Taking part in each sport as a player requires some essential tools. Without these tools, playing your desired sport will be practically impossible. For instance, if you desire to play soccer, you need to invest in a pair of boots, socks, and jerseys.
To become an ice hockey player, there are essential tools and gadgets you need to get. Ultimately, these gadgets help you master the game and serve as protection.
Suppose you dream of becoming a professional hockey player one day and want those who engage in sports betting to know you and your team’s name, how you start matters. While there is a long list of hockey equipment, this article will focus on the must-haves. Here, you will discover the gears you will need to help you start your journey on a solid note.
Top 6 Gears to Start Playing Ice Hockey
Your hockey equipment ranges from protective tools to actual playing tools. The list of what you need is quite long, but here are some of the most important:
1. Ice Skate
Every hockey player needs the skating skill for speed, agility, power, and acceleration in defense and actual playing. You need to cut corners, pivot the right way, and get massive points for your team. However, you can’t do this without ice skates.
A typical skate has unique padding that protects you. They’re built with functions for starts and quick stops. You need to get the best skate that could adequately protect you while starting. You can order online from the big sports brands or visit a local sports shop to get one.
2. Helmet
A helmet is a must-have safety gadget before you can play ice hockey. Worn by players, it’s like a headband to protect their heads from injuries. They could be accidentally hit by skates, puck, board, or ice. In the NHL Rule 9.6, no player must show up on the “playing surface” without a helmet; otherwise, they’d get a minor penalty.
A typical helmet has a full face mask, chin cup, and strap that fits perfectly around the head. It should also be approved by the Hockey Equipment Certification Council (HECC). How will you know? Check if the package has the board’s logo and buy only from reputable brands.
3. Elbow Pads
These protect players when they fall to the ice or are hit by the boards. While playing, you must reduce bruises or fractures to your arm bones or elbow joints. The pads are usually hard-shelled but crammed with soft foams, reducing the intensity of any injury to the areas it covers.
You can consider contoured elbow pads because they’re comfortable for mobility but not well-crammed with foam. It’s valuable if you’re playing forward and need more mobility. You can go for a tapered design, which provides better protection, but this is not as effective as traditional pads. The latter helps you block shots and reduce injury after a collision with another player or when you hit the boards.
4. Hockey Sticks
Sticks are like the guns and warplanes of soldiers at war. It’s your weapon to move the puck in the directions of your choosing. It could be to flick, steer, pull, push, strike, or hit, depending on your game and position. These sticks are essential because they determine your hand’s position and overall performance.
For example, the stick you choose determines if you can elevate the efficiency of your shot in harmony with your position. You can’t play hockey without a stick, which is why it’s crucial.
5. Shin Guard
Shin guards protect you from pucks, sticks, kicks, or ice. It is an integral part of any hockey player’s game and prevents shin fractures. Shin guards are also used to block shots while defending your team.
Shin guards are usually covered by socks, and they give the player maximum protection. Your role in the game determines the shin guard you use. For example, strikers use lean and light shin guards to prevent slow mobility, while defenders use wide shin guards with extra padding as they offer more security.
6. Shoulder Pads
Shoulder pads are built with mid to high-density foams, giving the body an extra layer of security. These protect your back, upper arms, shoulders, chest, and collarbone.
They give extra security to the player’s upper body, including the spine, biceps, and ribcage. A hockey player needs security from high-intensity physical contact to reduce injuries from sticks and pucks, and a shoulder pad helps with this.
Conclusion
You need many gadgets to become an ice hockey player. Aside from the ones mentioned above, you should also consider a skate guard, jersey, gloves, mouth guard, neck guard, socks, and other gadgets that could help you get better at the sport. All these add an extra layer of security throughout each game.
