The No-BS Guide to Beginner Hockey Equipment

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This isn't about pro level gear or people that play in junior hockey. This is about beer league level making smart upgrades that are So the premise that I'm going to should be spending your money save your money on, and then through those things and explain All right. First up, where to spend your The things that I think are most important to spend money on, and also things that I think are most important to get name brands on there are, you know, people know the big name brands for hockey. You've got your CMS, you got your Bowers, you got, uh, warriors out there, uh, you know, the big brands you see everywhere. There are a lot of smaller brands are out there that are very good, make a lot of good stuff. But in this category I'd stick you know, I would stick to you can afford it, hopefully. But this is where I think the Number one, most importantly Helmets do wear out. The padding inside wears out. So I'm not just talking about The padding inside eventually wears out and once that padding starts to wear out, they're not useful anymore. They're not really protecting So used helmets are very, very tricky to decide if they're good or not because the padding might look okay, might even feel all right, but not be that protective. And honestly, your brain's the be protecting out there. And any kind of fall or any kind your head around. You want as much protection as You know, I know helmets don't kind of, you know, trauma to the But I would think play it safe Helmet. Probably the place you should be The bulk of your budget should helmets, like I said, are iffy. And that also goes for like new So if you're looking at like a that, if it's older, those foams decompose over the years. So even if it's never been worn, but the helmets kind of old, not probably going to be the most protective thing you can get out there. Also with helmets you got to try You really got to try them on and make sure that they fit properly. You know, you don't want a helmet that's too big because it's going to be flopping around. You don't want a helmet that's hurt putting it on. You're going to get terrible it's going to be uncomfortable. But you also have to make sure of your head. Everybody's head's are shaped a You know, you have like kind of very round heads. Big heads, small heads. All different kinds. Different helmet brands and different lines of helmet fit differently. So take your time. Try on different helmets. Find one that fits and adjusts properly to fit your head correctly. And also, if you're playing beer some kind of face protection, bubble or something like that. Or very least if you're playing high level a half shield, make sure that your helmet, it fits with that because they're not all compatible. Every shield, every cage does Now, if you buy them together, But make sure that those fit going to do that. And then if you're going to like switch helmets if you're looking going to get a new one. Something to think about just cage that you have on your you buy a new helmet that's a the same manufacturer might not try that stuff out. The other thing that I think you should be spending money on, a little bit lesser extent than helmets, but still skates a decent pair of skates and now you don't need top of the line skates by any means, especially if you're a beer leaguer, especially if you're starting out. If you're starting out, kind of actually detrimental to you, skates are very, very stiff. And if you're starting off, that can really be difficult to skate with. So I would say generally avoid general for beer leaguers. I'd also avoid the bottom tier I would avoid the weird brands how they're going to last, or if But kind of that mid-tier is, I shooting for mid-tier skates shooting for those. I think a super helpful way to Now, skates are a great place where you can also buy something used. You can get a slightly worn in I say slightly worn in. You don't want to get skates obviously, but you can get a still be very usable and very It's a good, good way to get a amount of money. Now when you're looking at those they're not trashed. You know the outside of the and they're not, uh, super they're super worn out. Make sure everything is nicely, You know, nothing is loose You don't want that. Uh, also, check all the eyelets. Always check the eyelets for pulled out, because that can road that you don't want to have Now, if you are looking at some might want to upgrade some looking at some use skates, pay attention to is the runners, and also the holders and see See what you know brand they they are of them. And if you can change out the older skates where you get them but the steel is completely worn But you can buy some new steel Or maybe you get ones and you holder that's on there. I've done that on my skates. Most good hockey shops can do It's not a super expensive extend the life of your skates normally be able to be. So bulk of your budget spend on good helmet spend on decent skates, but you can definitely save money buying some used skates. Used helmets, very iffy. Now places where I think you can not really sacrifice anything. Number one hockey bag. Especially if you're new to You can get nice fancy bags. They are super helpful. They have, you know, not lots of ways to carry them. And, you know, like backpack stuff like that. Really nice. They can look cool, but really just get a burlap hockey bag. Like a lot of people that I know bags from, you know, high giant duffel bags and that's all And they work. They kind of work till the straps fall off or the zipper breaks. You can find those all kinds of It doesn't have to be hockey You can find them at a camping You can find them used all over But you can do that. And that is a great way to save starting off in hockey. Another place to save money and think people aren't going to love this, but hear me out on it. Sticks low level beer leaguers potential of our sticks. We're just not. We're not using all, you know, all the wickedness of the stick or getting all the use out of the proper kick points and stuff like that. We're just not. So it's kind of silly to spend a the line sticks. It really is beginner beer If you're just starting off in Buying expensive sticks I think Buy cheap sticks. If you're just starting in hockey, I think find the cheapest sticks you can that are about the height you think they are, because one you're not going to care what happens to them because they're cheap sticks and you can go through them. Two it gives you the chance to find out what you like in a stick. If you're just starting off, you righty or lefty. Buy one of each. Try them, buy some cheap sticks and try that out, you know, see which way feels more comfortable. See what you kind of like for a Get an idea on that. See if you like a stiff stick. If you like a whippy stick. See how tall you like them. There's a lot of different ways to measure stick height and what people have them at, but it is a very personal preference for everyone. So I recommend, if you're go to the bargain bin, pull them Get an idea of what you like hundred dollars, because at this like one hundred and fifty two want to be getting one of those. And, you know, try it out for two open skates or something and just realize, oh, yeah, you know what? I like a much taller stick or oh, this is completely the wrong flex. It's not worth it. So especially if you're starting experienced players, I would say doesn't necessarily have to be but upgrading by getting sticks Learning your preferences and getting stuff that fit more of how you like to play and what you're looking for from your stick. In all seriousness, very You're not going to be really screwed up getting wooden sticks. You can still find wooden They're dirt cheap. If you're truly, truly a hockey beginner, I see nothing wrong with trying wooden sticks and just kind of getting used to stuff, you know, especially if you're, like going to be stick handling, you know, in your house or in the driveway or something like that to try out hockey. And this really is the first I think that is a great way to They are way cheaper than And you can try, like I said, kind of get used to it and see that it's not doing. And then when you go spend one hundred bucks, one hundred and twenty five bucks for kind of the low level composite sticks, you have a better idea of what you're looking for versus just grabbing one off the shelf and hoping. Finally, the last place where I think you can save some money is gloves. Now, gloves, I think are a great thing to buy used, but you really have to inspect them and especially inspect the palm of the gloves. Uh, some people I know don't out on their gloves. I know people that play with twenty years, and there's almost It's almost just bare hand That's fine. If that's what you like, go for But for beginner players, I Definitely wouldn't recommend But you can find tons and tons in really good shape of all sizes, all different colorways. So I definitely recommend And again, like everything else. Different brands have kind of Different model lines within the brands have different sizing, different ways. They work of like longer cuffs, shorter cuffs, um, how the the padding is on, you know, the, the top of the hand versus the padding. That's for the fingers. How many cuts are kind of in the be and stuff like that. All the gloves are different. So I think especially for true beginners, cheap gloves that just fit. See what you like, see what you For more experienced beer way that you can definitely save Uh, you can upgrade to really gloves, but I don't think you I don't know that it makes that league to have expensive gloves. Unless you want to have fun definitely do that and go all But I think that is definitely a with a pretty easy upgrade path, because you can find so many That means you can get gloves. If you don't like them, you can and get some money back for them what you want. Okay, now kind of into the of the middle tier of stuff that And I think it does get you a That does help a little bit. But you can also save money So I don't think it's a clear Spend money or don't spend money It's really a personal And this is really the bulk of So like shin guards, uh, probably have a more comfortable Uh, they're also going to have you're blocking shots, which if probably not doing that. So probably doesn't matter but also have better protection for like wrapping around the back of your leg. If that's something that you expensive shin guards are going Shin guards. Also a great thing to buy used. Actually all these are great things to buy used if you can find them. Elbow pads. The biggest thing with elbow pads is make sure they fit properly. Uh, for some reason, elbow pads are like the super finicky pad that I don't know if anyone ever has a perfect elbow pad that fits properly and stays on properly. So try out a lot of different ones, get ones that actually fit your elbow properly, but move your arm around, you know, bend your elbow and everything and make sure that they stay in place there. Elbow pads that are great as But as soon as you straighten your arm out, they slide around like crazy. Now kind of your undergarments Sometimes you can tape them. There's a lot of tricks you can right away and you're trying But yeah. Elbow pads. Try them on. Try different brands. Try different styles. Try older ones. Try newer ones. It's really a. Like I said, elbow pads are like the most finicky pad. I think for any kind of skater generally never fit quite right Uh, as you kind of go up your levels of elbow pads, uh, you're going to get more flexibility with them so they will flex properly, like more anatomically with you. Uh, the the more your cheaper elbow pads will usually be bulkier will usually be a lot bulkier, which can be kind of a pain in the butt, you know, putting jerseys over and stuff like that. So maybe you're less likely to I think elbow pads are an especially in beer league, going to get knocked over. I want to have padding on my If I land on my elbow, I'm not because if I'm falling over and ice is my elbow. That's that's not going to be If you have elbow pads on. Hopefully you're just getting So I think elbow pads are super But yeah, that's something to used definitely can do it. Probably middle tier. Uh pricing on those most Great do awesome stuff. Probably don't need that. Cheapest ones, usually super big then you're probably not going Speaking of pads, a lot of beer leaguers don't wear shoulder pads. Shoulder pads are such an array With beer leaguers. If you're starting off, I shoulder pads, because if you're fall people around, you are You can't control that. Have as much padding as you can As you progress through Beer League, you'll see there are people that don't wear shoulder pads. Uh, because they don't think That's fine. I mean, there's not really generally, so you can usually I like the idea of wearing be protected in case I fall. Or like I said, people around me It happens and I don't want to Biggest thing with shoulder pads make sure that they not only fit properly, like sitting on you and sitting on your shoulders, but that the front and back of them come to where you want to be protected. There is very different levels like your chest and back. Some shoulder pads will kind of just like look like football pads and really just have shoulder caps and barely protect anything else. Just kind of protect your your, your clavicles and a and that's it. Some shoulder pads are made to look all the way down to your hockey pants in the front and the back. Some have a bunch of extra back So all different levels that are protection and that style of correlate with price. There are cheap shoulder pads that have lots of padding there, expensive shoulder pads that have not a lot of padding, but it's a little bit better padding in there. So it it kind of depends on what But that's where I think you don't have to spend a lot with them, but get ones that fit fit you properly, but also fit how you want your pads to be and where you're expecting to be protected at as you go up in price. Your shoulder pads, much like to get more flexible padding. Uh, everything's going to be It's going to be a lot more separate pieces that move around on you. Also, as you get more expensive, kind of more customizable. So as you go real up in price, parts of the padding that can That's something you can do as You can usually snip off pieces That's a very common thing for If they don't want to have as much shoulder padding as they have, especially in Beer League, if you just want to kind of have chest protector in the back protector, and you have like a shoulder cap, then they usually have like a upper arm protector as well. A lot of people get rid of one feel they need them both. So that is a way you can also mid-tier level of shoulder pads. But then if you want that that back together versus the might have ways to attach and Finally, pants. Hockey pants. Uh, I mean, it's I think most hockey pants are generally about the same. I don't think it's worth spending a bunch of money on them. I don't think super cheap hockey They will get, uh, ripped and uh, whereas you get out of the I think you're fine. I think you're probably fine for have in there. Uh, as you go up in price point of most hockey pants, what you will get again is some more padding, some more anatomical padding around. So you might get better padding on weird spots like us, like your tailbone. A lot of hockey pants that are good tailbone protection, but as a separate pad there for it. Uh, also get kind of more customizable options, which are very important if you're tall, if you're super tall and need hockey pants, you probably do need to step up to a little bit higher level so you can get hockey pants that have, uh, usually denoted by like a plus and then a number size, because it's like whatever line of hockey pants they have and they come in, you know, their standard lengths. But then as you kind of move up, plus three inches to get them actually fit you properly and want to get hockey pants that and it's important to know how It's important to know how you're going to wear your hockey pants. If you're someone that's going suspenders for my hockey pants. Then they don't really need to fit around like your waist as well. They can kind of be a little bit suspenders, but if you're off with a belt, you're going to you can get that belt cinched And then you also want to have down as you want them to be. Some people like a very long over the knee. Some people like it above the That's very much a personal So it varies by brand and by But this is a case of everything So where you want your pants to where your shin guards are going Like, do you have really tall Uh, if you do, you might want If you have kind of shorter shin guards that just stop right at the knee. You might want some longer pants So you kind of have to look at everything holistically, everything as a huge unit that all goes together of how things work. And finally, on kind of specific generally for goalies out there What I've seen is that a lot of people that start playing goalie as an adult, what they'll do is they'll either buy or borrow pads, gloves and blockers and maybe a helmet from somebody else and then kind of buy their own skates and usually have to buy their own like chest protector. And then if they want other other padding and stuff, the place to buy that stuff. And that's kind of how they start off with is usually with some borrowed gear, or buying it very cheaply from somebody else that's getting rid of their gear. Then if they decide they're again, talking at as like adults because a lot of the adult you have either the path of kid, have all their gear and follow through with it. Or people that decided to play were skater their whole time and just jumping right into hockey And so if people then kind of goal, it's either buying their back stuff they borrowed or if it fits them well and that And usually getting new stuff. Uh, a lot of I think most the bulk of stuff is used gear a know there's a lot of stuff with gear that you have to try. So there's different pad sizes, Uh, I know, like with your breaks on the glove for how you And I don't know how you would trying different goalie gear and playing goalie in the gear. Like, I know you can try stuff on and make sure it's generally right, but without actually playing goalie, it's kind of hard to know if that stuff is correctly. And I do know that there is a very large goalie community out there. I know even where I'm at, which by any means in the US. Uh, there's a pretty big goalie you know, the people that are for themselves and, and just time and upgrading stuff and things and then selling off So there's always kind of this community out there for goalies, of people selling stuff, people buying stuff, uh, people looking for things. And I feel like once you kind of lot of this stuff to borrow or find exactly what you want, and wind up going and buying the Um, so that's kind of all I have that seems to work from my All right. So you know kind of the gear of price idea generally of what So what kind of options do you Well one option that you have You hear people talk about it Pro stock this Pro stock that What is Pro stock. So Pro stock is kind of one of one you have. One you have gear that is specifically from a particular player. Like it was gloves that they were that they have used or intended to use or skates or whatever sticks, stuff like that. Or it's kind of like the generic backlog of equipment from a team. So teams do carry like extra So teams will have like, you know, a number of gloves and their team colors in various sizes or, uh, generic shin pads that they have or something like that. Um, so you kind of have it from Stock, uh, comes from. Now, with Pro Stock gear, it is usually higher end models of stuff. It's pros using it. So they're not going to have the So it's usually higher end Uh you can find some odd sizes Pro stock is the place you can It's the only place I know of that you can really find if you need like two different size skates. Sometimes you can find them with Uh, also find pads in weird like Usually most pads are done in Very common sizes are like ten, fourteen, fifteen inch. Whereas Pro Stock you can find pad, uh, because they've So it is a place to find some Uh, editing rods just dropping Something I forgot to mention with Pro Stock to definitely be aware of if you are buying it is there are relabeled things for Pro Stock. So you might have uh, a stick especially is very popular with this be a different line of stick I mean same brand but a different line, but have a label on it to look like a different stick, because pro players sometimes have contracts that they're supposed to be using the latest line of sticks, but they don't like it, so they use an older model. So something to watch out for Again, read descriptions, look at pictures is it might be labeled and have the graphics of something different than what it actually is. The other thing you'll find with Pro Stock is extra customizations. So you'll find like gloves with extra padding on the back, you know, for blocking shots or cuffs removed or extensions put on, like I said, on pants or on other pads. Uh, so if you are going to buy can't look at it in person, make closely and read descriptions, of stuff on there and if that's You can also find pro stock stuff that has been made lighter because that's what the person wanted. Uh, you won't generally find this level of customization if it is, like I said, like kind of the generic back stock from a team. But if it's for a specific removed in certain places. You know, maybe a player doesn't glove so that plastics out of maybe you hate, maybe it could don't want that protection gone. So something again, if you're going to get pro stock stuff, you can get some great deals there. But look at it closely. If you can't find it, see it in Make sure you look at pictures. Make sure you read descriptions deals on most pro stock things. And now with Pro stock stuff, A lot of it can be new, but you So again, if you're buying Pro if you have it in person, look Check it out. Make sure it's in good enough You know, stuff like helmets and Make sure they're still good and And if you're buying it sight like a website, make sure you closely, read all the used to kind of see how used it there that buy Pro Stock use, but as like display pieces that they had. So if you're not doing that and sure it is usable equipment. Speaking of used versus new, you have to have just for what you're buying. So use stuff is really great. Uh, cheap. Uh, and depending on where you're at can be quite plentiful around you. But again, like I said, for pro stock stuff, you have to look at it. You have to look if they're worn to get replaced or soon to be with it, is it easy to fix? You know, if you find just the guards used at a great deal, but and just kind of not usable. Can can you still use the shin Do you mind wearing like little Or maybe some sewing skills to Hey, you might have found a check all that stuff out. If you find gloves that you absolutely love, these are the perfect gloves, but the palms are just beat to crap or missing. Is it worth it to go get them one of the kits? You can do yourself to have Is it worth it? Something to think about. And if you're doing that, does Again, that's kind of the tough Also buying anything used. Make sure you clean it really Don't be gross. You know most of your gear can you can definitely do that. You know, even if you're someone regularly, which is disgusting, gets washed really well. Now, if you're buying like used wash them like that, but you can You can definitely spray them you would use for shoes and clean as you can and clean the that so that you kind of know You notice if there's problems with them, you can see what it is. So definitely, definitely, definitely just clean any used gear. You get way more than you think Now used sticks this. This can be kind of a weird thing because sticks can actually wear out without breaking. And what that means by that is become as pointed as where it's So if it's a like low kick because it might get a little Um, they can also just be not as overall, so sticks can wear out, good deal for people. It's a great way, like I said, especially for beginners, to try different length of stick, different curves, different handedness. Use sticks can be a great way to And the other thing you can do stick, try it out. Decide you don't love something That can become your beater. Be the stick that you go You know if you have an outdoor a pond, or practice stick gets chewed up. Use that stick. There you go. Boom. Easy. Use skates. Like I said, great place to Uh, you can find better deals Use skates if you have smaller For any adults out there that Honestly, if you have kid sized feet, even like I know some people do, you can get some great deals on skates because kids, uh, will get really nice skates, use them for a year and then grow out of them, and then they sell them to the hockey store, and you can find some really cheap skates that are in awesome shape. So good on you if you have small Use helmets. Tricky. Very tricky to do. Personally, I'd avoid use helmet is one of the things important thing to get and the about being in the best shape. So use helmets I would avoid. You can get them, you can find the ones that are in decent shape, but I steer clear of those. I do have a video that is all I will link that. So if you do buy some new stuff show you how I clean my stuff. So you're thinking, hey, used I don't know where to get it. I don't know where to find it. I think the best places to look One is the chain played against I know they are across the US They have lots and lots of use and variety of selection is very store is in of what they're So this might be a case where if you're in somewhere where they don't really have a great selection of hockey gear at your local, play it again, but you really want to get some new stuff, go to maybe take a weekend trip to somewhere that's a little bit further, that has a larger hockey community to find some stuff. It might be worth it and save So might be worth checking that Also, like any of the other stuff, the time of year when you're looking definitely makes a difference. You know, really during the middle of the hockey season, there's probably not going to be as many people selling used gear. Whereas at the very end of the kids hockey is done, their gear they've outgrown it or getting done playing hockey and they That's usually when you can find Or also, honestly, a really good time is as you're getting into hockey season because that's when people are realizing, hey, stuff doesn't fit right anymore, or we need to have different color gloves or whatever like that, selling that gear to buy the other gear that they need to get. So it does cycle through when there's an abundance of gear out there. So keep your eyes open. Another great place for used gear is kind of the online marketplaces. So, um, in your Craigslist or your Kijiji, depending on if you're in the US or Canada and Facebook marketplace. I see lots and lots of hockey Uh, not just single pieces of gear out there. So that's another great place to And finally, probably the, I gear Online sideline swap. It's gotten huge over the last They have a massive variety of It's a great place to look for There are definitely deals to be had on all these places, but again, you're buying it sight unseen. So make sure you look at descriptions very closely, and getting what you want because So you have your hockey gear, You've been playing hockey for a You want to upgrade stuff, what What's kind of the smart way to I think number one, if you have any gear that is now falling apart or the pads are getting borderline not useful as pads, that's the first things to upgrade always. Secondly, if you have any gear that is wearing out abnormally quickly. So if you have shin guards that beating or the knees on them are you have elbow pads that are because you keep falling Replace those that that stuff If you need new steel for your you skates and you've been gotten your skates sharpened a lot of steel left. Upgrade the steel on them. If you're curious about a whole episode talking about upgrade path for beginners. If you've been playing for a you're repeatedly getting hurt something is not getting padding, great time to upgrade to cover that area. Then I would get into skates. When you feel like your skates hold you in as properly as you like they're not glued to your That's a good time to upgrade Gloves. Not really critical to upgrade And unless you know there's no padding left or they're all cut up or beat up or something like that, but they're a super fun upgrade to do because you can get different styles and different colors. So it's more of a fun upgrade, there's something drastically Your shin and elbow pads are probably going to take the most beatings of lower level beer leagues just because of falling and people falling in front of you and getting hit with sticks and pucks and all kinds of stuff like that. So keep an eye on those pants, they start to fall apart, a very, very long time. Now, if you're looking for what budget friendly brands of hockey list off a bunch of these. I will have everything linked so you can go directly to them so So you don't have to write all this down. Um, hockey Tron has a lot of gear and lots of good deals. Ribeiro has some very affordable I actually wear Ribeiro pants because I find them to be super comfortable. Hockey stick man. They have the blackout line of Very, very affordable sticks out Pro stock hockey. It's pro stock stuff. It's a great way to find kind of Like I said for Pro Stock that's All black hockey sticks. Again they have some gear out But they also have very cheap I think they're really nice Swift hockey, cheap hockey sticks, no name hockey sticks, cheap hockey sticks, pro stock hockey sticks, hockey sticks and kind of bigger brands, but ones that you can actually find some pretty good deals on Sherwood and Warrior. Brand sticks are kind of more but they do tend to have some previous year model sticks, going into a hockey store and stick look for last year model about as good as the current discounted a lot of sticks don't for some reason, Warrior and more than other ones. To sum everything up, some final Don't buy gear because it looks there to protect you, so make I hate to tell people, but buying Pro Stock gear or expensive gear really doesn't equate to pro-level results of your playing. Honestly, a lot of times it's You buy really expensive gear. It's more of a hindrance to lower level players and it hurts them. Comfort first. Protection second. Weight last. That's a great mantra for all of Everything that you buy. And finally, if it hurts to So if you think getting the you a headache every time, it's All right. I hope this helped you out. If you're a beginner, I hope it helped map out where you should be spending your money on hockey gear. If you've been playing for a out your upgrade path for your your money to buy next. I'd love to hear about that if As always, you can go check out for everything in this episode, Thanks a lot for listening. Everybody catch you in the next