Hockey Pads

Hockey is a collision sport and the speed at which players move, along with the confined area of play, make it one of the most physical team sports around.  It is essential that you are properly padded and protected if you are thinking of stepping onto the rink.  Along with skates and a stick,   you will need a fair amount of gear, including gloves,  shoulder pads,  elbow pads,  shin guards,  pants,  and socks.   As always with contact sports, a mouthpiece  is recommended and, in most hockey leagues, required.

Hockey Gloves

Aside from skates  and a stick, gloves are the most important piece of equipment.  They will protect your hands from errant pucks,  slashes, skates blades, body checks, and falls.  It is important to have a glove that covers your hand and wrist.  It should be stiff enough that you should not be able to bend your wrist back, but flexible enough to have a good feel for the stick.  The thumb should be more or less rigid and well padded. Gloves  are measured in inches.  To find a glove that suits you, measure your hand, palm up, from the tip of the middle finger down toward the elbow.  Typically, adult gloves are around 12"-13". Bauer,  CCM,  Easton,  Mission,  Nike,  and Reebok  all make good gloves.  There IS a difference between ice hockey gloves and Inline Hockey Gloves.   Ice hockey gloves are firmer and more padded.  They can be used for inline skating, but I would not recommend using inline hockey gloves for ice hockey.

Elbow Pads

Hockey elbow pads protect the elbow joint, usually with a plastic cap and extend down the forearm toward the cuff of your glove.  They should also have a hinged pad covering part of the upper arm.  Sizing varies, but a good estimate or starting point is your shirt size (S,  M,  L,  XL,  etc.). You should be able to straighten your arm but the pad should fit comfortably and snugly when your arm is at your side and partially bent. Again, all the major hockey equipment manufacturers make elbow pads and it is ultimately about personal preference.

Shin Guards

Another vital piece of protective gear  are shin guards.   These will shield your shins, knees, and calves from the rigors of the game.  Pad length varies, but the bottom of the pad should sit just at the curl of the skate tongue and the flap at the top of the knee pad should extend over the top of your bent knee. All shin guards should have a plastic outer shell and a foam lining.  The more advanced pads will have a wrap around pad to cover the back of the knee or calf, and your knee should sit comfortably within the plastic cap to protect again lateral impact.