Both programs are designed to teach basic skating skills. At the lower levels, the programs are very similar- emphasizing the basic skills of skating forward and backward and stopping. The main difference at the beginner level is that CanPower skaters wear full hockey equipment. As the skater progresses, the program diverges, with CanPower emphasizing speed, quick turns and stops, and CanSkate teaching skills more common in figure skating – jumps and spins.
Both programs are very effective and teaching basic skating skills, and a skater can switch from CanSkate to CanPower later if their main interest is hockey.