Everything You Should Know About Ice Hockey Equipment

Ice hockey is a dangerous game. The surface of the ice is hard, the ice is full of players putting their full force into moving around the ice and the pucks can reach up to 100 mph when hit well and all of this is before a brawl kicks off. It is no wonder that there is a vast range of high quality ice hockey equipment that has been developed to secure the safety of ice hockey players.

There are items of equipment available to help protect every inch of an ice hockey player and still enable the player to move freely around the ice hockey rink. There is also a wide range of ice hockey equipment that is designed to help improve the quality of the performance of the competitor. Typical performance enhancing equipment includes items such as skates and hockey sticks whilst safety gear includes helmets, shoulder pads, elbow pads, mouth guards, protective gloves, shin pads, chest protector and a neck guard.

The type of equipment that the players utilise is often dependent on the position that they play for the team. The kit that the goal tender wears differs greatly from the outfield players.

The main area of difference between outfield players and goal tenders is in the style of skates that the goaltender wears. The skates that the goal tender wears are generally a lower, flatter style of skates. This style of skate lends better to lateral movement and can help the goaltender remain steady on the ice. The role of the goaltender is obviously very different to the role of a normal player and the goaltender does not need to achieve speed and quick turns.

The goaltender will often also wear a considerable amount of padded protection to make it safer for them to get in the way of the puck that is heading goal wards. The goaltender is allowed equipment that is different from other players on the team. The equipment generally has more protection for impacts from the front and the clothing generally has little protection for a goalie's back. This is typically because the goalie is less likely to be impacted from that direction. The main benefit for the goaltender is that he or she is able to use a larger stick than other players. The stick has a wider blade and can be a great help for preventing the puck from entering the goal.

The equipment used by regular players is designed to help the player cope with the needs of the game and maximise the performance. The main item of kit being the shirt that is worn over the protective clothing and helps the team players recognise team mates and opposition with ease. These shirts are usually very thin and are supplementary to clothing that is worn underneath. Arguably the most important piece of kit for the players is the helmet which is designed to keep the head safe and also often includes a face cage or visor to keep the face safe but also allow for maximum visibility so that the wearer's site is not impeded.

The hockey stick that regular players use is often thinner than that of the goaltender and it usually has a curvature that is designed to help cup the puck and subsequently flick it effectively. There are a number of sticks that are made out of composite materials but wooden sticks remain very popular in the professional game.

Seed Newsvine

Bookmark this article in your preferred program

Comments

Add Comment

Popular Articles in this cathegory

This article is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 3.0 License.