Must-Have Gear and Accessories for Beginner Hockey Players

If you are new to the game of hockey, it is easy to become overwhelmed by the exciting variety of equipment and gear options. You may not know what exactly is necessary to get started, and what’s suitable for beginners.

For example, you may be unsure about whether or not you need should buy pads and a neck guard – which you don’t. Others will tell you to skip this extra gear, but if you are all about being as secure as possible then this investment will be worth it.

Whether you’re playing at a professional rink, or your garage-turned-dream-rink courtesy of https://www.kwikrinksyntheticice.com/, here are the minimum supplies that you should set yourself up with to begin playing hockey:

• Helmet (cage optional, but make sure it is a good one)
• Mouthguard (optional, but helpful to have)
• Practice Jersey
• Elbow Pads
• Gloves
• Hockey Sticks
• Hockey Pants
• Jock
• Hockey Socks
• Shin Pads
• Skates
• Hockey Bag

Ask any pro in the world: they never play a game without the above! It’s not only a rule to have the right gear, but it makes sure you’re always protected and safe. When you skip out on one of these items, you put yourself at risk of serious injury- you could be on the bench for an entire season.

Awesome Additional Accessories

Now that we’ve gone over what equipment you really need to get started, you can now consider some of the extra bells and whistles that will enhance every game.

You will soon see that there is a plethora of potential items you could fill up your hockey bag with. What you choose to bring with you in your bag is entirely based off of personal preference, but here are some of the most common items broken down for you to consider:

• Hockey Tape

Stick tape is used to assist your grip on your stick, which needs to be re-taped every so often (every 5 games is a good rule). When it comes to hockey tape, you can choose between clear tape and stick tape, or both. Clear tape is great to have on hand because it will help you keep your shin protection in place. It will also hold your socks in place,so they don’t fall down.

• Water Bottle

While this may seem like an obvious addition to your bag, it is also one of the easiest things to forget. Playing this sport is extremely draining on your body, so it is important to stay hydrated while you play. You don’t want to rely on stealing squirts from someone else’s bottle throughout the game. Make sure your bottle is leak resistant.

• Skate Laces

This is just one of those things that you don’t need very often but when you do, you need it bad. Your skate laces could break at the most unexpected moment as they are prone to cuts and rips from being in contact with skate blades, so be prepared for this emergency by packing an extra set of laces.

• Pucks

When you are first starting to play hockey, having pucks handy is very helpful. You will most likely find yourself at a lot of stick and puck sessions, as well as playing pick-up hockey. In these circumstances, pucks sometimes aren’t easily available. You never know when you might need a few extra ones.

• Base Layer

This is an optional accessory as you could do fine without it, but it is always nice to wear a base layer underneath your regular hockey equipment. You are most likely giving it your all while playing for an hour straight on the ice, which will cause you to work up a decent sweat. Save yourself from constantly washing smelly equipment by wearing a layer underneath. You’ll wick away moisture and that awful stench that comes with it!