Dawn Braid
ATC Director of Skating Development; Skating Consultant - Anaheim Ducks, Buffalo Sabres and their AHL teams
dawn@theathletetrainingcentre.com

From the Mississauga News 2007
"Through the Leafs, Peca met Power skating instructor Dawn Braid. Peca says he’s a better skater today than at any time in his career. Quite a statement from a two-time Frank Selke Trophy winner as NHL’s best defensive forward. “I’ve improved my skating to the point I’m faster and stronger on my feet,” said Peca. For more than a month, Braid has made a habit of driving down to Buffalo to tutor Peca. “I’ve improved my strength and explosiveness on going to the net, as well as skating forwards, backwards and crossovers.”

Dawn Braid joined the ATC team in 2008 to improve the skating speed, efficiency and technique of our hockey players. Dawn is a professional high performance technical power skating instructor with over 20 years experience training hockey players at the NHL, AHL, OHL, Junior and NCAA levels, Women’s USA National Team Members, Women’s Under 18 National and Ontario Team Members as well as several GTHL AA and AAA teams.


Dawn worked with the Toronto Maple Leafs as their skating instructor from 2005 to the summer of 2008 where she instructed alongside Paul Maurice, Keith Acton, Greg Gilbert, and Dallas Eakins. With the Leafs she ran the skating portion of three Leaf Prospect Camps enhancing player’s skills and preparing them with skating skills required for the NHL. While with the Leafs Dawn ran an on ice skating and conditioning program for various Toronto pro players during the off season and during the season she assisted Strength Coach Matt Nichol in the on ice rehab of the injured players, analyzing, breaking down and rebuilding the player’s stride.

Dawn’s philosophy is to run intensive technical training sessions, stressing proper skating technique, determination and consistency, in order to improve power, speed, quickness and agility. She uses advanced edge work to improve balance and basic techniques. Techniques are used repetitively during training to improve neuromuscular patterns and skating efficiency, therefore creating stronger, faster and more efficient hockey players who reach new levels and attain their goals.

Dawn is at the forefront in using video analysis which is used to enhance and accelerate the correction and development of a player’s skating techniques. Video analysis offers the player a visual aid, making it easier to understand the corrections which they need to make for a more efficient stride, increased foot speed, power and proper balancing. Through the video analysis program you can have different aspects of your skating compared to Pro players and top prospects.

Athletes who have developed their skating working with Dawn Braid:

Buffalo Sabres

Anaheim Ducks

Toronto Maple Leafs

Wes Clark (Johnstown Chiefs)

Sally Butler
Thea Imbragno
Victoria Vigilanti
Kathryn Miller
Sasha Nanji
Candice Styles