Welcome to Hockey Sporting Goods!
Hockey is an equipment rich sport and you need to make sure that you have all the right equipment and sporting goods to be prepared to play. Since this game is so rough, you will need plenty of padding to take and deliver the hits necessary to win. Here is a rundown of all the hockey sporting goods you will need to get started.
Ice Hockey Skates:
Ice hockey skates are much different than figure skates. They have no toe pick and are created for speed and cutting on a dime. All of the major sports brands make hockey skates, some of course are better than others. You will want to make sure that your skates fit like a glove yet aren’t tight enough to give you blisters or make you sore after playing.
Hockey Sticks:
The sticks are made differently for all styles of play. Some are curved more than others and will curve either way for left or right handed players. The stick lengths are pretty standard for adults, they do make youth and child length sticks as well. You will also have the ability to choose from different materials of hockey sticks. They make aluminum, graphite, and the most popular is wooden. Hockey sticks have a tendency to break easily so you may want to make sure that you stock up on these and always carry a few extra.
Padding:
Shoulder pads are required and are the biggest part of the padding for the hockey athlete. The shoulder pads will fit under the jersey and will cover the entire upper half of the body. They make shoulder pads that cover the area yet are light weight and allow air to flow through.
The hockey pants are what protect the lower part of the body. These specialized pants include padding on the hips and butt. You will need suspenders to hold up the pants.
Elbow pads are single guards that you slip on and fasten up to protect your elbows. These serve as a protector when you fall, bang against the boards, or get hit.
The helmet is going to be the most important part of the hockey sporting goods you are going to need. Your head is extremely vulnerable to dangerous situations and you should never play the game of hockey without a helmet. Look for one with a visor to protect your eyes as well.
Accessories:
The above are just the normal required equipment you are going to need just to get started. There are plenty of other pieces of equipment you can use as well to protect other areas of your body. A mouth guard, throat protector, shin guards, and jock strap with cup should also be seriously considered.