Hockey Goalie Equipment

Most people who are even just marginally familiar with ice hockey have a general familiarity with player uniforms. Everyone will probably recognize hockey sticks and skates. Even hockey jerseys are pretty familiar to most people. Then there’s the goaltender.

Hockey goalies are relatively recognizable on the ice. If their position in front of the team’s net didn’t tip you off, their thickly padded equipment will do the trick without any problem. How much do you really know about the finer details of hockey goalie equipment? It’s not just about having more padding and bigger gloves. Once you delve a little deeper, you’ll be able to see just how integral each individual piece of equipment is for a goalie and why their equipment has to be different from that of other players on their team.

First, there’s the hockey stick. Every member of an ice hockey team has one. This is no different for goaltenders. What is different though is the shape of the stick. Instead of slapping a puck down the length of the rink with force like their teammates do, goalies need to be able to deflect pucks that are aimed at their net. As a result, goalie sticks are wider at the bottom than the sticks of other hockey players. This helps them withstand quite a bit of force, as well as allowing them to adequately block the shots of opposing team members that are directed at the net each goaltender is attempting to protect.

Next, you’ve got the more obviously visible padding. Unlike other hockey players who just need to be able to grip their hockey stick, goalie arm pads and gloves are a little more complicated. On one hand, you’ll find a goalie mitt that looks somewhat like a baseball catcher’s glove. This is for catching any flying pucks headed a goalie’s way. The other arm generally has a long, thick pad in order to deflect speeding pucks, as opposed to catching them. Along with this goes goalie leg padding. Often goalies are able to block shots just by dropping to their knees to form a wall in front of the net with their leg pads. These pads are often heavy and cumbersome, which is why you won’t see other players wearing them because the other members of a hockey team rely on speed and agility to play offense and defense. Heavy padding would only serve to slow them down. Then, let’s not forget the masks goalies wear to protect their faces. Other hockey players might wear helmets, but goalies generally get the full-on face masks, giving them a sometimes imposing look on the ice.

As you can see, hockey goalie gear does differ quite a lot from the equipment other hockey players wear. Just as a goaltender’s duties differ from those of his or her team members, so too does their uniform and the equipment that goes along with it, and protection is key here for everyone involved. Without it the games wouldn’t being much fun now, would they?

Check Out all the In-Stock Goalie Equipment: