for freestyle 36 spoke or 48
Re: hub and rim set up
For freestyle either 36 spokes or 48 spokes work just fine. The big difference is looks and rim selection. A 36 spoke wheel will be lighter which is an advantage for some skills. A properly built 36 spoke wheel with a good rim will be plenty strong enough. 48 spokes just gets you a different look.
A 48 spoke wheel does have an advantage for hockey. Hockey is often played with a deflated tennis ball. With a 36 spoke wheel the gap between the spokes is just big enough to let the ball get stuck in the wheel. When that happens it is a penalty. With a 48 spoke wheel the ball is much less likely to get stuck in the wheel so there is less chance of a penalty.