Hockey Equipment
Sizing, Fit, and Purchasing
Hockey equipment is sold in different pieces to ensure the correct fit for every player. In general, hockey equipment is sized as “youth” (3-8 years old), “junior” (7-13 years old), “intermediate” (12-14 years old) and “senior” (14 years old and older). It is best to shop with the hockey player present so they can try different items on. We have linked the different pieces of hockey equipment to a local store sklephokejowy.com in Szczecin and Sport Rebel located in Poznań. The links lead to youth or junior sizes of equipment. We do not necessarily recommend purchasing these specific pieces of equipment. Instead, we wanted to give you general idea of the overall look and where to find each piece.
New equipment needs some time to “break-in” and become more flexible. Try putting the equipment on at home and walking around to help become accustomed to the weight and feel of hockey equipment. Very young players can find hockey equipment cumbersome so it is best to have them roll around, sit down, stand up, and jump while wearing hockey equipment at home.
Properly fitted hockey equipment is an important aspect of hockey skill development. Many children are nervous to take risks while playing as falling can be quite painful and alarming without hockey equipment. When wearing hockey equipment, players tend to be more confident and try new skills with enthusiasm.
Hockey Skates, Helmets, and Skates
For a hockey player, proper hockey skates, a helmet with a full face cage and hockey skates are essential for skill development and safety. If your child is just learning to skate is it perfectly acceptable to wear recreational skates. However, with time we recommend purchasing hockey skates to help them develop the agility and skills associated with the sport.
Hockey Skates
Hockey skates are designed specifically for the sport and allow players to make quick stops, starts, and direction changes. Unlike figure skates and most recreational skates, hockey skates do not have toes picks. They have a strongly curved, short blade that can often feel unsteady for new players. It is important that hockey skates are the correct size, an appropriate boot stiffness for the player’s ability, and tied well.
Hockey skates that are too loose or too tight can cause pain, discomfort or sores. The player should have approximately 3-4mm of space between their toes and the front of the skate when standing. If you intend to purchase skates with “room to grow”, it is recommended that you purchase skates only a half size larger than currently necessary. A beginner player’s skate boot should be a softer, more flexible material compared to an advanced player’s skate boot. Young players can be miserable while skating in skates that are too stiff for their ability. When tying a hockey skate, ensure that the heel of the foot is as far back as possible. Tie the skates tightly but allow for some ankle flexibility; the player should be comfortable. If there is obvious ankle pronation than it is likely that the skates should be tied tighter.
Most new skates need to be sharpened before a player heads on the ice. For young players, their skates do not have to be sharpened frequently, every 15 to 20 hours of on-ice time requires a sharpening. We recommend taking your skates to Lodowisko Szczecin for sharpening.
Hockey Helmets
Hockey helmets with full face cages protect against injuries to the head and face. Although there is no true protection against serious brain or head injury, a properly fitted helmet is a must when playing ice hockey. To ensure that the helmet is properly fitted, put the helmet on the player and make sure that the helmet does not leave space between the head and the pads. When turning the head left or right the skin on the forehead should move freely. Ensure that the chin cup of the cage is snug against the player’s chin, and the chin strap is done up and is appropriately tight. Helmets and cages can be purchased separately to ensure proper fit.
Hockey Sticks
Purchasing a hockey stick for the first time can seem complicated. There are three main factors to consider when purchasing a hockey stick: handedness, length, and flex. The remaining factors are subject to personal preference.
For very young players, there are flat bladed sticks that can be used for both right handed players and left handed players. These are a good option for children aged five years and under. It is not abnormal for a player to write with their right hand and play with a left handed stick. If you are not sure of the player’s handedness it is best to test them! Lay a stick on the ground and ask them to pick it up. Typically, players will reach with the hand that will they will hold at the top of their stick. If they reach with their left hand then they will play with a right handed stick.
Determining the length of a hockey stick is quite simple. When a player is standing without skates, place the toe of the stick on the ground between the player's feet, positioning the stick vertically against the body. The end of the stick should end at the players nose. Once a player has skates on, place the stick in the same position and it should end at the player’s chin.
Hockey sticks are sold as youth sticks (~20-40 flex), junior sticks (~30-50 flex), intermediate sticks (~55 and 70 flex) and senior sticks (~65 flex & up). The higher the number, the stiffer the stick. Since young players are quite small they should use a lower flex than adults. A player should be able to bend a stick a little without much effort when holding it in “hockey position” and putting some weight on the stick. Try and find a stick that flexes appropriately for the player’s weight and is the correct height. If the stick is too long and cut to accommodate for the height of the player it will likely change the flex of the stick and make it more stiff.
Next Purchases
Shin Guards, Elbow Pads, and Hockey Gloves
If you are gradually purchasing a complete set of hockey gear we recommend shin guards, elbow pads, and hockey gloves as your next purchases.
Shin guards protect the shins and knees from contact with pucks, sticks and the ice. Players have a difficult time training without the use of shin guards as they often fall or slide across the ice on their knees which can be painful without the protection of hockey equipment. Shin guards should be fit from above the knee to the top of the foot.
Elbow pads often protect players when they fall on the ice. Make sure the elbow pads are the correct size as the incorrect size will inhibit the movement of the arms or fail to protect the player.
Hockey gloves protect the fingers, hands and wrists of a hockey player. It is important piece for new players who tend to fall quite frequently.
Neck Guards, Shoulder Pads and Hockey Pants
A properly fitted neck guard should cover the exposed skin of the neck between the player’s jersey and helmet. Neck guards most commonly protect players from abrasions due to high sticks.
Shoulder pads cover the shoulders, chest, upper back and upper arms. Make sure the shoulder pads are not too large or too small as it can prevent the player from moving naturally.
Hockey pants are shorts that have stiff areas to protect a player’s lower back and front of the legs. When dressing in hockey pants it’s important to ensure they are tied properly at the waist band so that they do not fall down when the player are on the ice.
Jocks, Jills and Hockey Sock Suspenders
Jocks (for males) and jills (for females) protect the player crotch and pelvic area. Although this is seemingly straight forward, the confusion arises due to the attachment of hockey socks. Hockey sock suspenders are commonly referred to as a garter belt. Both jocks and jills can be purchased separately from a garter belt, with a garter belt or in a shorts style. The garter belt attaches to hockey socks using plastic/metal clips and the shorts style attaches hockey socks using velcro.
Be Part of Our Team
Hockey Socks and Jerseys
Hockey socks cover a players shin guards and attach to hockey sock suspenders worn underneath hockey pants. They protect players from cuts and cold, and provide friction to prevent sliding when a player has fallen on their knees.
Typically, your team hockey jersey is only worn at hockey games but the Szczecin Northstars get to wear their team hockey jerseys and socks at every training. The Szczecin Northstars place sock and jersey orders several times a year for players in our program. If you would like to purchase a Szczecin Northstars hockey jersey and socks fill out our order form here.