How often you should sharpen your skates mainly depends on how frequently you play hockey, how important it is for you to have freshly sharpened skates, and how well you take care of your skates off the ice. In youth and junior hockey, it’s typical to sharpen skates once a week, usually before a game. Off the ice, you should always use skate protectors to shield the blade from dirt and other things that could damage the sharpness and profile of the steel. Additionally, you can invest in a skate stone, either a fine stone to give a final smooth touch after sharpening or a V-stone designed to temporarily preserve the steel during games and practices.