Coventry Blaze Academy > Top Tips > Sizing & Care Of Equipment

How to care for your skates

Your skates are your most important piece of equipment for hockey. Here's how to keep them in good shape.

Steps:
1.
Note that the first rule in caring for hockey skates is: Do no harm. Never walk with the blades exposed on any surface other than ice, rubber or wood.
2.
Have your blades sharpened regularly to achieve tight cuts into the ice while skating. Any place that offers skate sharpening should also have small grindstones that are used to get burrs off the blades after they have been sharpened. If you can get a grindstone (most places will not sell them), use it every once in a while.
3.
Flick off accumulated snow and then dry the blades thoroughly every time you come off the ice. Keep an old rag or hockey sock in your bag for this purpose.
4.
Invest in skate guards. Guards cover blades with rubber or cloth to protect them while you carry them around. Some are also designed so that you can wear them and walk on concrete, with the guards protecting the blades.

Tips:

In a pinch, you can always protect the blades with athletic tape.

Warnings:

Blades can be very sharp. Be careful not to cut yourself while handling a freshly sharpened skate.

How to buy a hockey stick

Choosing a hockey stick is second in importance only to your skates. A good stick will provide great "feel" while handling the puck.
Steps:
1.
Note that hockey sticks are made of wood, graphite or a composite of wood and fiberglass.
2.
Consider that replacement will eventually become an issue. Wood sticks are much cheaper (£20 to £30, as opposed between £30 and £90), but when they wear out or break, the entire stick needs to be replaced. With the other types of sticks, you can just replace the blade, which comes in all types of shapes and sizes, depending on your style of play.
3.
Understand that all of the sticks' shafts will have different amounts of "give" to them and that every player will have a different opinion about how much flex is just right. Generally, younger players need more flex, and older, stronger players need less.
4.
Buy the right size. When you're standing in shoes, your stick should come at least to your nose. As a rule of thumb, a shorter stick allows an offensive player more control of the puck, and a longer stick enables a defensive player to reach out and check more easily.
5.
Know your correct "lie," which is the angle of the blade to the stick. When you're in the ready position, there shouldn't be a gap between the ice and your blade.

Tips:
Start with a wooden stick if you're a beginner. It will be much less expensive, and it will give you a chance to experiment before you get a more permanent shaft.
Try the stick out in the store. Don't be afraid to test the flex out.
Make sure you have two sticks if you're playing a real game, hockey sticks sometimes break.

Helmet and Goalie mask sizing

HELMET AND GOAL MASK SIZING

It is recommended that all players wear a HECC and CSA certified helmet, characterized by an approval sticker. A helmet should fit snug yet comfortable to maximize protection.

Measurements for Helmet or Mask - To properly fit a helmet, you must measure in inches the circumference of his or her head approx. 1" above the eye brows. This circumference will aid in the proper sizing of the helmet.

Shoulder pad sizing

SHOULDER PAD SIZING

To size for shoulder pads, take a soft tape measure and measure below the arm pits across the chest. Match the player's chest size to the chart to get a proper fit. Shoulder pads should fit snug while offering protection against hits, slashes, and pucks.

A good should pad will provide protection in all areas including the collar bone, ribs, sternum, chest, back and bicepts. A good fitting is essential in preventing injury or loss of protection.

Measurements for Shoulder Protection - Measure the length in inches from below the armpits and across the chest for Shoulder Pad fitting:

Elbow pad sizing

ELBOW PAD SIZING

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. Test the range of motion by bending the arm at the elbow, checking for any restrictions.

Measurements for Elbow Protection - Measure the length in inches from the inner elbow to the middle of the palm for Elbow Pad fitting:

Glove sizing

GLOVE SIZING

Gloves should fit loose offering freedom while still giving adequate protection in all areas. The glove should offer freedom of movement in all positions without chafing or restricting movement.

Short sizing

SHORT SIZING

Shorts should fit comfortable while offering full range of motion for the player and protection to the upper thighs.

Measurements for shorts - The size of the shorts should correspond to the player's waist size.

Shin guard sizing

SHIN GUARD SIZING

To ensure proper fit, make sure that the cap of the shin pad is centered upon the knee cap and that there is no gap between the top of your skates and bottom of the pads, subsequently, the calf padding should wrap around the inner leg.

Skate sizing

SKATE SIZING

A proper fit for skates should fit 1-1.5 sizes smaller than you street shoes. Toes should barely touch the toe cap, while having no more than 1/2 inch of space in the heel. when finished lacing skates up, skates should feel snug with the foot resting flat on the footbed. When sizing children, follow above methods while allowing 1/2 size extra for growth. Most skates use this formula except Mission skates, which run true to shoe size. A poor fitting skate can create bad habits and breakdown prematurely while holding back skate performance.

Skate sharpening explained

A common myth is that one sharpening can be sharper than another. Untrue! All skates are sharpened to the exact same sharpness. It's the depth of the hollow, and evenness of the edges that makes a skate feel sharper or duller. Basic sharpening places a hollow or groove in the skate blade. To do this, the sharpener must first shape/round the edge of his grinding stone to a specific radius. Radius of Hollow are not complex to understand, it's simple basic math. Everyone who completed elementary school knows what a 1/2" radius circle is, right? You remember, you take the compass instrument, pull out the pencil part 1/2 inch, place the pointy part on the piece of paper and twirl it around till you have a circle. Bingo, you have a 1/2" radius circle. The sharpener uses a similar instrument to the compass to shape the outside of his grinding stone to 1/2", except his instrument has a diamond cutting tool on the end instead of a pencil. His stone now has the same shape on the outer edge as that 1/2" radius circle you drew on the paper. Now when he applies a skate to the stone, the 1/2" radius is transferred and cut into the skate blade. The curve of the radius creates a groove or hollow between the two edges on the outside of each blade.
No single hollow is right for every hockey player. A shop or automated machine that sharpens all skates the same is doing a disservice to the skater. There are many hollows to choose from, and several individual factors need to be considered before a hollow is chosen; age, experience, weight, position, ability, strength, skill, ice temperature and more. Approximately 80% of new players have a hollow on their skate that is not the best for them