Ice Hockey Gear

Well, I suppose I will dedicate my first hub page to all the Ice Hockey Gear that a player (beginner or otherwise) should buy and put on before venturing into the rink. All of the below pieces of ice hockey gear are essential and they are listed in no kind of order of importance or anything ;)

So without further ado...

The first and probably most basic piece of ice hockey gear is of course ice hockey skates, and you should not be cheap when buying these. Just get the best you can afford on your budget, either used or new, and the most important thing to keep in mind is to get them in a size that is one smaller than your normal shoe size.

Next in line among the basic pieces of ice hockey gear is of course the hockey stick, which comes in three basic forms, namely a wood stick, a composite stick, and a two-piece stick. For beginners and children a wooden stick is best as there is almost no benefit in getting a more expensive composite stick before really learning how to play, though they do make for a more precise game.

The hockey helmet is the one piece of protective ice hockey gear that you should definitely get new, or even custom made. Adequate protection of the head that this item provides is essential and a used item just can't be guaranteed to be fault-free.

The mouth guard is also very important and it is not merely designed to protect your teeth as many think, but, more importantly, to protect your brain. While it does very well to protect from loss of teeth, its main function is preventing jarring hits to the brain of the player. It is possible to have one custom made, but either way you choose, do not try to save on this piece!

A slightly less important, but still essential, piece of protective ice hockey gear are shin guards, or pads, of which two standard types exist. The first type has a strap that wraps around the leg and is then attached to the shin guard with velcro, while the second type of shin guards have no straps and hockey tape is used to attach them to your legs. There’s no real difference between the two and it is merely a matter of personal preference which one you should get...but you do need one of them.

The next very important piece of ice hockey gear are, of course, hockey pants, also known as breezers and protection from the cold is not their only function, they are also meant to give some support to the thighs and tailbone of the player. The better the brand the better the support is the motto here, though you can get either used or new ones, whether with suspenders or with a belt...your choice.

Chest protector or shoulder ads are also important and you should not go cheap with these either, especially if they'll be used in games that allow body checking. So buy the best quality shoulder and chest protector pads that you can get.

The neck guard is currently still an optional piece of ice hockey gear in most leagues and its main function is to protect the player's neck from getting cut by another's ice hockey skate, while if you're a guy you'll want a hockey jock and you will want to get a new one rather than a used one.

Elbow pads are also a good idea as they protect the arms, and when getting these you should make sure they cover all of the elbow joint and a part of the forearm as well.

Hockey gloves are very similar to winter gloves and while getting a used pair is fine, make sure the leather on the palms is not worn through as that will get you reprimanded by the referee in a real game. And while practicing it will prevent you from getting blisters.

And your hockey jersey and hockey socks will most likely be provided for you by your team, though you'll still have to pay for them, of course.

So that's it for the basic ice hockey gear that you need before venturing out on the ice. I hope you liked my hub and that you learned something new.