Hockey is a game where injury can happen at any moment. Players easily collide with opponents or teammates, or get hit by fast-moving pucks. Keep yourself protected at all times with the right equipment so you can stay in the game.
Helmet
A helmet is perhaps the most important piece of equipment you can wear while playing hockey. A good helmet can prevent serious head injuries and even your life. Most recreational leagues require you to wear a helmet with a full cage mask, although professional players usually wear either no face mask or a visor that covers their eyes. Full cages attach to the helmet at five points to ensure that the mask doesn't come open during play. A chin strap keep the helmet itself in place.
Gloves
Hockey gloves serve two main purposes -- to keep your hands warm while on the ice, and to protect your hands and wrists from the slashes of other players. The gloves are heavily padded to absorb the impact of any attacks to your hands while controlling the puck. Many gloves feature locking thumb slots that prevent your thumbs from being bent back and hyper-extending.
Shin Pads
Shin pads are a must if you're playing competitive hockey or if you're not an advanced skater. Shin pads protect your shins and knees when you fall; they also allow you to stand in front of shots without the fear of injury to your legs. Shin pads also provide protection when players whack you on the legs as they attempt to steal the puck.
Goalie Gear
Goalies have a whole set of equipment requirements separate from the rest of the team. Goalies may wear a full-cage helmet or other types of masks. Goalies require leg pads that are much taller, wider and thicker than those of skaters, as they must routinely stop hard slapshots. In addition, goalies wear a different glove on each hand -- a catching glove on the non-stick hand and a glove with a rectangular pad known as a blocker on the stick hand.
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