Top 10 NHL Player Skates in 2023

With hockey season right around the corner, it’s time to look at the top skates for 2023. What do the pros use?

What does your favorite NHL player use? What’s the most-used skate in the NHL?

All of this information can be found at GearGeek, along with nearly every NHL equipment stat and number you could ever desire.

Also, I'd like to give a big shout out to Matt Stathopoulos at GearGeek for putting this comprehensive list together.

What I've learned is that the majority of players upgrade their equipment regularly, while some cling on to their "aging" gear.

This is especially true for skates that go through less wear-and-tear than gloves or sticks. Furthermore, you can easily swap out the blade or blade holder. 

Meanwhile, there are players that will regularly flaunt new equipment because of endorsement deals. 

Of course, it doesn't hurt that these products boast the latest enhancements and are tailored to their individual needs.

With that said, let's take a look at the skates that top our list.

Top 10 NHL Player Skates in 2023

For those that don't know, there are currently only 3 brands of skates used in NHL at the moment. They also happen to be the only brands available for purchase in North America.

These brands consist of Bauer (68.8%), CCM (20.7%) and TRUE (10.4%). The usage percentages are based off of 815 active skaters in the league.

While these quantities are subject to change, the distribution amongst the brands stay relatively consistent.

Note that each brand consists of 2-3 collections that are geared towards agility, power or acceleration.

Also, make sure to check out my blog post on the Best Hockey Skates in 2023, where I cover all currently available skates in depth.

I provide a skate rating for each model, my own personal likes/dislikes, low-budget alternatives and options for senior, intermediate and junior players.

If you are in the market for ice hockey skates, I break down the best quality options in the most structured manner.

My analysis is complimentary to the top 10 list presented below.

1. Bauer Vapor HyperLite 2

With only four NHL players wearing the Bauer Vapor HyperLite 2, you might be wondering how it could be so high on our list.

The reality is, this skate is basically brand new. David Pastrňák was the first to wear them in the NHL, toward the end of the 2022-2023 season, although Shea Theodore donned them when he lifted the Stanley Cup with the Vegas Golden Knights.

The HyperLite 2 boasts a new Powerfly holder — specifically engineered to flex and respond to all skating situations — increasing take-off acceleration and side-to-side transitions.

Bauer says this skate will give you maximum quickness and unrivaled agility due to embedded Hyperflex technology.

2. Bauer Supreme Mach

Bauer’s Supreme Mach skates made their NHL debut in 2021 with Nikita Kucherov, but they have caught on with plenty of other NHLers and are now the second-most popular skate in the league at 17%.

With stars Erik Karlsson, Kirill Kaprizov, Jack Eichel and Adam Fox all rocking Bauer Supreme Machs, it’s easy to see why this model is so high on our list.

Bauer describes the Supreme Mach as the “next generation of power.”

The boot consists of a 12K Carbon Curv composite material, which makes it sturdier and allows for maximum acceleration — you can boost stride length and maximize speed.

3. CCM Jetspeed FT6 Pro

These skates are relatively new to the NHL, currently worn by only Auston Matthews and Matt Dumba (but also have seen action from Sarah Nurse in a PWHPA game).

While looking like the Jetspeed FT4s, the JetSpeed FT6 Pro features an advanced one-piece boot that claims a game-ready fit right out of the box.

The Jetspeed FT6 is advertised to provide quicker acceleration and overall better performance than the FT4, making this a top-3 choice for skates this year.

4. True SVH Custom

Sticking with the TRUE brand, SVH Customs were also worn first in the NHL by Mitch Marner and currently are used by other speedsters such as Brayden Point, Jared Spurgeon and Connor Garland.

If you’re a smaller, quick player, these SVH Customs are a great fit.

To see everything that Marner wears, check out his Geargeek equipment profile here.

Speaking of great fit, these skates also employ TRUE’s 3D anatomical digital imaging.

Thanks to such customization, you can truly say “no two pairs of skates are the same” or “one of one” when talking about these SVH Customs.

These skates are low maintenance and completely customized to take your skating to the next level.

5. True TF Pro

The most popular TRUE skates among NHL players, Mitch Marner began wearing the TRUE TF Pro model in January 2021.

Marner’s former teammate, Ryan O'Reilly, also wears these skates, as does current teammate Tyler Bertuzzi.

The uniqueness of TRUE TF Pro custom skates is that they strive to give the skater a 100% “true” fit.

This is accomplished by technology that is exclusive to TRUE, where a skater’s foot is scanned with a 3D anatomical digital image to collect the needed information.

The custom fit helps the skates deliver power and performance by offering optimized stability, a superior fit and direct power transfer, which leads to crisper strides.

If you can get your foot 3D scanned for a custom fit, then TRUE skates are the way to go.

You can always opt for the TRUE HZRDUS 9X (Canada Here), which is readily available off the shelf and at a lower cost. 

The major difference is that the Pro is customized specifically to the shape of your foot.

6. CCM Tacks AS-V Pro

Who else but Connor McDavid would be the first to wear these CCM skates?!

He was first spotted in them in January 2022. Along with McDavid, the fastest man on skates, John Tavares, Darnell Nurse and J.T. Miller all wear Tacks AS-V Pros.

These skates are built with their signature one-piece boots and the brand’s elite RocketFrame composite materials — the goals are maximum stiffness and explosive power.

Tacks AS-V Pro also provides one of the best fits you will find on the market.

All told, these hockey skates are about performance and power.

Multi-density foam pads wrap anatomically around your foot for customized fit and incomparable comfort, while the Game Ready Fit makes breaking in easy, even for casual hockey players.

7. Bauer Vapor HyperLite

The most popular skate in the NHL is the Bauer Vapor HyperLite, used by 34% of players.

Drew Doughty, Patrick Kane, Matthew Tkachuk and Steven Stamkos all trust their feet to the Vapor Hyperlite series.

Kane is a Bauer guy through and through — check out his entire equipment lineup here: https://www.geargeek.com/team/new-york-rangers/patrick-kane

This model is designed for elite players who skate nearly every day and need a lightweight, high-performing skate to play their best every time they step on the ice.

It boasts an improved overall flex profile to maximize quickness and agility, an aerolite foam tongue that makes the skate lighter, and an asymmetrical toe cap for a better overall fit.

They’re also really good skates for beginners or amateur players.

The Bauer Vapor HyperLite also offers some customization.

You can choose which runner to add to the skate — Carbonlite, Pulse TI or the Pulse, each with its specific benefits.

8. CCM Jetspeed FT4

The most popular CCM skates, the Jetspeed FT4, are used by nearly 9% of NHL players.

The likes of Miro Heiskanen, Nazem Kadri and Brock Boeser wear these skates, but Auston Matthews was the first to strap them on during an NHL game in 2021.

With one-piece boot technology and a new fit, CCM continues to make strides in creating the go-to skate for NHL and amateur players alike.

The Jetspeed FT4 will help you generate a more direct energy transfer and a tighter fit for faster strides.

It also features a boot built for pure acceleration, and CCM’s replaceable XS Metatomic tongue is engineered to fit your exact foot shape.

9. TRUE Catalyst Pro

TRUE’s Catalyst Pro first graced NHL ice when Thomas Chabot wore them in October 2021.

While fewer than 2% of NHL players wear this skate, TRUE is gaining ground in the NHL world while holding a 10% stake in the skates game.

You can see how many NHL players wear which skate at GearGeek: https://www.geargeek.com/nhl-totals/skates

The TRUE Catalyst Pro maintains the standard company look — a black base layer on the boot with silver trim and a few logos throughout.

The iconic four-stripe silver logo is visible on both sides of the boot, a staple look for all TRUE skates.

There are additional silver lines that gently scratch the sides of the boot, but nothing that distracts from the main design.

In addition to its 3D anatomical foot scan, TRUE is hoping its new thermoformable one-piece shell will provide extra comfort to those who choose these skates.

The shell is advertised as being softer and more flexible, which lends to better range of motion.

The toe cap also has been redesigned with a lower profile for added agility and reduced weight, leading to quicker reactions from the user.

Meanwhile, if you're looking for something available right off the shelf, you can always opt for the TRUE Catalyst 9 (Canada Here).

The Catalyst 9 comes in at a lower cost, but is not customized to the shape of your foot.

10. Bauer Supreme Ultrasonic

We first saw this skate in the NHL in February 2020 when Michael Frolik used them in a game for the Buffalo Sabres.

Currently, 7.5% of NHLers use this model, including Sasha Barkov, Jordan Staal and Chris Kreider.

The Supreme Ultrasonic follows a similar color scheme as the skate that came before it, the Supreme 2S Pro.

Both have a black, gold and white profile, but the Ultrasonics have significantly more of a gold treatment to them.

Bauer was looking to build on this reputation when the Ultrasonic model was introduced in 2020.

The skate’s carbon curved composite quarter package is designed to be more accepting to heat molding — in other words, the goal is to provide a more contoured fit to your foot.

A tighter, more accurate fit means more comfort, which in turn leads to stronger strides and more acceleration.

All great reasons to try this skate from Bauer.

Final Thoughts

While all skates above are lighter and focus on comfort, it’s clear the best skate of the year is the Bauer Vapor Hyperlite 2 — the new kid on the block that builds on an already incredible base model.

The number of NHL players who will be wearing this skate figures to skyrocket this season.

If you want to use what the pros use, you know where to look and what to get.