Hockey
Equipment Buying Guide
by Tony Conte
Parents, this
page is meant to help you get up to speed with the
super duper world of hockey
equipment. Like so many other sports,
everything these days seems
to be very hi-tech. Don't panic, just take
the time to read this page and
the equipment sizing guide and you
should get a feel for what is
important and what isn't.
Remember, the thing that we
are protecting ourselves against is the ice,
not really each other. I speak
from experience, IT IS HARD!
An ounce of prevention and a
little common sense goes a long way.
By all means, email your coach
if you have questions before you buy.
• Approved
hockey helmet and facemask are REQUIRED.
Used helmets are fine if available.
I have had great luck buying
new helmets that include
facemasks online at Cyclone
Taylor Sports .
This is a company in Canada
that does huge volume.
Even with shipping you can usually
find a deal on their
site for about $40.00 to $55.00.
This is much better than the
$90.00 + that
parents have paid locally in
the past.
• A mouth
piece is cheap and worth the money.
Most helmets have good padded
chin support which keeps
the jaw in place, but a mouth
piece will prevent cuts and chips from a fall.
A no brainer if your child has
braces.
• Hockey skates are recommended because of safety issues.
• Additional
pads such as elbow pads, gloves and shin pads
can be used from other sports.
The important thing is to get some
protection on the knees, elbows,
hips and hands.
It doesn't have to be pretty,
just effective.
• Don't
feel you have to go buy new equipment!!!
Play
It Again Sports on West Broad Street
or at the shopping center at
288 and Hull.
(6136
Brad McNeer Parkway, Midlothian, VA 23112)
has great used equipment for
very reasonable prices.
Buy used equipment and recycle
it.
It's a great way to go and easy
on the wallet!
I recommend
buying used hockey skates because:
1. They are already broken in,
which is a huge bonus.
The better "the skate" usually
means, the harder they are to break in.
2. Usually the beat up looking
skate is a better buy!!!
This is so important that I
will say it again.
Usually the beat up looking
skate is a better buy!
The toes may be fuzzy and nicked
up along with the boot part too.
Even the blade holder may look
like someone took a knife to it.
This is OK!!! As long as the
steel blade part is straight
(easy to see by holding the
skate out and turning the heel side up.)
3. Try squeezing the boot part
of the skate where your arch will be.
A good skate will be VERY STIFF!
If you can squeeze
it in more than 1/3", look for
another pair of skates.
Brands to look for: CCM Tacks,
Bauer Supremes, Nike, and Mission.
4. Skates that you buy at Play
It Again Sports can always be
traded in when they are out
grown. (which happens fast!).
In most cases, a new pair of
laces is all you need for
many happy, comfortable hours
of skating.
• I prefer NOT to sharpen a pair
of skates until I have
tried them out first. Most of
the time, they are sharp enough.
Newly sharpened skates tend
to "grab" the ice, which is
great for wiping out. It is
also much easier for a child to learn
to stop on a pair of skates
that are not sharp, because they
tend to "slide" instead of "grab."
The "sliding" will help them
grasp the concept much quicker
and boost confidence.
When in doubt, hold off on sharpening.
• I like to see some protection
around the hips.
Used hockey pants are readily
available and very reasonable.
A child has a growth plate in
the hip socket.
It is a wonderful investment
to protect this area.
He or she will thank you when
they get to their golden years.
• An inexpensive pair of rubber
or plastic "skate guards"
will really make your life easier!!!
I have my child get dressed
in his hockey equipment at home.
We even put on our skates and
lace them up.
Then we put on the skate guards
to protect the blades from
getting nicked up. Ok, protecting
our wooden floors
is pretty high on the list too
.
Now when our little superstars
walks around,
they know right away if there
is a problem with the
lace up job that was just done.
Much easier to adjust it at
home than in the traffic at
the rink.
• Skate guards also allow your
child to put thier skates
on at home and walk around,
which is a great way for them
to get used to a newly purchased
pair of skates, or just to get
used to the sensation of having
skates on. It's fun too on a rainy day.
Who said skates were just for
the rink? When I got a new pair of
skates, I loved wearing mine
while watching a hockey game.
It's to help to break them in.
Skates are like your best friend.
The better you know them, the
more you trust them.
• See the equipment
sizing guide for information on
buying a hockey stick.