Ice Hockey Equipment for Kids

As many parents with a children involved in sports knows, the equipment costs can be staggering. The expense can be even greater if your kids play hockey, as the very nature of the sport demands additional gear that often is very pricey. To help curb the expense, gently used equipment can often be purchased at second-hand sporting goods stores or online at auction sites. Equipment should be purchased with the child's age and skill level in mind, as well as what's available in your budget.

  1. Skates

    • Skates are sized lower than your child's shoe size, and many manufacturers make half sizes for youth hockey. Skates are either player skates or goalie skates (the latter are much heavier and feature a flat blade versus a gradual curve). New skates have no edge, meaning they're uncut and should be cut at a pro shop or hockey-specific retailer.

    Gloves

    • For players, gloves protect the knuckles, fingers and wrists from impact and the palm from abrasion. For goalies, gloves are either blockers (which protect the goalie's stick hand) or catch gloves, which catch and trap the puck. When wearing gloves, the fingers should reach the tips of the inside of the gloves and allow for a smooth and natural grip around the shaft of the stick. Catch gloves, or trappers, should open and close easily without having the wearer's hand slip out of the glove. Blockers and catch gloves are available as either regular (the goalie catches with the left hand) or full right (catches with the right hand).

    Sticks

    • Player sticks are made from wood, which makes the stick heavier (and cheaper), or from modern composite materials (lighter but expensive). Both player and goalie sticks have either a left or right curve, which determines from which side the player shoots the puck. Goalie sticks feature a larger lower portion, called the paddle. A goalie's hand should rest comfortably at the top of the paddle while the stick blade sits on the ice. When measuring for proper stick length, have your child stand straight up, in skates, with the stick perpendicular to the body. The top of the stick should roughly come to your child's chin.

    Upper Body

    • Helmets should fit snug to the player's head. Young goalies wear the same helmet/cage combo as the other players, which negates having to buy an expensive goalie-specific helmet. According to most governing hockey bodies, every child must wear a mouth guard while on the ice. Players also wear shoulder and elbow pads that should fit snug without being overly constrictive. Goalies wear a chest/arm protector that covers both body parts, and the arm length shouldn't be too long as to interfere with a goalie moving the glove hand.

    Lower Body

    • Player pants aren't as heavily padded as a goalie's and are sized as most other equipment (small, medium, large, etc.). Players should wear an athletic cup; goalies generally wear a larger version with reinforced padding and plastic inserts. Girls wear a Jane, or a padded pelvic protector. Players wear shin guards that should cover the knees and end just above the foot, as not to interfere with skating. Goalies wear leg pads that should cover the entirety of the shins, with the tops coming to roughly thigh height.