Please note that all sizing formulas and charts that are listed below are only general guidelines for proper sizing of equipment. A lot of factors could cause variances from player to player including personal preference and different styles of play.

When the pad is on the leg with your skates on, your knee should fit perfectly into the middle of the knee cradle while your knee is slightly bent.

To allow some growing room you can get the knee to touch the bottom third of the knee cradle with the knee slightly bent. When sizing a set of leg pads for someone who is growing you want to give the most growing room possible, but you don't want the pad to be cumbersome and restrictive.

An easy way to properly estimate a goaltender's size for a pair of goal pads is to take the following measurements:

1) Floor to mid-point of knee cap - _________" (A)

2) Mid-point of kneecap to desired height on thigh - _________" (B)

3) Give us a call or email with the (A) + (B) measurements and we will fine tune the size that is right for you. We also need goaltenders height to compare to the measurements, as it is very common for people to add to the "real" measurements and this can completely distort the required size.

Keep in mind that trappers are largely personal preference.

There are two different styles of breaks for trappers. A hand break where the glove closes in the middle of the palm (most common) and a finger break where the glove closes flush with slight movement from only the fingers.The arm pads of your chest & arm protector should be able to move freely and fit comfortably in the cuff of the trapper.There is only one senior size but all companies offer a variety of different styles and features.

Senior sizing is for ages 13+

Intermediate is for ages 11 to 13

Junior is for ages 8 to 11

Youth is for ages 5 to 8

There isn't a huge of difference between most of the blockers. Thin blocker boards, tapered noses and the level of finger protection you want are a few of the different things that you might want to keep in mind when making your final decision.

Most goalies will match up their blocker to their trapper but if you have any detailed questions about your blocker purchase please give us a call and we will explain all of the different features and options that are right for you.

Senior sizing is for ages 13+

Intermediate is for ages 11 to 13

Junior is for ages 8 to 11

Youth is for ages 5 to 8

This piece of equipment sees a lot of rubber so a proper fit is essential in preventing injuries or loss of protection. A good chest protector will provide protection in all areas including the collar bone, ribs, sternum, and biceps.

There is a wide selection of choices and price points available. Make sure that you get the chest & arm that will match up to your level of play or you'll be waking up black and blue.

Senior Sizing

Junior Sizing

As a general rule the bottom of the pant should sit just above the knee cap. It should come low enough to provide protection but not interfere with your leg pads. It is best to try pants on with your leg pads to confirm there is no interference.

Pant sizes for kids can vary dramatically from player to player as height and build (slim to stocky) can be drastically different.

If you are unsure about correct sizing please give us a call and we can help you figure out which size will be right for you.

Senior Sizing

Junior Sizing    

Proper fit is crucial in assuring maximum protection. Place the mask on the head so that the top edge of the face opening is approximately 1/2" above the eyebrows. The mask should fit snug without movement on the head. Self-adhesive foam pads are included and can be added to provide a secure fit. The sweatband must be securely in place while fitting and during use. The chin cup should be adjusted to be snug so as not to allow movement on the head or allow the mask to be pushed in closer to the jaw. The chinstrap should always be used and should be adjusted so that the mask cannot be displaced during play. The rear skull plate and straps should be adjusted so as to apply a slight amount of tension to achieve a secure fit. These adjustments should be checked frequently to assure a proper fit.

To determine the proper size required, measure the circumference of the head above the eyebrows. Other factors that will also determine mask size are varying head shape, jaw width and body weight. Because sizing charts vary depending on the company you may find the best way to determine the correct size for you is to call or email one of our goal specialists.

When picking out a goal stick, having the right size paddle is very important. If possible, you should have your goal skates when picking out a new stick so you can be at the exact height as you would be when you are on the ice. Grab a stick that you think is a correct size and get into your stance. The blade of the stick should be flush with the ice/ground. If toe of the blade is coming of the ground the stick is on the ground and the heel will be lifting of the ground. If the stick is too big the heel will be on the ground and toe will coming off the ground.

Things You Need To Know Before Ordering:

- Have the measurement of the circumference around the head (just above the eyebrows) ready. This will help us
determine what size helmet you need.

- Every helmet must be CSA / HECC approved.

Helmets are the most important piece of protective ice hockey equipment you will purchase.

There are two main different styles of helmets on the market today. Single density rubatex foam and dual density …

To maximize your protection, adjust your helmet to ensure a snug fit. A properly fit helmet should have very little room for movement but still provide comfort. The chinstrap should be adjusted so that it gently makes contact under your chin when fastened. A poorly fit helmet could result in injury.

It's a good idea to do a regular inspection of your helmet and facemask to make sure that your screws and hardware are secure.

If your helmet is cracked or damaged in any way you should replace it immediately to avoid any chance of injury. Most manufactures recommend helmets should be replaced every two to three years.

We recommend that some form of facial protection be worn as well as an internal mouth guard.

Browse our selection of hockey helmets

Things You Need To Know Before Ordering:

• What is the age of the person.
• Measure the distance between the eyebrows to the bottom of the chin, with the mouth closed.
• Masks and Shields must be CSA or HECC approved for use in all levels of youth hockey.

The traditional cage face mask is both strong and durable. It provides excellent ventilation for cooling and breathing
with adequate vision.

The full face shield provides excellent vision both straight ahead and peripherally.  You will sacrifice some air flow with a full face shield when compared to a cage.

The half shield is a very popular choice for men's league hockey players but does not offer full face protection. It is a good idea to wear a full cage or visor for any league that doesn't make it mandatory anyway. We see too many men's league hockey players coming in to our store with stitches from not having proper facial protection.

Browse our selection of ice hockey cage masks and full shields

Mouthguards are an essential piece of hockey equipment which should never be overlooked.

They not only significantly reduce the incidence and severity of injuries to the teeth and mouth, but they also act as a shock absorber against more serious injuries like jaw fractures and concussions.

Things You Need To Know Before Ordering:

• Age, Weight, Height and Chest Size
• Level of Play

There is a lot of personal preference involved when it comes to choosing a shoulder pad.

Higher levels of play may require a more protective shoulder pad. Keep in mind that more protective doesn't always mean bulkier. Some of the better designs offer great mobility while still offering a high level of protection. Give us a call on the toll free line and we can help you pick the right shoulder pad for your style of play.

It's extremely important that shoulder pads for growing bodies provide adequate level of protection for growing bones and joints.

A proper fit should have the center of your shoulder line up directly with the center of the shoulder caps.

Some models have adjustable bicep protectors. The bicep pads should meet the top of the elbow pad for maximum protection.

Properly fitted pads should provide protection for the collar bone, chest, ribs, back and upper arms.

View shoulder pads here

Things You Need To Know Before Ordering:

• Age and Level of Play
• Level of protection needed for the level of play

Elbow pads should provide a comfortable but snug fit. They should not slip off the elbow joint (it sounds logical, but you'd be surprised how many players there are skating around with their elbow pads hanging down around their wrists). The most important thing about elbow pads is that they stay in place to protect you when you fall.

A good elbow pad will also provide forearm protection against slashes by extending down to the cuff of your hockey glove.

You should have a good range of motion with little restriction.

View elbow pads here

Things You Need To Know Before Ordering:

• Age and Level of Play
• In relation to Age, is the person's finger length, long, medium or short.

The fit of hockey gloves is largely personal preference. Gloves should fit a bit loose to offer freedom of movement
while still giving protection from slashes in all areas. Also m ake sure that the gap between the glove and the elbow pad is minimal.

For a senior player whose hand is finished growing you want the end your fingers to come just barely to the end of the fingers. Your fingers should not be pushing through the end of the glove. They should not be too short of the end of the glove either - about 1/4” from the end of the fingers is the maximum amount of room there should be.

For a junior player whose hand is still growing you want to leave a little bit of growing room but not so much that the hand is swimming in the glove. A quick way to test for a proper fit is to pick the stick up off the ground by the shaft, if this cannot be done easily, the glove is probably too big.

There is a big range of choice when it comes to gloves. The protection level of the glove should match your style of play. We recommend that you get the highest level of protection that you can afford. High density foams and plastic inserts are ideal but those features are usually found on the top level models (there are lots of tiny bones in your hands and you want to make sure that you're not going to be watching from the stands for two months in a cast).

Some gloves now come with wrist guards built right in. This is a good way to ensure maximum wrist protection but you will lose a bit of mobility compared to having a separate plastic reinforced wrist guard.

The feel of the glove is important. Most of the companies are now using a soft clarino nash palm to enhance feel and stick control. Not too many companies offer a traditional leather palm any more but you can always have one put in after as a re-palming option.

View hockey gloves here

Things You Need To Know Before Ordering:

• Age, Height & Weight.
• Level of Play.
• Waist Size.

Your pants should fit loosely and comfortably, yet you also should be able to secure them firmly by a belt around your waist.  90% of all people will be able to use their waist size as their guide to choosing the correct size pants.

A good rule of thumb for length is to have the bottom of the pants line up with the middle of your shin pad kneecaps.

Protection levels will vary depending on the model you choose. As a general rule, the higher price points will offer more hip, kidney and tailbone protection without too much bulk. You can get a good quality pant at a lower price point but the fit, protection or movement of the pant may be somewhat compromised. If you have any questions about the fit or features of pants please give us a call.

View player pants here

Things You Need To Know Before Ordering:

• Age & Level of Play.
• Distance in inches between the center of the kneecap & the ledge of the skate, just above the top eyelet.
  To obtain this measurement, have the individual sitting with their leg bent at 90 o and wearing a skate. Measure from the top eyelet of the skate to the center of your kneecap.
• Like other pads, your kneecap should fit directly into the center of the kneepad cup of your shin pad.

It is important to make sure that the shin pad is not too long.  It's a good idea to keep the tongue of the skate under the shin pad for additional protection from pucks or skate cuts.

View shin pads here

Things You Need To Know Before Ordering:

• Age & Level of Play
• Last Brand & Model of skate worn as well as size (length & width).
• Actual Foot Size
  
  You will need the following items to correctly measure foot size;
  A . 2 pieces of Legal sized paper
  B . 1 pencil or pen
  C . A tape measurer
  D . 2 video cassettes or books
  
  To determine this, have the person be seated and wearing the same thickness of sock as he or she would wear when skating(we recommend a thin performance/moisture wicking sock).  Measure each foot separately by placing the foot on a piece of legal sized paper (11 X 14).  Now, while sitting, slide a video cassette up against the back of the heel and the other cassette up against the longest toe.   Make a mark on the paper at the heel & toe.  Measure the exact distance between the lines and write it down on the paper, labeling it left or right foot.   To determine the width, slide the cassettes against the widest part of the forefoot and mark both sides.  Measure the distance between these marks and record the measurement on the paper.

Most skate manufacturers size their skates differently than shoe sizing. Skates (with the exception of Mission ) normally fit 1-1/12 sizes smaller than your shoe size. Please remember that every foot has a unique shape and that these are guidelines only.

For on ice performance, the skate is the single most important piece of equipment you wear.  When ordering by mail, it's important that you have someone help you with the measuring. 

If you are unclear of how to to measure, call us - we can help you over the phone; 1-800-567-7790 .

A proper fit for skates…

Start with trying your new skates on with moisture wicking performance sock. A proper fitting sock will reduce slippage and help to provide an optimal fit.

Lace the skate up and spend a few minutes walking around to get your heel placed to the rear of the skate.

Stand with your feet placed at shoulders width apart with your legs locked straight.

Your toes should be barely touching the toe cap. Once you bend your knees slightly, you should find that your toes will have enough room to clear the end of the toe cap.

It's important that you make sure that your heel doesn't slip up and down once you are walking around in the skate before taking it out on the ice. Heel slippage is the number one cause of blistering.

To fit the player who is still growing, have the toes barely touching the end of the toecap. The width of a ballpoint pen should be able to slip in behind the heel comfortably. This gives the foot room to grow but not so that the heel will slip and cause on improper fit.

A poor fitting skate can create bad habits and breakdown prematurely while holding back skate performance. Another problem that can occur are blisters or heel spurs.

A good way to break in your new skates is to spend some time in them up at home.  You could also use a hair dryer to warm them, but be careful not to overheat any one area.  Let them completely cool before walking in them.

The more time that you can spend with your new skates laced up will help reduce the break in period and your feet will feel better when you hit the ice for the first skate with them.

Remember to wear rubber skate guards to avoid damage to floors.

All skates purchased from thehockeyshop.com come with a free sharpening. Be sure to specify what hollow you would like your skates sharpened at.

Maintenance for your skates…

Make sure you dry your skates out after each use. This will prolong the life of the skates and help keep the odor factor down.

To prolong the life of your rivets and help prevent excessive rusting, pull out the foot bed each time you dry your skates.

Check your blades frequently as nicked edges can occur from walking on dirty flooring either on the bench or in the locker room. Exposed concrete or screws that get stepped on in the rink will also do damage to edges. It's time for a sharpening if you feel like you're slipping during push off.

Having properly sharpened skates is extremely important. The depth of hollow that is best for you is a personal preference.

Keep in mind that sharper does not mean quicker. Less hollow = More glide .

All skates purchased from thehockeyshop.com come with a free sharpening. Be sure to specify what hollow you would like your skates sharpened at.

View our player skates and goalie skates

Things You Need To Know Before Ordering:

What stick is right for you? There's no right answer to this question. Your stick is a personal preference and the only way to find out what you like best is to try out different sticks until you find the right match for your style of play.

Choosing the right stick is a very personal choice. What works very well for one player may not be right for another.

STICK LENGTH

Stick length really depends on personal preference as well as your position.

A common way to measure your stick is to stand in your stocking feet, without your skates on and on a flat surface.

Place the toe of your stick on the ground between your feet.  Lean the stick straight up-and-down so that the handle of the stick touches the tip of your nose.

Then when you stand in your skates, the stick should come up to your chin or just below it. The general rule is to mark the stick at this point and cut the handle on your mark. 

Keep in mind that the more you cut a stick down, the stiffer it becomes.

LIE ANGLE

A lower lie (5 or lower) works well for players that skate in a crouched down position. To determine if you need to use a lower lie look at the wear on the bottom of your blade. If most of the wear is on the heel, switching to a lower lie will put more of your blade on the ice.

A mid lie (5.5 to 6) works well for most players. This lie is a happy medium between the crouched over skating style and the very upright skater.

A high lie (7) will allow the player to keep the puck in close to the body. To determine if you need to use a higher lie look at the wear on the bottom of your blade. If most of the wear is on the toe, switching to a higher lie will put more of your blade on the ice.

CURVES

There are three main types of stick/blade curves - heel curve, mid curve and toe curve.

A heel curve has a flat blade face that opens up at the toe (lots of loft). This will allow you to cradle the puck near the heel of the blade when you stickhandle. When you shoot or pass, the puck travels along the entire length of the blade, translating into more accuracy and a harder wrist shot. Also, the more open the blade face is, the easier it is to raise the puck in a hurry.

A mid curve bends gradually from heel to toe with a closed blade face (very little loft). This is the most common choice for the player who wants the best combination for puck control when shooting and passing. The mid curve is a good place to start if you are unsure what type of curve is right for you as it is probably the most user friendly.

A toe curve has a flat blade face until near the end of blade where it curves sharply. Typically used by players who favor quick hard snap shots and toe drags, the toe curve is more difficult to control for shooting and passing accuracy.

FLEX

Composite sticks and shafts offer three main Senior flexes: Mid, Stiff and X-Stiff. There will typically only be one flex available for Intermediate and Junior by each supplier. The chart below is a guide of how some of the suppliers flexes compare to each other. This is only a guide and if you have any detailed questions about the flex each supplier offers or how they compare to your current stick, please give us a call.

Sr X-Stiff flex = Louisville Stiff / Bauer 112 / CCM ? / Rbk ? / Mission 110 / Easton 110

Sr Stiff flex = Louisville Regular / Bauer 102 / CCM ? / Rbk ? / Mission 100 / Easton 100

Sr Mid flex = Bauer 87 / CCM ? / Rbk ? / Mission 85 / Easton 85

Sr Whip flex = Louisville Whip

Int flex = Louisville Int / Bauer 77 / CCM ? / Rbk ? / Mission 75 / Easton 65

Jr flex = Louisville Jr / Bauer 52 / CCM ? / Rbk ? / Mission 50 / Easton 50

Keep in mind that the more you cut a stick down, the stiffer it becomes.

Wood sticks and blades

Wood sticks will give you the best feel for the puck. Graphite blades still can't match the “soft touch” that wood provides.

One reason that wood has fallen out of favor with some players is that it tends to have a short life-span and can be inconsistent from stick to stick.

Composite sticks and shafts

Huge advancements have been made in this category making the one piece stick the most exciting piece of equipment you will purchase. This is definitely the “toy” for every player who picks one up. These sticks can be found in different shapes, weights and flexes. Not sure where to start? Give us a call and we'll help you decide which stick is right for your game.

We carry a huge selection from Louisville , Bauer, CCM, Easton , Rbk, Mission , Sherwood and Innovative.

A composite shaft should be purchased for improved shaft consistency, shot speed, shot accuracy and its lighter weight. 

Most composite sticks and shafts come with a 30 day Manufacturer Warranty that can be redeemed directly from the manufacturer. Composite replacement blades do not come with any warranty.

TAPE

Taping your stick is totally personal preference. As a general rule, you want to tape the blade of the stick from heel to toe.

A good way to get extra life out of your stick blades is to run a strip of sock tape along the bottom of your blade before taping it up. You won't feel the extra strip of tape but it will add life to the bottom of your blade.

A tip to keep ice from building up on the tape of the blade of your stick is to use a stick wax . There are numerous brands of stick wax but we recommend Mr. Zogs Sex Wax (goofy name but it seems to work the best). Rub the wax on the entire taped area of your blade and then smooth it in with a puck to seal it. This should help your tape to last longer as well.

How you tape the grip of the butt end of your stick is your call but to enhance the feel and grip you might want to try some specialty grip tape . Once you try it, you'll be hooked.

We stock North American Tape. After extensive testing and research we believe it is the highest possible quality of hockey tape available on the market today.

View our player sticks here

View our player shafts here

View our player blades here

View our goal sticks here

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