What Equipment Do You Need to Start Playing Ice Hockey?

Whether you’re looking to jump into the exciting world of ice hockey as a player, or a parent of a child who’s keen to get started, we’re here to take you through everything you need to start playing ice hockey.

Quality, well-designed, best-fitting ice hockey equipment will keep you safe on the ice without impacting your range of movement, so it’s important that you get those first purchases right! Our guide covers all of the protective equipment you’ll need to get game ready, which you can buy online at Puck Stop or in our hockey store, where our team can also help you with the correct sizing and fitting.

And if you’re completely new to ice hockey, check out our comprehensive guide to playing ice hockey to get up to speed on all the rules of the game!

The first big decision when getting into ice hockey is deciding which ice hockey skates are right for you. To begin with you’ll want to choose skates that align with your budget, the amount of times you’re on the ice each week, and most importantly, the skates that fit the best for the most enjoyable experience on the ice.

This is a big topic in itself, and we’ve got all the info you need in our ultimate guide to choosing the right ice hockey skates.

You can also visit us in-store to try out our Bauer FitLab service, which is a 3D foot scanning process to offer you the most advanced skate fitting experience in hockey today, alongside the expertise of our skate fitting experts.

Next you’ll want to choose your ice hockey stick, with a more specialised goalie stick required if you’re planning to play in net.

The ideal hockey stick differs from player to player, depending on your height, weight and age, and will influence your game from shot power to stickhandling ability. We’d recommend checking out our separate guide to choosing the right ice hockey stick to make sure you’re familiar with all of the different factors including flex, curve and kickpoint options.

Ice hockey is a tough sport, often referred to as the fastest team sport. Your protective equipment will help to protect yourself against bumps, bruises and other injuries caused by the puck, from falling on the ice, as well as collisions with other players.

Goalies play in their own specialised equipment, including leg pads, catchers and blockers to protect their goal and save shots, so we’ve covered the equipment specific to this role in our separate ice hockey goalie equipment guide.

If you’re looking to play forward or defence, read on to learn about the different pieces of kit you’ll need to stay in the game.

Protecting your head from serious injury is essential, and a helmet will be one of the first pieces of hockey equipment you’ll need to purchase. All player helmets come with a fully adjustable strap to make sure the helmet fits your head perfectly without any movement.

The most protective helmet is the one that fits you best, ensuring that the padding and protection is in the correct place when you need it most. If you need help finding your fit, we have the resources and expertise to assist you.

At Puck stop we have a range of certified ice hockey helmets in youth and adult sizes to keep you safe on the ice, along with hockey visors and facemasks which are strongly recommended by England Hockey to give you added protection.

For Under 20s playing at EIHA and BUIHA levels it is also mandatory to wear a helmet with ear guards, a feature present on all of the helmets we stock at Puck Stop.

Another essential piece of ice hockey equipment, neck guards are mandatory under both the English and Scottish ice hockey associations for all on-ice activities.

Our neck guards and Neckprotect base layers provide laceration protection around the neck to prevent dangerous cuts from skate blades.

Ice hockey shoulder pads protect your upper body against impact, and should fit snugly around the shoulders without restricting your movement.

There are many different styles and coverage levels to choose from, with more expensive, elite-level options generally being lighter and more breathable to help you play your hardest from first shift to last, so make sure you buy the right ice hockey shoulder pads for your body type and your budget.

Ice hockey gloves provide your hands with important protection against pucks and falls, but without impacting your mobility and stickhandling ability.

Look for gloves with ample protection throughout the palm and fingers, making sure they line up well with your elbow pads so that there are no gaps in coverage along your arm.

Ice hockey elbow pads are specially designed to protect against collisions with other players, the boards and game related contact.

They also protect the parts of your arm not covered by your gloves and shoulder pads. Ideally, we’d recommend trying on all three pieces together to ensure your entire arm is covered.

Moving on to the bottom half of your body, hockey pants are padded shorts which provide critical protection for your legs and lower back without sacrificing mobility. They should fit close to the body and extend from the bottom of your shoulder pads to just past the knee, where they meet your shin guards.

At Puck Stop you can choose from traditional ice hockey pants offering complete protection, or hockey girdles which are designed to fit under a hockey cover shell and can be adjusted to provide a custom fit.

A vital piece of protective gear you should buy is a jock or jill. Jocks (for male players) and Jills (for female players) are worn under your hockey pants or girdle, providing protection for your sensitive areas!

You can opt for loose fitting mesh shorts, or longer compression pants, which can also help to keep your hockey socks in place.

Ice hockey shin guards wrap around your shin to offer protection to your lower legs against injury from sticks and pucks. Shin pad styles and fit can vary depending on the brand, so it’s best to try these on while wearing your skates and hockey pants to make sure the fit is optimal.

Whether you’re heading to the rink for matchday or just for a practice session, there are some other key pieces of clothing and accessories in addition to your ice hockey skates, sticks and protective equipment that will help you perform at your best.

Your hockey jersey will have a larger fit to go over all of your protective gear and allow you to show off your team’s colours! If you’re looking for a jersey to wear during practice sessions, check out our range of ice hockey training jerseys in various sizes and colours.

Hockey socks are worn over your shin guards to keep them in place, and should match your team’s jersey. We stock a wide range of knitted hockey socks in various colours (including all your favourite NHL teams), as well as elasticised skate socks for a tighter fit.

With the bulk of your protective equipment sorted, we have plenty of other accessories you may want to consider taking to the rink.

Firstly, we’d recommend wearing a mouthguard during play to avoid costly dental work if you’re wearing a half visor. Check with your league to see if this is mandatory at your age group.

Investing in a hockey base layer reduces chafing and wicks away moisture, keeping you comfortable so you can focus on your game.

Hockey tape can help improve your grip or feel on your hockey stick, whilst leg tape can help keep your hockey socks in place. We also have a hockey equipment care collection to keep your kit clean and fresh game after game.

If you want to get some extra practice in, our hockey training aids will help you improve your shooting accuracy and stickhandling skills to level up your game.

And finally, you’ll want a hockey bag to store and transport all of your gear. Our full range includes stick bags, skate bags and more, so you can keep everything safe on your way to that big match.

We’ve covered a lot of stuff to help you start your hockey journey, so here’s a quick summary of the key hockey equipment you’ll need to start playing:

• Skates
• Stick
• Helmet
• Neck Guard
• Shoulder Pads
• Gloves
• Elbow Pads
• Hockey Pants
• Shin Guards
• Jock/Jill
• Training Jersey
• Socks
• Base Layers
• Accessories including a hockey bag, mouthguard and more!

While the list of hockey equipment you need may seem daunting at first, most of your gear will last you for years to come with proper care.

You can order everything you need online from Puck Stop, but we would also recommend visiting our Sheffield Ice Hockey Store if you can, where our team can help you try on the equipment and find the right fit for you.

We can also help with a wide range of in-store services including skate fitting with Bauer FitLab, skate sharpening, and custom skate profiling. Visit us or get in touch today if you need any advice and we’ll help get you game ready!