HOCKEY EQUIPMENT FITTING TIPS

REMEMBER, THIS IS JUST A QUICK REFERENCE GUIDE, ALWAYS ASK A TRAINED SALESPERSON IF YOU HAVE ANY OTHER QUESTIONS...

~SMHA HOCKEY EQUIPMENT FITTING TIPS ~

Elbow Pads: Elbow Pads should fit snug, but comfortable. The top of the elbow pad should protect the bicep, while not restricting movement. The elbow pads should also protect the forearms against sticks and slashes. Elbow pads should contain a donut pad or pocket where the point of the elbow rests, and they should have a plastic cup which protects the elbow point. If the donut cracks or feels hard or brittle, it must be replaced to avoid injury.

Shoulder Pads: Shoulder pads should completely cover the shoulders, upper back, chest and upper arms to just above the elbow area. Protective caps should be positioned on top of the shoulders and the arm pads should extend to meet the elbow pads. The back of the shoulder pads should overlap slightly with pants.

Shin Pads: The cap of the shin pad should be centered on the knee cap, with the calf padding wrapping round the inner leg. The padding above the plastic kneecap should overlap approximately 2" with the bottom of the hockey pants and should rest 1" above the foot. It is recommended that the skate tongue be positioned behind the shin pad for added protection.

Gloves: Gloves should fit loose, offering freedom while still giving adequate protection in all areas. Gloves should offer freedom of movement in all positions without chafing or restricting movement. There should be no holes that show skin anywhere on the glove.

Pants: Pants should be fitted with shin pads in place to ensure the length of the pant reaches the top of the kneecap and covers approximately 2" of the shin pad's top flair padding. It is also important to make sure that leg and kidney pads cover those areas adequately. Pants should not be cut for any reason.

Helmet: All players must wear a CSA certified helmet, characterized by an approval sticker. The helmet should fit snug yet comfortable to maximize protection. Face mask should fit securely into mask clips, the chin strap should be snug, and the face mask should fit to allow one finger to be placed snugly between the bottom of the chin and chin cup of the protector.

Neck Guard: The neck protector should fit snug but not uncomfortably tight. It should completely cover the throat. If it is a bib style neck guard, it should also cover the upper chest area. Taping, not fully zipping, and altering the neck guard in any way limits protective abilities.

Skates: Skates usually fit a 1/2 size smaller than street shoes. Skate tongues should be worn behind the shin pads to fully protect the lower shin. Laces should never be wrapped around the ankles as this can inhibit circulation and irritate the Achilles tendon. If the hard shell in the toes becomes cracked, the skates should not be worn.

Stick: Rule of thumb, in street shoes, the stick should reach between the chin and the mouth of the player with the toe of the stick on the ground. The butt end of the stick should reach just below the chin when wearing skates.

Goalie Chest Protector: A good chest pad will provide protection in all areas including the collar bone, ribs, sternum and biceps. A good fitting is essential in preventing injuries or loss of protection. No raised ridges are allowed.

Goalie Blocker: The protective padding attached to the back of, or forming part of, the goaltender's blocker glove shall not exceed 20.3 cm in width nor 38.1 cm in length.

Goalie Catcher: The base of the goaltender's catching glove shall be restricted to maximum of 20.32 cm in width, which is to include any attachment added to that glove. The distance from the heel of the glove along the pocket and following the contour of the glove to the top of the "T" trap must not exceed 46 cm. The heel is considered to be the point at which the straight vertical line of the cuff meets the glove.

Goalie Pads: Ideal fit is to have the players knee fit into the middle knee roll. The large vertical roll should be on the outside of each leg. After doing up all the straps, the pad should extend from the toe of the skate to 4" above the knee. These pads shall not exceed 27.94 cm in width and 96.52 cm in length as measured on the goaltender and shall not be altered in any way.