Equipment Guide
Ice hockey equipment is very expensive but can be obtained for reasonable prices if you shop around. There are two retail shops in Dunedin which specialise in hockey equipment, the Dunedin Ice Stadium and SK8.co.nz (corner St Andrew and Fulleul St’s). SK8.co.nz has a large range and very knowledgeable staff, they are also able to order anything you can find on their website and have it delivered to their shop (usually over night) for you to try on. Other options are to purchase from overseas, Hockey Giant is one of the most popular overseas online hockey stores and they regularly ship to New Zealand, beware of the shipping and GST charges however as these usually make purchasing from overseas prohibitively expensive unless you’re purchasing in bulk.
For second hand equipment, have a look at the ‘Buy and Sell’ section of our web forum and visit Trademe.co.nz which regularly has postings for ice and inline hockey equipment at very reasonable prices. Many members of the Dunedin Ice Hockey Association have been picking up ridiculously cheap equipment on Trademe.co.nz recently and it is quite reasonable to expect to kit yourself out with full equipment for a tenth of the cost of purchasing brand new equipment. If you’re not sure whether to purchase something online, feel free to email the web administrator for advice.
Ice Skates
The most important pieces of hockey equipment, ice skates, must be chosen carefully and must fit properly in order for you to play your best game. There are many different types of ice skates available, figure, speed, recreational and hockey skates. However only ice hockey skates should be used for hockey due to safety reasons.
The boot is generally made of molded plastic, leather (often synthetic), and ballistic nylon. Skates used in competitive hockey rarely use molded plastic for the upper boot, as this results in limited mobility. All hockey skates are designed such that they will not cause injury to an opponent, and are fitted with safety blades.
In most cases the old axiom “You get what you pay for” applies to ice skates. Playing hockey will really test the strength and durability of your skates. For advice on what skates to purchase visit SK8.co.nz on the corner of St Andrew and Fulleul St’s.
Hockey Stick
The next most important piece of equipment is a hockey stick. When selecting a hockey stick, consider the construction of the blade, the curve of the blade and the height of the stick.
There are three types of sticks – wood, aluminium and composite. Wooden sticks have been around since the early days of ice hockey. The stick is made from woods such as ash, hickory or aspen, and combined with fibreglass in unique manufacturing processes to create a stick with the lowest unit cost. Aluminium sticks are lighter and reduce the chance of ‘broken sticks’. Aluminium manufacturing also allows producers to make the shafts more uniform than a wood stick. They are usually priced higher than most wooden models. Aluminium sticks are becoming hard to find these days as the superior composite sticks are taking their place. Composite sticks are a more recent entry into the stick market and are formed from combining materials such as graphite, fibreglass and Kevlar. The graphite and fibreglass provide strength and flexibility respectively, while Kevlar is used for dampening. Composite sticks strive for consistency, durability and a more responsive feel than aluminium sticks. Usually they are the most expensive sticks in the shop. Composite sticks are available as either a two-piece system where you purchase the shaft and blade seperately or as a one-piece stick.
A one piece composite stick
A one piece wooden stick
A composite shaft
Stick blade for a composite or aluminium shaft
Sticks are usually marked “L” (left) or “R” (right). This refers to the curve direction of the blade. Having the stick curved gives you superior puck control over no curve in the blade. The blade can have a forward or backward twist depending on preference. A blade with a forward twist (where the toe, or front of the stick angles back) can allow you to achieve greater height and accuracy in wrist shots, but deprives you of a strong backhand or slapshot. A twist where the toe of the blade curves down, allows more accurate slap and backhand shots, but makes it harder to achieve height in the wristshot.
Don’t just buy a right curve stick because you are right-handed! Preference for a RH stick or a LH stick is a personal matter, not always related to right or left handedness. To determine if you are more comfortable carrying a stick with the blade off to your right side or off to your left, pick up a stick and move it around as if you were moving a puck or ball. You will quickly discover which hand feels best holding the top of your stick and which hand feels best for controlling the lower part of the shaft.
The length of your stick is also very important: if your stick is either too long or too short, you won’t be able to control the puck well. When you are standing in your skates, the top of the stick should be between your collarbone and your chin. (see picture below) When standing in your street shoes, the stick should be no higher than your mouth. Pencil a mark on the stick and cut it with a hacksaw if it’s too long.
Put some tape on the end of the shaft. This will give you a good grip for passing and shooting, and will make it easier for you to pick up your stick if you drop it. Visit SK8.co.nz to view/order sticks or visit their shop.
The stick should come to around chin height when on skatesRemember to saw your stick to the optimal length and
make a butt-end from tape before using your stick
Puck
A puck is a hard black disk of vulcanized rubber. A standard puck is 25.4 mm thick, 76.2 mm diameter and weighs between 156 and 170 g.
During a game, pucks can reach speeds of 100+ mph (160 km/h) when struck and are potentially dangerous to players and spectators. Puck-related injuries at hockey games are not uncommon.
Helmets
The helmet is the most important piece of safety equipment you can wear and we recommend you take particular care in selecting an appropriate helmet for yourself. Buying the cheapest helmet available is not a good idea. Hockey helmets should comfortably grip the head from inside by cupping the back of head, Most helmets have “tool-free” adjustments but on older models the helmet size is adjusted by loosening the screws on the side to slide the front portion forward or back. A hockey helmet should fit snugly to prevent any shifting and maximize protection. There should be no rotation of the helmet and nor should it be so loose that the shell slides down covering your field of vision. The shell of a hockey helmet is made of a substance called vinyl nitrile that disperses force and absorbs the impact of hits by pucks, sticks, skates or contact with the ice, to reduce the chances of concussion.
Half-Visor
A half-visor is a device attached to the front of a hockey helmet to reduce potential of injury to the face. They cover the upper half of the face and are a minimum requirement for all players.
Full-face Cage
A full-face cage is compulsory for some players (see DIHA Rulebooks). The full-face cage consists of a metal or composite mesh that covers the face. The bars, or cage, are spaced far enough apart to allow you to see through to the action but are close enough to stop pucks and sticks from getting through to injure the face.
Full-Visor
Full-Visors made of a high impact-resistant plastic offer better overall vision than cages which can obscure vision in certain areas. The face shield provides excellent straight ahead and peripheral vision, but does not provide as good of air flow as the cage. This causes the shield to fog up during play.
Some manufacturers now offer the best of both designs – a plastic face shield to protect the eyes and upper part of the face, and a wire mesh to cover the lower jaw and to add ventilation.
In 2002, the British Journal of Sports medicine published a study identifying the protection offered against concussions between the half face shield and the full face shield.The use of a full face shield compared with half face shield significantly reduced the playing time lost because of concussion, suggesting that concussion severity may be reduced by the use of a full face shield.
Shin Guards
Shin guards or shin pads are pieces of equipment used to protect the players shins from the puck or a hockey stick. They are usually secured on using velcro straps. Shin guards should cover the entire shin and knee area with no gaps, more expensive ones also have protection for the calf
Elbow Pads
For protecting the elbows. Good elbow pads will also offer upper and lower arm protection for preventing injuries from slashings
Hockey Gloves
Hockey gloves used to protect the players hands from the puck or a hockey stick. To prevent arm injuries from slashings, your gloves should meet with the bottom of your elbow pads so that there are no gaps
Hockey Shorts/Pants
Hockey pants are knee-to-waist protective gear for. The pants carry a variety of padding depending on whether they are worn by goaltenders or skaters (forwards and defenders), and also on the manufacturer. The pants are traditionally a one-piece garment with a lace-up fly augmented by a strap belt. Sometimes, they are additionally held up by suspenders (particularly in the case of goalie pants). Hockey shorts are a wise investment for preventing injuries from the puck and impacts with other players. Many players wear an inline hockey girdle instead of ice hockey shorts.
Shoulder Pads
Shoulder pads are definitely a good idea for playing full-contact hockey.
Hockey Jersey
Hockey jerseys are generally hard wearing and last a long time.
Hockey Socks
Hockey socks are ankle-to-thigh garments worn over protective gear. They are form-fitting, traditionally made of a cotton or synthetic rib-knit fabric. They are held up either by a garter (old style) or attached to undershorts with Velcro tabs. In the past, players kept their socks inside the upper ankle area of their skates, but newer style (mid-90s to the present) calls for the sock to be pulled down over the outside heel of the skate. Athletic tape is generally used below the knee to hold the sock in place, and sometimes at the ankle as well.
Goalie Equipment
The goaltender wears specialized goaltending equipment to protect them from the impact of the puck and assist them in making saves. Most modern goaltending equipment is made from the same basic materials: hydrophobic synthetic leather and nylon on the outside; dense closed-cell foams and plastics inside. Pads were formerly often made out of leather and stuffed with hair. The lighter a material is, the greater the rebound will be whenever a goaltender deflects the puck. Goalies might dampen rebounds by wearing their pads more loosely.
Blocker
The blocker is worn on the hand that holds the stick. It consists of a glove with a rectangular board attached to the backhand side. The board is usually curved up at one end. This flare is designed to help control the deflection and will create a tougher angle on a shot if a goalie uses the shaft-down technique. It can also be called a “waffle”, in reference to older models, which were covered with real leather, but had holes cut in the leather to save weight. This gave the blocker a waffle-like appearance. The placement of the palm on the back of the blocker varies though it has been traditionally placed in the middle. Newer models tend to place the palm further to the inside of the glove and cover more of the net. In almost all cases, the goalie wears only one blocker.
Catcher
The catcher, or catch glove is the glove worn on the free hand. It is similar to a baseball mitt, but it is much more protective and has a deeper pocket. Common variations among catchers include the pocket angle. If glove is too bulky it will not allow for good stickhandling. Catchers tend to be one of the most cared for pieces of equipment for the goaltender. In order to prevent what is called a “pancake pocket”, goalies will often deepen the pocket by strapping objects inside the glove when not in use. Their fit is extremely important as well as the goalie’s sense of the pocket and angles of the trapper. This will make transitioning to new pads difficult in some cases besides the usual need to break in the pads.
Chest and arm protector
The chest and arm protector or arm and body pad is designed to protect the chest, shoulders, arms, and collarbone area from the impact of pucks. It is worn under the hockey jersey. This pad has progressively become more and more protective in recent years. With the advent of high density foams and higher quality materials such as carbon fiber, chest protectors can be made today that significantly increase the safety and life of modern goalies.
Protective Cup
A goalie protective cup (jock), which protects the pelvic area, is more protective than a common cup, though it generally uses the same internal plastic cup. The cup is padded to spread an impact over a larger area and rests on the legs. Many modern cups use two cups, one in front of the other, in order to provide more protection. Instead of a cup, female goalies wear a pelvic protector called a jill.
Leg pads
Goalies wear special leg pads that descend from cricket pads. The pads are typically 25–30 cm wide and extend 10–20 cm above the knee. Leg pads have evolved significantly over the years. Different pad styling accommodate the different styles of playing goal. The traditional leg pad style was designed with the stand up goaltender in mind. A newer design is meant for goalies who play in the butterfly style. These type of pads offer more flexibility, contouring to help in defending the five hole, and are shorter than the traditional style. The taller traditional style would overlap and restrict movement in the stance of a butterfly goaltender.
Mask
The first commonly used goalie masks were solid fiberglass with holes for the eyes, nose, mouth, and for ventilation. Today, most goalies don masks made of fiberglass, kevlar, carbon fiber, and other composite materials. Modern masks have a large cutout in the eye and nose area covered by a steel or titanium cage.
Pants
Goalies’ protective short pants are similar to the pants forwards and defensemen wear. They have heavy padding in the thigh area with lighter padding in the back and sides covering the back of the thighs, tailbone, buttocks, and waist.
Skates
Goal skates differ from regular hockey skates. The blade is longer, wider, and flatter to provide the goalie with more stability. It is made out of carbon steel rather than stainless steel. The blade is shorter vertically so that the goaltender is lower to the ice. The boot does not have a tendon guard, which is the piece of a regular hockey skate that extends up the back of the ankle to protect the Achilles’ tendon. Finally, the boot is inside a rigid cowling to protect the foot from direct impact.
Stick
The special hockey stick goaltenders use has a blade that is approximately 3½ inches (8.9 cm) wide. The lower 63.5–71 cm of the shaft is widened to provide more blocking surface. This area is called the paddle. Although traditional goalie sticks were usually made completely of wood, most modern sticks are reinforced with graphite and fiberglass and the paddle and blade are injected with foam to make them lighter. Recently, manufacturers have begun to produce sticks made completely from composite materials, which are more durable.
The content of the Goalie Equipment section of this web page is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia articles “Ice Hockey Goal Tending Equipment” and “Hockey Puck”.
