Barb Aidelbaum

Skating Coach

About Barb Aidelbaum

Barbara has been a full-time professional skating coach for 40+ years and is currently in the University of British Columbia Graduate School pursuing a master’s degree in High Performance Coaching and Technical Leadership (HPCTL). She holds a UBC graduate diploma in HPCTL. In the Coaching Association of Canada, she holds the top designation of Chartered Professional Coach. There is continuous change at the elite levels of hockey and Barb collaborates and integrates her state of the art systems with the other hockey coaches and performance experts for outstanding results.

Barb is the Skating Specialist for individual players and teams in the CJHL, CHL, U Sports, NCAA, AHL, KHL and NHL. During her 40+ year career she has coached 1000+ NHL players and many retired and current NHL Officials. In addition, she has been part of many Hockey training and development camps, trained the Canadian National Men’s Alpine Ski Team for on-ice edging and prepared actors for skating roles.

She is nationally certified in hockey as well as figure skating (NCCP Level 3+). She is the first female coach ever to be carded in Canada by a Junior “A” team and the first Canadian figure skating coach to be utilized by an NHL team. She uses her vast knowledge of edges, balance and counterbalancing, and combines it with her many years of off-ice speed and weight training, to create the most explosive and powerful hockey players.

Barb was raised in Vancouver, BC as a figure skater with her 3 hockey playing brothers. Her parents, Hector and Doreen Irving, are founders of The Arbutus Club. It opened in 1964 and today it is one of Canada’s premier private clubs. No surprise, the entire club was formed around the ice rink. She has coached both figure skaters and hockey players nationally and internationally and is a Skate Canada triple gold medallist. Her professional coaching career started in Kamloops, BC and then took her around the world with 7 years in Brisbane and Sydney, Australia and then stops in Bosnia, Poland, Austria and the Czech Republic.

After her overseas coaching stint, she returned to Canada and became the Arbutus Club’s Head Figure Skating Pro with her former coach Pamela Greenslade. In addition, Barb held the roles of Hockey and Skating School Director. She started the hugely successful Arbutus Club Summer Hockey School. Players attended from many other countries and her NHL students also coached in the camps. She initiated the Arbutus Referee School with NHL Officials Brad Lazarowich, Lonnie Cameron and Kelly Sutherland.

In 2000 Barb co-founded the hockey charity HEROS (heroshockey.com). The HEROS mission is to use the game of ice hockey to teach life-skills and empower marginalized youth as well as those with physical and cognitive barriers. Today we offer 29 programs in 11 cities across Canada and in Belfast, Ireland. She has been on the Board of Directors since the inception. HEROS is one of her proudest accomplishments.

After 17 years coaching at the Arbutus Club, she left to have more time for her own family and the growing roster of NHL power skating clients. It was a thrill to work alongside Coach Greenslade and the CEO at the time, John Furlong. She lists Pam and John as being her Mentors. Coach Pam retired in June 2022 after coaching at the Arbutus Club for 48 years and being a professional coach for over 50 years. She has set an exceptionally high standard for other professional coaches around the world.

Barb is known for her exceptional error detection and correction skills and uses her wealth of experience to achieve optimal results very quickly. She is passionate about skating and is a lifelong learner. While doing her master’s at UBC she is combining her Coach’s Eye with evidencebased data and analytics while studying the most up-to-date scientific methods in Sport.

She loves spending time outdoors with her family and pets and has started working on her golf game. Barb enjoys snow skiing, water-skiing, Pilates, tennis, gardening and watching hockey skating footage.

Services

Registration of Interest For 2023-24

Barb Aidelbaum Skating Camps

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One On One Training

One on One Training is typically preferred by professional players for performance improvement or rehabilitation.

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Small Groups

Small Groups have a maximum of 8 players. Referees and linesmen are also welcome to participate in the group training.

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Team Development

Team Skating Development is offered for Development Camps, Pre-season or In-season training.

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Video Analysis

Barb will assess the player’s strengths and weaknesses and make recommendations for short term and long term improvement.

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Testimonials

I have had the opportunity to work with Barb since 2019. She is extremely dedicated, knowledgeable and motivated to get the most out of herself and her players. Barb’s ability to communicate with her players throughout the entire year is incredible, along with the ability to know what each individual player needs during sessions to get the most out of them. She gives me confidence and has helped my game tremendously. Barb is a pleasure to be around and makes coming to the rink fun. Her work has not only made me a better player but a better person away from the rink.

Michael Rasmussen -

Detroit Red Wings
2017 NHL draft - 1st round (9th overall selection)

"I've had the pleasure of skating with Barb for many years and without a doubt she took me to the next level of skating. When I started with her she reengineered my stride so that not only was I quicker, my skating became increasingly effortless which helped me attain my goal of attending military college and playing university hockey."

Mathew Mitchie -

Infantry Officer at Canadian Armed Forces

"Barb is extremely smart and is a great teacher. She has helped me find all the little details in my skating. I’m faster and more agile after training with Barb in the 2021 off-season. I’m looking forward to next summer as I continue to develop."

Kent Johnson -

Columbus Blue Jackets
2021 NHL draft - 1st round (5th overall selection)

"Barb’s in-depth knowledge of the technical aspects of skating combined with her attention to detail make her an excellent resource for players of all levels. Her teaching style yields extremely quick results and she possesses a unique understanding of how each skating skill is applied to our game. She helped me drastically improve all aspects of my skating during my career. I would recommend Barb to all players hoping to improve their skating and further develop their skills as a hockey player."

Tanner Glass -

played 527 NHL games - New York Rangers Player Development

"In 1999, when HEROS was just an idea in the mind of Norm Flynn, he went looking for people who could help take it from idea to reality. One of those people was Barb Aidelbaum who dove in head first and worked tirelessly recognizing the need to create an opportunity to play hockey for young people from economically challenged neighbourhoods who needed it most but had the least access to it. Barb brought with her not only a technical understanding of hockey skills and directing Hockey Schools but more importantly the ability to teach conventional skills in an unconventional manner to young people who fell outside the conventional hockey system. She has also helped guide the growth and evolution of the organization as a founding board member, providing 2 decades of service assisting with fundraising, brand development, policy development, and so much more."

Kevin Hodgson -

Executive Director - Hockey Education Reaching Out Society (HEROS)

"Working with Barb since 2001 has been instrumental in taking my game to new levels. Barb closely assesses my skating techniques and then delivers specific instruction to where I can improve. I believe the detailed skating instruction that Barb has given me has been an advantage for me playing in the NHL and allowed me to achieve my dream of playing for Canada in the Olympics."

Dan Hamhuis -

2001 NHL draft 1st round (#12 overall selection) - 2014 Olympic Gold - 1148 NHL games

"I have had the pleasure of collaborating with Barb on many hockey players through the years, mostly in rehab situations for serious and / or recalcitrant injuries. Barb has a unique ability to accurately evaluate a player’s skating mechanics and develop an effective plan to improve a player’s skating. Equally impressive is her ability to effectively communicate and integrate within an interdisciplinary team. Especially in complex cases where every attention to detail is required to ensure success, Barb is able to apply her expertise within an integrated plan that includes all aspects of rehab, movement retraining, strength and conditioning and hockey-specific training. She is easy to work with but is also demanding in a very positive, professional way - as it should be!"

Dr. Rick Celebrini -

Director of Sports Medicine and Performance - Golden State Warriors of the NBA

"I have been training with Barb since I was 13 years old, and her skating expertise has played a pivotal role in my development and pursuit of professional hockey. Her attention to detail and ability to hone every aspect of the skating craft has kept me coming back for over 20 years. My transition from player to official required a lot of skating-related adjustments, and Barb once again coached me through the challenges and elevated my stride, edging, starts and turns to the NHL level. Her technical proficiency aside, Barb has also helped me tremendously with the mental side of the game. Her insights and knowledge of the hockey world, and her understanding of the emotional side of professional sports has always made a session with Barb a complete experience."

Ryan Gibbons -

Current NHL Linesman

"Barb and I have worked together since the summer of 2015 when I finished my last year in the CHL. She meets with me right after the season to discuss areas of improvement and what to focus on throughout the summer. She also works closely with all other members of my team (strength trainer, physio, etc) to ensure we take full advantage of the short summer months. By them working directly with each other, it allows me to incorporate each technique throughout my training regimen. My skating has seen vast improvements in speed, strength, and technique throughout our time together to date. I also appreciate the constant messages of both encouragement and critique as she closely watches my skating habits all season long."

Sam Reinhart -

Florida Panthers - 2014 Draft - 1st round (2nd overall pick)

Played over 450 games to date

"After 4 full years of training with Barb my only regret is that I didn’t start working with her earlier. She has as an incredible ability to tweak certain aspects of my skating game, which I have found to make me a more powerful, balanced and efficient skater. Barb is flat out the most knowledgable and technically sound skating coach I’ve ever worked with."

Manny Malhotra -

991 NHL games - 1998 NHL draft 1st round (#7 overall selection)

"I was very fortunate to grow up with a strong skating skill set, through coaching and camps in my youth. Barb has taken my skating to another level! She challenges me out of my comfort zone and gets me on edges I didn’t know I had! Her coaching has been essential to my development. As our great game continues to get faster and faster her coaching has been essential in my personal growth. Getting into position and moving at the same level as the players is vital to being a successful official. I always look forward to working with Barb in the off-season!"

Greg Skilliter -

Current NHL Referee

"I have been working with Barb since 2008. Barb has an excellent ability to identify the strengths and weaknesses in your skating and offer valuable insights for improvement. She has great technical knowledge that can help you adjust to the rigors of the NHL and the ever-increasing speed of the game. She is a true professional and I’m grateful to have had her help."

Eric Brewer -

1997 NHL draft 1st round (#5 overall selection) - 2002 Olympic Gold and 4 World Gold Medals - 1009 NHL games

"Skating is the most important hockey skill – it is the foundation for success in the game. Barb Irving Aidelbaum’s understanding of skating biomechanics has helped both young athletes and professional players. Her coaching and skating expertise can help you reach a new performance level."

Peter Twist -

CEO Twist Performance Inc

"Barb Aidelbaum shows a real dedication towards helping players learn about on-ice safety and awareness with her primary goal: safety along the boards. Her power skating skills that she will implement, along with her safety and awareness program, are long overdue. Any time spent with Barb will be time well spent."

Brad Lazarowich -

1971 regular season Games (Linesman)
204 playoff Games
3 Stanley Cup finals

"In todays game I believe skating is the number 1 skill you must have to be an elite player. The game keeps getting quicker and faster. After breaking an ankle I felt a half-step behind. until I worked with Barb. Then I felt I was a half step ahead. She also addressed my balance and agility- things I didn’t think were of great importance. No doubt Barb made me a better skater – and I had fun while doing it!"

David Booth -

530 NHL games - Former NHL player now in Europe

"Barb has been a huge influence in my hockey career as an amateur player, pro player and now NHL scout. She has given me a strong work ethic and really helped me reach my potential as a NHL skater. I trained with her from my WHL days and while I was playing in the NHL. She never tried to change my style but always built on the skill set that I had. Everything I learned from about the skating stride and edges is from Barb. Now when I’m scouting the next NHL players or running my own hockey camps I follow her philosophies, expertise and teachings."

Colin Fraser -

3 Stanley Cups - Chicago Blackhawks Scout

"My summer training is never complete without a week on the ice with Coach Barb. Barb coordinates our August Camp for NHLOA members. It consists of off-ice Fitness and Conditioning, Mental Performance Training and Skating Development. She does an amazing job of breaking down my stride and her extensive knowledge of edges, body positioning and skating mechanics leaves me feeling stronger and more efficient. My skating improves with every session. I really appreciate the time and patience she puts into translating fine technical corrections into functional adjustments that I can apply to my skating immediately. I always leave her camp feeling confident and prepared for my upcoming season."

Kiel Murchison -

Current NHL Linesman

Barb Aidelbaum Skating