5 Myths of Hockey Equipment
By Andrew Trimble
Fall is upon us and players will be taking another inevitable growth spurt. For parents, that means it’s time to open up the check books, re-mortgage the house and buy some new gear.
With this article I’ll try to debunk some of the common myths I’ve seen and experienced with hockey equipment and gear. I hope it comes at a time when players and parents can apply that to new (or used) purchases and get equipment that fits properly but doesn’t have to destroy your savings. I hope it’s light and fun, and helps to put these purchases into perspective.
Myth #1 The Knob
Starting at the top of your stick, you want to create a knob so your hand doesn’t slide off. Just wind hockey tape around the top of your stick until it feels right to you. To give you better grip when handling the stick, wind the hockey tape about four to six inches down the shaft, overlapping the tape roughly halfway each time. How to tape your hockey stick | Canadian Tire
Everyone tapes some kind of knob on the end of their hockey stick. Different types and colors. Different length and width. Different patterns. Different thickness and shape. Yet, a common problem kids make is taping a giant knob “so your hand doesn’t slide off”.
In a kid’s brain, they view this as a “hand slide off preventer” and create a giant mass at the end of their stick that stops their top hand from EVER falling off the shaft of their stick. This is a common problem, as the knob then doesn’t fit inside the palm of their hand.
Proper taping technique and proper grip of the top hand of a stick is critical to handling the puck, shooting, receiving passes and much more.
The top hand controls the stick and controls the turning of the stick blade, allowing the blade to cup the puck to keep it flat and manageable. This is also vital during shooting as players control where they shoot. If the blade is open it will be high in the net and if the blade is closed, it will go low. This is directly controlled by the top hand. At the very end we will go over an advanced technique that is driven by the top hand and allows players to have more time where the blade is touching the puck and less time in the air.
Another key element is for shooting. Powerful shooting involves yanking the top hand back. The top hand creates the most important part of the lever, the farthest point. (For the science nerds out there…Work is the force times the distance, W = Fd). Why the top hand is the most important when holding a hockey stick (thecoachessite.com)
If players create a device on the end of their sticks that prevents them from properly gripping, feeling, and controlling the puck, while also potentially hindering their range of motion, it is a dramatic impediment to basic skill development. Instead, players should make (with tape) a basic handle or knob at the end of their stick which allows them to grasp the end of their stick inside the palm of their glove and feel the end of their stick.
So at the beginning of a new cycle of purchasing equipment, take time to review what your youth player is doing to her or his gear and sticks. You may see some wild ideas that your kid has, and you may need to fix or correct them, so that not only can you help them prevent injuries, but also to have proper usage of their equipment.
Myth #2 The Shin to Skate Transition
Like a modern art masterpiece, some people see beauty in chaos. Art can be something that is so ugly… that it becomes beautiful. Such is the shin pad to skate transition.
What is the shin to skate transition? It’s the area where the bottom of the shin pad meets the top of the skate or tongue of the skate, and it is very important in the optical perception of a player. I have seen many players with seemingly adequate skating skills viewed as “poor skaters” based purely on poor shin to skate transition.
What are the players options then… Here are a few choices.
- The Pad Over- Shin Pad over the tongue of the skate, with the sock pulled over the entire ankle
- The Tongue Out- Sock pulled over shin pad, which rests low on the ankle, as the tongue of the skate is bent and curled over the front of the laces of the skate
- The Pad Under- skate goes on after the shin pad and socks. Tongue and back of skate fits over both.
- Backs Out- Sock and shin pad over the tongue of skate, but the back of the skate is pulled out over the back of the socks
- High and Tight- smaller shin pads over the front of the skate. Tight fitting socks pulled over the pad to the middle part of the exposed tongue of the skate.
- Fat Guy in a Little Coat- extremely small shin pads that only reach the top of the tongue of the skates. Longer pants. Creates the appearance of a mostly human upper body, with barely any legs.
- The Euro- Mid- 90s look when knit socks were more common. Socks pulled over the entire shin to skate transition with a very loose, bunched up amount of sock at the bottom of the shin pad. Similar to Wigwam socks.
- The Craig Ludwig- Extra Large shin pads pulled over the tongue of the skates. Socks pulled over the front and back of the skate with tape at both the bottom of the knee and ankle. Creates an extra goaltender on the ice.
Words of advice to players… If your gear set up looks incredibly different from everyone else, it will probably be viewed as a negative. Choose to have equipment that properly fits and protects. Players are superstitious, but need to realize your shin pads from mites (which you may now be wearing at Bantams) are not essential to your skating. Elect to wear proper fitting equipment that creates the look of a balanced athlete from head to skate.
Myth #3 Helmets Prevent Concussions
A concussion is a type of traumatic brain injury, or TBI, caused by a bump, blow, or jolt to the head or by a hit to the body that causes the head and brain to move rapidly back and forth. Rapid movement causes brain tissue to change shape, which can stretch and damage brain cells.
What is a Concussion? | Concussion Legacy Foundation (concussion foundation.org)
Several years ago a prominent hockey equipment manufacturer marketed the “Concussion- Proof” helmet, designed to protect the head and player wearing it from ever having concussions. This product emerged around the time of the NHL’s year long lockout and rules revamp, which were designed to limit high impact collisions and increase scoring.
Fast forward 10+ years. The “Concussion- Proof” helmet was found to be an excellent protective helmet for skull trauma, but the movement of the brain inside a player’s skull could only be prevented by curtailing high impact collisions. High Impact collisions, where the energy in one person’s body in one direction is impacting another person or object that is travelling in another direction have been found to be the root cause of traumatic injuries and in particular head or brain injuries. Thus the NHL and USA Hockey have attempted to greatly curb these types of collisions.
The NHL and USA hockey have made considerable efforts with equipment, coaching and rule modifications to eliminate unnecessary exposure to traumatic brain injury risks. They have done this through identifying critical areas such as:
- Head Contact- Rule changes which eliminate impact or targeting of a players head
- Age Modifications- Changing the age rule for checking to begin at Bantam instead of Pee Wee
- Trainers- Many Youth and Junior league mandate medical personnel to be on site for any on ice game
- Fighting
- Equipment- Only Proper and HECC approved gear allowed during play
- Return to Play Standards- imposing return to standards based on medical advice after a concussion is diagnosed
These are all creative and inventive ways to slightly alter the game of hockey and make it safer for athletes to play it without risking traumatic brain injury. I applaud these measures.
I would contend, however, that USA Hockey and youth hockey leagues take a more proactive approach to skill instruction within the game of hockey in order to prevent such potential injuries.
Accept that concussions happen. Realize that people do get injured in all areas of life. Develop a skill based curriculum that emphasizes players ability to give and receive checks properly. Reinforce the importance of playing with your head up and not putting yourself in a vulnerable position.
Take these quotes for example…
“I might have practiced stick-handling with my head up a bit more.” – Lindros, upon retirement, joking about what he’d do differently if he could start his career over (Toronto Star, Nov 9, 2007)
“Safety is my biggest concern in a player’s game. When I first speak with a player, I ask him to send me some game tapes. The first thing I’m looking for is does he ever put himself at risk and, if so, why? From there I form a plan based on what the player is doing well and what needs to be worked on. “. – Adam Oates Oates Sports Group
So parents, this off season when looking to purchase some new equipment for your son or daughter, don’t just look at the gear which you think will completely insulate your player from injury. Stress the importance of proper fit, feel and comfort. And if you really want to protect your player from serious injury or harm, have them develop their skills properly so that they do not put themselves at risk. Learn to stickhandle with your head up. Learn to check your shoulders in and out of corners. Get better on your edges so that you can be more escapable from potential hits and stronger at the point of impact. Incorporate an off-season strength program to their off season plan. In games, communicate with your teammates… be vocal! Most importantly, fuel your body properly before and after vigorous exercise.
These critical skill acquisitions, will prevent way more concussions than any “Concussion- Proof” helmet.
Myth #4 What happened to the Wooden Stick?
The last NHL player to use a complete wooden stick was Adrian Aucion. The 6’2 Canadian defenseman played over 1100 NHL games for the Canucks, Lightning, Islanders, Blackhawks, Flames, Coyotes, and Blue Jackets. During that time he won Gold at the 1993 World Junior Championships, Silver at the 1994 Olympic Games, and appeared in the 2004 NHL All Star Game.
Former Edmonton Oilers winger Ryan Smyth retired the last piece of wood in the NHL when he played his last game in 2014. A proponent of the two-piece composite, Smyth deployed the composite shaft with wooden blade combo on the way to 842 NHL points in over 1200 games.
What happened to the Wooden Stick???
Composite sticks have enabled players to completely change the way in which they shoot. Gone are the days of drawing the puck back, setting, loading, and shooting. Sticks are much more flexible now, and as a result players are able to use the energy created within the stick, and have it work for them. Sticks are also much lighter now, so the focus is completely on the wrists and forearms to create the motion of a wrist shot. Top of the line sticks weigh less than 400 grams which enables a player to load and release the puck in much less time, generating a quick release. Goalies are at a disadvantage because players can shoot quicker and harder without telegraphing what they are doing. Today’s Coaches, that have a strong understanding of the composite technology and its benefits, are teaching the “new way of shooting”. Why Composite Sticks Are Better – SHOTTEC – The Ultimate Hockey Company
Coaches who preach conspiracy theories as to why hockey manufacturers eliminated multiple lines of wooden sticks need only to look at players in the highest leagues in the world to see who are using what types of sticks and why. The NHL currently has ZERO players using wooden sticks. If wooden sticks were better than NHL players would still be using them. In addition to the above reason (weight and flex), it also is because of these key factors:
- Consistency- The manufacturing process of composite sticks allows for exact replicas of each product to be consistently produced
- Kickpoint- Modern composite sticks deliver on the puck much better than wooden sticks, more similar to the way a golf club connects with a golf ball
- Blade Strength- Modern composites tend to break at the mid point or kick point of the shaft rather than the blades, which were more commonly broken with wooden sticks. Additionally, a greater variety of blade curvatures are available to the consumer, and they are nearly identical every time.
In the end, the technology has evolved and that has allowed the game and how we play the game to evolve as well. As mentioned above, players can now shoot with mostly only their wrists and forearms, whereas a generation ago the process of shooting was much different. Players this offseason should watch some of the game’s best shooters who utilize this modern approach (namely Patrick Laine and Auston Matthews) to enhance their skills and acquire elite, modern level shooting.
So when you hear… The wooden stick doesn’t exist anymore because “companies can get $300 per composite compared to $50 for a wooden stick” don’t buy it completely. Players shoot harder, faster, quicker, and more accurately than a generation ago. It’s not a coincidence.
Myth #5 New is Better
I know I am going to sound like a hypocrite now, but not everything new is guaranteed to be better. Shoulder pads and hockey pants have not changed that much in the last 20 years. Certainly going to an online retailer or used sporting goods store for these pieces of equipment (pants and shoulder pads) and buying a model that is 5-7 years old is not going to be outdated.
Pro Stock sticks are a great way to save your hard earned money and purchase top end sticks at a fraction of the cost of a brand new in store purchase. These sticks may be from the previous years model or product line, but they are still being used by elite players. Many stores carry these or online retailers.
The Bauer 4500 and CCM 110 Helmet are HECC approved and some of the most popular helmets worn by players at all levels. These helmets have had very little modifications or upgrades in the past 5 years, and as described in the previous section, the type of helmet plays very little role in concussion prevention.
Shin and Elbow pads are lighter than they were 20 years ago, and made with much more breathable material. This allows for faster drying and eliminates (ideally) some of the smell or odor of the equipment. If you have an older brother or sister and purchased these pieces of equipment in the last 10 years they can safely be handed down and still protect your athlete.
I have players that routinely purchase last year’s top end model of skate once they know their size, through an online retailer. They will end up saving hundreds of dollars and still be getting top end technology, comfort, and fit.
Roller bags are never better than a classic over the shoulder hockey bag.
In the end, shop around and help your parents save some money. Not everything you wear, use or own has to be the top end model or new every season. Be realistic in your needs. Don’t compare what you have to other players, but rather compare how you play. Strive to be the best rather than the newest.
Andrew Trimble is the General Manager and Co- Owner of the New England Wolves Hockey Club. He is also the Owner of Scoring Concepts LLC, a New Hampshire based hockey training company that offers camps, clinics, private lessons and teams. He has coached at all levels from Learn to Skate to College Hockey. For more info on his teams and programs check out- www.scoringconcepts.com or www.ne-wolveshockey.com
