skates like hockey and figure skating.

As for figure skating, they can never compete with hockey or speed skating speed wise but they can do so many tricks. Imagine turning 3times in mid air on skate. I could do 360 in a hockey skate but I doubt you can go more than that. It's seriously dizzying experience btw. Forget about doing any fancy stuffs on a pair of speed skate.

 

[kingsholygrail]

It's not even technically the same equipment. The only thing they share in common is the ice surface.

Even then you could make an argument that the speed skating track is not the same as a regular ice surface.

 

[masterandy18]

It's a solid comparison...

The 3 sports all came from the old ugly skates. Over time, the skates changed to their specific needs.

If skates never evolved, we might still have these 3 disciplines and may be able to debate this topic.

 

[hudson bay rules]

Patrick Chan would do well in the other disciplines. The same can't be said the other way around

 

[Big Phil]

It has to be Patrick Chan here. The guy can do a triple axle and land on one foot.

 

[begbeee]

For me it is between figure skater and speed skater - both must have brilliant technique of skating. On the other hand you often see even in NHL players with one "stronger foot" or players with terrible technique of skating - almost hillarious. That's fine, hockey is not only about skating, altough skating means a lot, maybe more than 50% of good hockey player in general (with obvious contraexamples like Robittaile or Esposito).

Figure skater is the clear cut winer - he would do great in hockey game and would not be lost on oval. Speed skater is the runner-up. He probably won't jump meter high and land on one foot into backward skating, but what else is i.e. Grabner? Speed skater who accidentaly took a stick in the lockeroom.
Hockey player wouldn't be completly lost but average player would be nowhere near the best on oval and can't see majority of players do moves of figure skater even on ice not to mention jumps.

There will be tons of posters with counter examples like Bure, Fedorov etc. but in the end, I rather took an average high level spotrsman from every sport.

 

[Big Phil]

Hockey player gets goals. Goals get girls. Awww yeah. Easy win.

If Patrick Chan walked into a bar wearing his silver medal, or if he simply just got recognized, he would have puck bunnies draped over him the whole night too.

 

[begbeee]

Patrick Chan is the 2nd tier playboy from figure skaters, in his heydays Pluschenko was world star level, recognized outside sports circles.