Hockey is a very physical sport. Throughout a game, a player can get dozens of body checks left and right from the opposing team. If you are curious about trying out this sport, then it is very important that you have the right gear that will protect you from injuries. Getting the best hockey equipment can optimize your playing skills as well. Here are some tips on what you should look for in hockey equipment.

Skates

Hockey skates are essential to have when playing hockey. They are different from your typical ice skates. Unlike those you use in ice skating, the boots in hockey skates are made of molded plastic. When choosing the best hockey boots, one must look for the ones that use synthetic leather or ballistic nylons for the upper boot. Though molded plastic is enough to ensure protection for the feet, they also lessen one’s mobility on the ice.

Stick

The hockey stick is as important as the skates. How could you play hockey without something to hit the puck with? There are three types of hockey sticks to use– the traditional wooden sticks, the two-piece shafts and blades, and modern one-piece stick.

Among these kinds of hockey sticks, the modern one-piece stick is the best that money can buy. Unlike the traditional wooden stick, the one-piece stick is more durable for they are made from Kevlar (the same material used in bulletproof vests) and carbon fiber (material used in creating the bodies of modern F1 racing cars). Not only that, the one-piece sticks is the lightest among the three and is cheaper than the two-piece blades and shafts. An average two-piece stick could cost you around $100 to $170 while the average one-piece costs $130.

Over the past few years, the number of youth-specific fitness facilities has exploded across North America. While many are focused developing on general fitness, many are attempting to branch out into the sports-specific markets - and the youth hockey market is certainly no exception.

These fitness chains boast that they are “interactive fitness facilities designed especially for youth”. They are jam-packed with video game-based exercise bikes and kid-sized strength training equipment. Youth-specific training facilities are a good idea, whose time has finally come due to increased concerns about childhood inactivity and obesity. However, machine-based facilities that focus on training muscles, instead of movement patterns, will do more harm than good to young hockey players looking to take their on-ice performance to the next level.

Train Movement Patterns, Not Muscle Groups

Participating in machine-based hockey training will prevent young players from learning how to move and control their bodies in space. There is a reason that machine-based resistance training for adults has been receiving bad press in recent past - training on machines restricts freedom of movement, serves to reinforce poor movement patterns and tends to work the muscles in isolation. Instead of having an athlete perform abdominal crunches and chest presses on a machine, we should be teaching them how to move and control their entire body in free space.

Think about it - when was the last time you saw a hockey player execute a skill or movement on the ice while fully supported by some bulky machine or by using only a few muscles at a time? In order to excel on the ice, players must master fundamental movement patterns off the ice that integrate coordination, balance and strength - and that can’t happen on a machine.

Group-Based Training for Team Sports

Interactive video game-based gyms may succeed in luring previously inactive kids away from the T.V. and computer. But there is a fundamental problem with most of these facilities that make them completely inappropriate for young hockey players.

All of the kids seem to be working out alone!

Sure, there are adults supervising and other kids on other machines, but the majority of the children seem to be ‘interacting’ with a computer screen and no one else. (And I was under the impression that we wanted to get kids away from ’screen time’ and actually encourage them to interact with other human beings.) With hockey being a team-based sport, athletes will get far more benefit from participating in training sessions that involve playing partner-based and group-based games, than from those that involve playing video games all by themselves.

In order to take their on-ice performance to the next level, young hockey players must be taught fundamental off-ice movement skills by trained professionals who would never dream of restricting an athlete’s movement and imagination to a computer screen. Training hockey-specific movements in a group setting, instead of training isolated muscles on machines, will better serve players in terms of their athletic development both on and off the ice.

Your child watched the movie, The Mighty Ducks, and now they’re gung ho about playing ice hockey. You have never even set foot inside an ice rink, so you’re wondering where to begin. Here are some helpful tips to guide you through the process.

ICE SKATING INSTRUCTION

It’s seems obvious, but some people forget that ice hockey is played on ice - and if you can’t skate, you can’t really play. So, the first step is enrolling your child in a good ice skating program. Don’t be put off if the instructor at your local rink is a figure skater. That’s not unusual at all. Figure skaters understand how to use the edges of the skates and can teach your child the important basics about how to move forward, make turns and, most importantly, how to stop. Typically, a learn to skate program would be about 8 - 12 weeks of weekly instruction. You can usually rent hockey skates from the ice rink at this stage.

HOCKEY INITIATION CLASS

Once your child knows how to do the basic skating moves, it’s time to move onto hockey instruction. In this class they’ll learn the basic hockey equipment, the rules of the game, and will start to get a feel for using their new skating skills in conjunction with the hockey equipment. This class is a must for kids who want to play. Often, the facility will rent out the hockey gear so you won’t have to make a major investment in equipment until you’re sure your child likes it and wants to continue.

BUYING HOCKEY GEAR

A lot of parents who are new to the game of hockey get sold a bill of goods when it comes to purchasing hockey equipment for their child. There is no reason to buy new equipment for a beginner. The only pieces you’ll want to buy new are a helmet, a wooden hockey stick, and a hockey jock. If you buy everything else second-hand, that’s just fine. Used hockey gear is easy to find online through hockey auction sites specializing in selling used hockey gear. These can be a great place to find a real bargain. Rather than going to your local hockey shop and paying hundreds of dollars for brand new equipment, look for used instead. It just makes more sense.

SIGNING UP FOR A “HOUSE” LEAGUE TEAM

When most kids start out (especially if they are Mites - ages 7 and 8), they will need to start out in a “house” league, also known as a “rec” league. This is the best place for kids to start out and develop their game. All the kids sign up and usually there is some sort of an evaluation session. All the coaches for all the teams are present and they have the chance to take a look at all the kids during this practice session. Then, the teams are selected, making an effort to even out the talent so the teams are balanced.

In most house leagues, everyone plays an equal amount of time. No one is benched for lack of skill. The team will usually have two practices for every one game they play. At most rinks, the younger players have the earliest time slots, so don’t be shocked if your player has a 6:00 AM ice slot on both Saturday and Sunday mornings. You’ll need to be at the rink 30 minutes early to give your child plenty of time to change into their equipment. These early morning sessions give the parents a chance to moan and groan together and, believe it or not, is quite a good bonding experience - especially if there’s coffee involved.

Practices are very important at this level. The kids have more actual time handling the puck and skating in a practice than they do in a game scenario. Games are viewed as a reward for working hard in practice. Encourage your child to take practices seriously and not goof off. This work ethic will carry them through the advanced levels when they’re older.

With house teams, there is one coach (who’s usually a Dad of one of the players on the team), along with one or two assistant coaches. The assistants might be Dads, or they could be older players who want to help out. Also, there’s a team Mom who’s selected. She typically comes up with a snack schedule, as well as delegating any other volunteer jobs that need to be filled. Some rinks require teams to have a volunteer run the timeclock or fill out the score sheet. Most rinks require one parent volunteer to hang out in the penalty box to help the kids open and close the door (as well as to calm any tempers). The best thing you can do for your child is to be open to helping out. It takes a lot of teamwork from the parents to make it all work. If you approach it with a willing attitude, you’re ahead of the game.

PARENT SPECTATORS

The worst thing to see at a youth hockey game is a parent who’s out of control with their emotions. If you take away nothing else from this article, please remember this: It’s just a game. Your kid will most likely not make it to the NHL (and if they do, that’s great too), and (most importantly) if your kids plays this game for many years, you’ll be seeing these same coaches, parents, and players for a very long time. Don’t burn any bridges because you’ll probably end up regretting it.

CONCLUSION

Hopefully, this has given you some valuable information to get your son or daughter started in ice hockey. However far your child decides to go with the game, the experience they will gain in teamwork, camaraderie, sportsmanship, and self-discipline will be invaluable as they mature into adulthood.

The coveted cup. The Stanley Cup is the prize that NHL hockey teams strive to receive at the end of a hockey season.

The history of the Stanley Cup, the most coveted award sought after by the NHL hockey teams dates back to 1892. Lord Stanley, the then Governor General of Canada proclaimed that he thought that a challenge cup should be held from year to year by the champion hockey team in the Dominion.

At that time, there was no cup. Subsequently, Lord Stanley purchased a silver cup that was 7 ½ inches high by 11 ½ inches wide for the price of approximately $50.00. Lord Stanley appointed two trustees of the cup, Philip D. Ross and Sheriff John Sweetland from Ottawa and also set forth conditions to administer the yearly competition.

The champions had to return to cup to the trustees in order that it be handed over to another team which may win it. Each champion team was to have their hockey team name and year engraved on a silver ring fitted on the cup. The cup was never to be the property of a team but to remain a challenge competition.

If the existing trustees resigned this post, new trustees would be named in their place. Unfortunately, Lord Stanley never saw a hockey playoff game nor did he present his cup to a winning team. Lord Stanley had elected to return to his home in England. However, the pursuit of winning the Stanley Cup has flourished over the years and has become a world class sporting competition.

Off-ice off-season training programs for hockey are much easier to find than ever before. However, becoming more mainstream does not mean that these programs are any more effective for developing young hockey players. Most summer hockey training programs fall victim to the same four problems and players, parents and coaches should do everything they can to avoid programs that have any of these fundamental flaws.

1) NOT Youth-Specific

You can open up virtually any fitness magazine and find a strength training program. You could take this program down to your local gym and start training right now. But you should NEVER give one of these programs to a young athlete. Odds are that the program you found in the fitness magazine was designed for adults looking to gain muscle or lose fat, not for a young athlete looking to increase their performance. Young athletes have unique developmental needs and they need a specific program that addresses those needs.

2) NOT Hockey-Specific

Young hockey players looking to take their game to the next level over the summer need to be using a program that addresses their hockey-specific needs. This does NOT mean that they should just do exercises that replicate what they do on the ice or spend the entire summer on the ice. Players need to build strength and stability in the muscles and joints that support and power hockey-specific movements off the ice this summer if they hope to see an increase in their on-ice performance in the fall.

3) NOT Long-Term

‘Quick fix’ programs are as commonplace in the hockey world as they are in the fitness industry.
Everywhere you turn there seems to be another ad guaranteeing, “Amazing Abs in only 3 minutes a day!” or promising that you’ll, “Lose 10 pounds in just 1 Week!”.
Many hockey training programs will promise players a “Harder Slap-Shot in Only 6 Sessions!” and guarantee “Phenomenal Fitness in just 4 Weeks!”. Just like the weight-loss and stomach flattening programs, these hockey programs may work in the short-term. But inevitably, after a month or so, you are left asking, “What’s next?”. The types of changes that can be made in just 4 short weeks of training will not be long-lasting, unless they are properly taught and reinforced on a more long-term basis.

4) NOT Easily-Accessible

There are plenty of good training facilities and programs out there for young hockey players. Unfortunately, in most cases, you either need to drive to another facility or buy a bunch of expensive equipment in order to get the most out of the training program.
All a young player really needs to get faster, stronger and fitter this summer is a little bit of space and their own body-weight. That’s it - no expensive gym memberships or fancy equipment and no more driving around to another training facility or rink.
Summer hockey training doesn’t need to be complicated in order to be effective. In fact, simpler is better.

Off-ice off-season training programs need to address the specific needs of young hockey players, be accessible to all players and be appropriate for their long-term athletic development in order to be effective.

Hockey is a sport in which two teams trying to maneuver a hard round disc called a puck into rival’s net, using a hockey stick. This sport is also played at college-level, and each college or institution may have its own hockey team. Intra-collegiate or inter-collegiate hockey tournaments may be held all year round. Many colleges provide necessary infrastructure, guidance, finance, and support for development of hockey. Colleges may have different teams and clubs. A single college may have more than one hockey team, and support groups. Hockey at college level may include field hockey, ice hockey, roller hockey, and its various forms such as Air hockey, Ball hockey, Bandy, Broomball, Bubble hockey, Floorball, and Foot hockey.

Air hockey is played indoors by using a puck on a special table known as Air Hockey Table. Ball hockey is somewhat analogous to ice hockey, but instead of a puck, a ball is used. Bandy is a form of hockey played with a ball on a football-sized ice ground, usually in the open. Bubble hockey is played on a table sealed with plastic. Floorball, or Floor hockey, is a type of hockey played in a gym using a plastic stick, and hollow ball. Furthermore, Foot hockey is played with a hairless tennis ball, and using only feet. Ringette is an ice hockey variation, designed for female players. It uses a straight stick, and a rubber ring. Skater hockey is a kind of inline hockey, played with a ball. Table hockey is an indoor game played usually on a flat surface like a tabletop. Underwater hockey is played on the floor of a swimming pool.

The National Hockey League (NHL) displays names of hockey teams on its website. Some of the names are New Jersey Devils, New York Islanders, Boston Bruins, Buffalo Sabres, Atlanta Thrashers, and Carolina Hurricanes. Other examples include Chicago Blackhawks, Columbus Blue Jackets, Calgary Flames, Colorado Avalanche, Anaheim Mighty Ducks, and St. Louis Blues.

Ice hockey is a very physical sport. Unlike soccer, basketball, or baseball, ice hockey is the only sport where fighting is a commonplace event in the game. Aside from the painful body checks, blocking high speed, hard pucks to prevent a goal is also part of the physical pains of the game. These pucks are heavy and hard objects that is why it is very important for the goaltender or the goalie to wear proper equipment.

What should the goaltender wear in order to prevent injuries happening? Here is a list of the items essential to a ice hockey goalie.

The Mask

A hockey goaltender needs a mask to protect his head from the puck. Early goaltender masks were made of fiber glass with holes for the eye, nose and mouth. This mask was made popular by the machete wielding madman, Jason, in the old Friday the 13th movies. Today, masks are not only made of fiber glass but also of Kevlar, carbon fiber, and other durable metals. The masks now have large cut outs on the eyes and nose and are covered by a steel or titanium cage.

The Skates

The skates of a goaltender are different from those of the other players. The blades are longer and wider allowing better mobility for the goaltender. The blade is shorter vertically so that the goaltender is closer to the ice. This type of skates is more durable than the conventional skates to prevent damage from direct hits from the hockey puck.

The Stick

Goaltenders also use a different kind of hockey stick. These sticks are wider than the usual in order to block pucks more effectively. The blade is around 8.9 cm wide and is commonly referred to as the paddle. These sticks were traditionally made out of wood, but due to technology, these stick are now made of composite materials which make them more durable.

The Blocker

The blocker is a piece of padding attached to the backhand side of the hand which holds the stick. It is also called the waffle because old models used to look like one. A goaltender is allowed to wear only one blocker.

Leg Padding

Goaltenders should also wear special leg padding. This padding resembles those that are usually worn in cricket and are ten to twelve inches wide and extend four to eight inches above the knee.

The Trapper

The trapper, catch glove, or catcher is worn on the free hand of the goaltender. It looks like your average baseball mitt but has a deeper pocket and is much more protective.