Ice Hockey Shoulder Pads Sizing Guide

Ice hockey shoulder pads not only provide protection for players’ shoulders, but their collar bones, spine and ribcage too. In order to ensure that your hockey shoulder pads are able to do their job well, it’s important to get your sizing just right, for maximum protection and coverage. If they’re not the perfect fit, they can be seriously uncomfortable and hinder your performance, as well as opening you up for injuries. In this guide, our experts explain exactly how your shoulder pads should fit, and how to measure to ensure you get the right size shoulder pads.

Ice hockey shoulder pads are essential for protecting players from checks, falls and puck impacts. Correctly fitting ice hockey shoulder pads also give players confidence when taking or delivering contact, knowing they have protection in the right place and are less likely to sustain an injury.

To ensure that they can do their job effectively, here are some key factors to consider when sizing ice hockey shoulder pads:

• Shoulder coverage: The caps should sit squarely on top of the shoulders, covering the shoulder joint, without extending too far past the edge or riding up towards the neck.
• Chest and back protection: The front and back panels should fully cover the torso, sitting closely against the body, but without restricting breathing or mobility.
• Arm length: The bicep guards on shoulder pads should extend down the upper arm to just above the elbow pad, overlapping slightly for full coverage without interfering with arm movement.

Fit and mobility: Shoulder pads should feel snug but still comfortable and not too tight, allowing for full range of motion while staying securely in one place when you move. The straps should be tight enough to stop the pads moving, but not so tight that they limit movement or cause discomfort.

To accurately size your hockey shoulder pads, stand up straight with your arms by your sides, and measure your chest size with a tape measure. When fitting the pads, check that the center-line of the player's shoulders lines up with the center of the shoulder pad caps. This will ensure the shoulder pads align correctly with the shoulder joint.

Depending on the style of the shoulder pad, the gap between the bottom of the shoulder pad and top of your hockey pants may vary, but this gap does not necessarily mean the shoulder pad is incorrectly fitted. Once you have your measurement, choose from youth, junior or senior ice hockey shoulder pad sizes with the measurements you’ve taken.If you’ve taken your measurements and find yourself in between sizes, we’d recommend sizing up. A slightly larger shoulder pad will give your torso better coverage and ensure you’re not outgrowing the fit too quickly, which is particularly important for younger players who are still growing.

Note: Sizing is a preference and therefore our size charts do not guarantee a perfect fit for everyone.

If possible we’d recommend trying on your chosen shoulder pads together with your elbow pads and hockey pants at our ice hockey store, to make sure you’re getting maximum coverage and range of movement.

At Puck Stop, you can choose from a wide range of shoulder pads, suitable for all sessions; from practice to match day. We also stock a variety of goalie chest protectors for those who play in net! Plus, if you’re unsure what else you need as part of your go-to kit, our in-depth ice hockey equipment guide has everything you need to know to get started.