Hockey gear, fitted right.
Skates that hold an edge, a helmet that sits level, pads that cover what they should. This is a working guide to choosing and fitting hockey equipment, position by position and piece by piece, for rookies, parents and anyone replacing a kit.
New to the game?
Start with a checklist. Pick a position and go through the kit from the helmet down, with the fit check for each piece.
Gear by piece
How each piece should fit, what separates entry and pro levels, and the models that filled the wall in a Canadian shop in 2016, with their listed prices.
Hockey Helmets
A hockey helmet only protects when it fits snugly and sits level, one finger-width above the eyebrows.
8 models on recordShoulder Pads & Chest Protectors
Shoulder pads protect the shoulders, collarbone, chest, spine and upper arm.
9 models on recordElbow Pads
An elbow pad has one job: keep the point of the elbow in the cup.
10 models on recordHockey Gloves
Gloves are sized in inches: roughly 8 to 10 for youth, 10 to 12 for junior and 13 to 15 for senior players.
11 models on recordHockey Pants
Hockey pants are sized by waist, but coverage matters more than the number on the tag.
9 models on recordShin Pads
Measure from the centre of the kneecap to the top of the skate boot, with the skate on.
6 models on recordHockey Skates
Skates are the one piece of equipment that decides whether a player enjoys the game.
19 models on recordHockey Sticks
A stick has four numbers that matter more than its price: flex, length, lie and curve.
2 models on recordHockey Accessories
The small things in a hockey bag get forgotten until the night they are missing.
13 models on recordGoalie Equipment
Goalie equipment is sized to the goaltender's legs and torso, not their age.
23 models on recordGoalie Sticks
Goalie sticks are sized by paddle height, the length of the wide part above the blade.
7 models on recordAll equipment, including baseball, racquet sports, golf and free weights
At the bench
Sharpening, baking and sizing: the three services every hockey shop runs, explained.
Answers from the change room
Skate Sharpening: Hollow, Timing and Telling When It's Time
How radius of hollow changes bite and glide, how often skates really need an edge, how profiling differs from sharpening, and why guards matter.
Heat Moulding Skates: What Baking Does and What It Can't
What an oven actually does to a modern skate boot, who gets the most from it, how the process runs step by step, and the limits no amount of heat can fix.
Sizing Youth Hockey Equipment, Head to Toe
A parent's walk-through for fitting kids' hockey gear piece by piece, why buying big to grow into is risky, and quick checks you can do in your own kitchen.
Make Second Chance your First Choice.
Where the address comes from
This domain belonged to SC Sports, a hockey and baseball shop that opened in 1999 as Second Chance Sports. It sold new and used equipment on Hamilton Mountain and in St. Catharines, and its slogan was “Make Second Chance your First Choice.”
Its staff made a point of fitting every piece they sold, and its web pages were mostly price lists by piece and position checklists for new players. This site keeps those addresses and that job: getting the right gear on the right player.