Hockey is perhaps the fastest of all the team sports. Players speed up and down the ice on hockey skate and shoot the puck at speeds approaching 100 miles per hour. In order to play the game you need a wide variety of equipment. You also need protective equipment in order to stay healthy.
Significance
Hockey equipment is required to play the game. While equipment is needed in all sports, specialized equipment is essential in hockey. You can't move on the ice without hockey skate. You can't shoot or pass the puck without a stick. Your health is at risk if you play without a helmet. Hockey equipment allows the player to do his job and also helps him avoid major injuries.
Types
Hockey skates are required for all players. The hockey skate differs from the figure skate in many ways, but perhaps the most noteworthy difference is the beveled blade that features two sharp edges and a small hollow area between the two edges.
All players need a stick to propel the puck up and down the ice. Hockey sticks may not be more than 63 inches in length nor more than 12 1/2 inches from the heel to the toe. The blade of the stick must be a minimum of two inches and a maximum of three inches wide. National Hockey League players who are 6-foot-5 or taller may petition the league for a longer stick. Players of that height are placed at a disadvantage by having to use a shorter stick.
All players must wear helmets when they take to the ice. All players who have not reached the professional level must wear helmets that include a mask that protects the face.
Players also wear pads under their uniform. Protective pads can be worn on the shoulders, ribs, hips, legs and knees. Many players wear shoulder pads and leg pads, but not all will wear rib and hip pads because they can be somewhat restrictive. Leg pads allow players to block shots from opponents.
Considerations
The type of equipment worn or used may vary by position. All players wear shin guards and leg pads, but those worn by defensemen are much bigger and thicker than those worn by forwards. Defensemen are regularly asked to block shots by putting their body in front of the hard rubber puck. Most of the time, players use their legs to block the shots and strong shin guards are needed. Defensemen may also use longer sticks than forwards because that allows them to get their sticks in front of shots and passes and break up the continuity of the play.
Benefits
Hockey players can get their skates sharpened in order to match the style of game them play. Right and left wings often rely on their speed and they can get their skate edges sharpened so that they can dig in and skate explosively. Centers regularly have to cut and turn more than the wings. As a result, a duller cut will allow them to turn easier on the ice.
Players may want the additional protection of a plexiglass shield attached to their helmet. At the professional level, players are not required to have shields or masks. However, they can choose to put shields on to protect their eyes from catastrophic injuries.
History
Players were not required to wear helmets until the death of Minnesota North Star forward Bill Masterton, who was checked by two Oakland Seals defenseman in Jan., 1968 and died when his head struck the ice. He was not wearing a helmet. By the late 1970s, helmets became mandatory. The league allowed players who did not wear helmets when they came into the league to have the option of skating without a helmet. While most players chose to wear helmets, some did not. The last player to skate regularly in the NHL who did not wear a helmet was center Craig MacTavish, who spent much of his career with the Edmonton Oilers.
Goalie Equipment
Goalies use a goalie stick and wear facemasks, a catching glove, a blocking glove, leg pads and goalie skates. Unlike most skaters, goalie skates have a flat blade that allow the goaltender to slide across the crease quickly in order to stop the puck. Leg pads can be no wider than 11 inches and can't be longer than 38 inches.
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