Tampa Skating Coach Tasha Changing the Way Hockey Players Move on the Ice

Originally written for Tampa Bay Sports Journal

"Development depends on commitment — from the player, the family, and the coach,” says Tasha Zagorodnikova.

Florida may not be the first place many think of for elite skating development, but Coach Tasha, a.k.a Natalia Zagorodnikova, has quietly built a reputation that is attracting players and organizations from across the hockey world. With a background rooted in Russian figure skating and decades of on-ice experience, Tasha has become known in Tampa for a biomechanics-driven approach that emphasizes efficiency, balance, and movement awareness over traditional, drill-heavy training.

“I don’t try to make players work harder,” she says. “I try to help them understand how their body moves so skating feels easier. If you only add strength without understanding movement, you can make skating heavier.”

From Figure Skating to Hockey Development

Tasha began skating at a young age in Russia’s CSKA system, training alongside future hockey players before transitioning to professional ice theatre and later to Disney on Ice. After moving to the United States in the late 1990s, she gradually shifted toward coaching, combining figure-skating technique with hockey performance principles.

“My background is figure skating, but hockey needs speed and reaction,” she says. “I wanted to take the precision from figure skating and make it functional for hockey.”

Her work in Florida — including long-standing involvement with Tampa Bay Juniors— has helped shape athletes at multiple levels, from youth development programs to professional players seeking offseason adjustments. “Florida doesn’t have the same hockey culture as some northern places,” she says. “But that doesn’t mean players can’t develop here. The right environment matters more than location.”

Student of hockey Ryan Donato

One of the clearest examples of her long-term philosophy is her work with NHL forward Ryan Donato of the Chicago Blackhawks. Instead of attempting a complete overhaul, Tasha focuses on incremental improvements each offseason.

“We don’t try to fix everything at once,” she says. “You pick the biggest difference you can make and build from there. Next year, you add another piece.”

According to Tasha, Donato’s willingness to learn made the process effective.

“He always wanted to understand why,” she says. “He knew the game well, but speed wasn’t always his strength. So, we worked step by step — posture, movement, efficiency.” She describes professional athletes as highly receptive once they commit to change.

“When NHL players come, they’re ready,” she says. “They ask questions. They listen. That’s why you see progress.” As Donato’s skating continued to evolve, interest in her methods grew among teams and development staff across the league, including the Chicago Blackhawks franchise.

“I don’t do miracles,” she adds. “Players do the work. I just help them see movement differently.”

Tasha Zagorodnikova (L), Ryan Donato, Brett Strot practice at Advent Health Ice Center in Florida

Roope Hintz: Teaching the Details

Long before he reached the NHL, Roope Hintz of the Dallas Stars trained with Tasha during his development years in Tampa. She recalls how the Finnish prospect arrived in Florida needing structure not only on the ice but in overall training habits.

“He had talent, but he needed to learn how to train — how to sprint, how to skate efficiently, even how to adjust to a new environment,” she says. “Sometimes the work isn’t just skating. It’s teaching the whole process.” Hintz’s progress reinforced her belief that early education in movement and training fundamentals can shape long-term success.

“If you start with clean basics, it’s easier to build speed later,” she says. “If you have to rebuild habits, it’s much harder.”

A Different Approach to Skating

Rather than emphasizing conditioning drills, Tasha’s sessions focus on biomechanics and movement chains — how shoulders, hips, and core work together to create speed.

“In hockey, everything changes in a second,” she says. “You need a technique that lets you react quickly, not a technique that locks you into one movement.”

She often asks players to describe what they feel during a stride, turning practice into a learning process.

“If players understand why something works, they can adjust on their own,” she says. “That’s when real progress starts.”

The philosophy has resonated with athletes seeking targeted improvements within limited offseason training windows. “It’s building blocks,” she adds. “You don’t change everything in a week. You choose the biggest difference you can make and start there.”

Growing Recognition at the Pro Level

Word of her methods has spread through NHL circles, with players crediting improvements in skating efficiency and mobility. Teams and coaches have shown interest in understanding her approach, particularly as the modern game continues to prioritize speed and adaptability. Despite increased attention, Tasha maintains a low-profile approach to promotion, often allowing players to speak publicly about their experiences rather than highlighting high-profile sessions herself.

“For me, it’s not about posting photos,” she says. “If someone improves and says thank you, that’s enough.”

The Athletic article about Ryan Donato's summer training with Coach Tasha in Florida

Developing Hockey in Florida

While traditional hockey markets remain dominant, Tasha believes Florida’s development environment continues to grow. She encourages families to focus less on geography and more on consistency and education. “People think leaving Florida automatically makes you better,” she says. “But development depends on commitment — from the player, the family, and the coach.”

Her philosophy extends beyond elite athletes to youth players. “If a kid smiles because skating finally feels right, that’s success,” she says. “It doesn’t matter if they play recreational or travel hockey — improvement is improvement.”

As the game evolves and skating becomes even more central to performance, coaches like Tasha are helping reshape how players think about movement — proving that innovation in hockey development doesn’t always come from the loudest voices, but sometimes from the quietest work happening on the ice.

From Russian figure skating roots to influencing NHL development, Coach Tasha has built a reputation not through marketing or hype — but through biomechanics, education, and results that speak louder than any spotlight.