How to properly fit Hockey Equipment

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How to properly fit Hockey Equipment:

Skates
Bauer, CCM and Easton skates normally fit 1 to 1 ½ sizes smaller than your shoe size. Mission skates fit ½ size smaller to about the same as your shoe size.

Put on the socks you plan to skate with, put on the skate and push your toes all the way to the front of the skate. With a properly fitted skate, you should be able to slide one finger behind your heel. Next, sit down and kick your heel firmly into the back of the boot. Tighten the laces firmly through the first 2-3 eyelets so that the skate is snug near the toe. Lace the next 3-4 eyelets a little looser to give your arch room to flex. Tighten the laces firmly through the remaining eyelets to give strong support to your ankle. The eyelets should be 1 1/2 to 2 inches apart; if not, consider a narrower or wider skate, as appropriate.

For children, you can get 1/2 size bigger to accommodate growing feet - but, any bigger can cause blisters on feet and a breakdown of the sides of the boot.

To help break in your new skates, put them on and wear them around the house (with skate guards, of course!) for a few hours. This will help break them in and cause you less discomfort when you first use them. As an added benefit this will help strengthen your ankles which will help you skate better.

Helmets
Your helmet should fit snug on all areas of your head. The helmet not should move around on your head - this will reduce protection and increase the risk of a concussion. The chinstrap should be adjusted so that it gently contacts your chin with your mouth closed.

You will need to adjust the helmet so that it is snug without pinching. Depending on the shape and size of your head, some helmets will just feel better than others. The helmet should fit flat on the head about 1/2 inch above the eyebrows without tilting forward or back. Make sure the helmet does not shift around on your head.

Gloves
Your elbow pads and gloves should provide continuous protection from above the elbow to the tips of your fingers. The cuff of the glove should extend to the bottom of your elbow pads leaving no part of your lower arm exposed. To protect your fingertips, your fingers should not go all the way to the end of the glove. Put on your elbow pads. Hold your arm and hand outstretched. Measure the distance between the tips of your fingers and the bottom of your elbow pad. If you prefer a shorter cuff, you may consider wearing protective wrist guards in the uncovered area.

Shinguards
Shinguards are designed to protect the shins and knees from impacts that might occur from sticks, pucks, or other players. To determine the size of shinguard to order, you will need to measure the length of the shin. To do this you will need to bend the leg at a 90 degree angle. Then, measure from the center of the kneecap to the top of the boot of the skate. Make sure to measure all the way to the top of the boot, and not to the top of the tongue of the skate. This will give you a measurement that will help to determine the proper shinguard size.

Elbow Pads
Your elbow pads protect your arm from the bicep extension of your shoulder pads to the cuff of your gloves leaving no part of your arm exposed. Your elbow should fit comfortably into the elbow pad cup and the elbow pad should fit securely without twisting or sliding on your arm.

Shoulder Pads
Shoulder pads are designed to protect the upper body including the upper arm, shoulder, collarbone, back, chest and ribs. You should choose a shoulder pad that offers the most padding in the chest area without inhibiting movement. To determine the size of shoulder pad to order, you will need to measure the circumference of the chest by placing a tape measure around the chest just under the armpits. This will give you a measurement that will help to determine the proper shoulder pad size.

Pants
Your hockey pants protect your midsection to the top of your shin pads. Above the waist, the pants should extend up to the lower rib cage and the bottom of your shoulder pads. At the knee, the pants should overlap the top of your shin pads by one or two inches to provide coverage even when you bend your knee. Your pants should fit loosely enough to allow a full range of motion in your waist and hips, but not so loose that they shift out of position. Most pants include a belt so that you can secure the pants firmly at your waist. For most players, your waist size can be used to select hockey pants.

Goalie Gloves
Your chest & arm pads and catcher/ blocker gloves should provide continuous protection for the length of your arm and hand. The cuff of your catcher/blocker gloves should extend one to two inches over the bottom of the arm protection on your arm/chest pads. To protect your fingertips, your fingers should not go all the way to the end of the gloves.

Catcher and blocker gloves are sold in 'Regular' and 'Full Right' styles. 'Regular' is for right-handed players who use their left hand for the catcher glove and their right hand for the blocker and stick. Oddly enough, 'Full Right' is for left-handed players who use their right hand for the catcher glove and their left hand for the blocker and stick.

Goalie Chest & Arm
Goalie chest & arm pads protect your upper body and arms. For proper protection, your shoulders should fit comfortably into both shoulder cups and the pads should extend down to your waist. A variety of straps will allow you to adjust the fit for arms, chest and back. You should also make sure that the arms can be adjusted so that your elbows fit comfortably into the elbow cups. If the arms are too long, they will interfere with your catcher and blocker gloves. The arms should extend to 1 1/2 inches above your wrist bone. Your catcher and blocker gloves should extend up over the bottom of your arm pads.

Goalie Leg Pads
Your leg pads should extend from the toe of your skate to 4 or 5 inches above your knee. To select a size, bend your leg slightly and measure the length of your shin from the center of your kneecap down to your ankle. Next, measure from the center of your kneecap up to your mid-thigh. Add these two measures together and then add your skate size and you should have a good gauge of what size leg pad to buy. For example, if your shin measures 17 inches and your mid-thigh measures 7 inches and your skate size is 10, you should consider 34 inch leg pads.