HOCKEY GEAR!
Everyone loves getting new, cool stuff. Even if it's used. This is the hockey gear I'm currently using. I got the equipment quicker then I initially planned, but I got some great deals. I'm pretty proud that I got the majority of gear for $30 or less. I got the gear at a local used sporting good store, ebay, and of course, Player's Bench. I do think that from now on though, now that I have the majority of my kit, I'm going to go to Player's Bench for anything else I need.
My basic philosophy about gear is- it doesn't have to be new, and it doesn't have to be 'the best', but it does need to be comfortable. I'm not a logo slave, although I love the old CCM logo, so as long as it all works, I'll mix and match pretty much anything.
Here's my gear- pretty much how I dress for hockey. I've left out the 3-in-1 compression shorts, because that's just salacious!
I got this CCM Tacks bag as part of a lot on ebay. I paid $30 for the whole lot. I also got a set of crap elbow pads and the shin guards that I'm using- down a bit. I also got a really cool pair of Hespeler gloves. Hespeler was an equipment company that used to be in Hespeler, Ontario. They were one of the first big hockey stick and equipment companies- beginning production in 1905. Hespeler sticks are no longer made, and the town of Hespeler itself is now part of the Town of Cambridge, but the factory is still making wood sticks. One of my puck shelves is a Hespeler stick, and since the gloves aren't in all that great shape, I added them to my display. I'll get some photos of that later.
These are the shin guards I got with the bag lot. JOFA is a Swedish equipment company that made some of the funkiest helmets the NHL ever saw (http://jofahelmets.blogspot.com/). They were bought by Rebook in 2004. The JOFA brand name and logo were eventually phased out by Reebok. The last player to wear a full-on JOFA helmet was Teemu Salanni, who retired at the end of the 2013-14 season. He had to cover the JOFA logo on his helmet with tape, though, because the NHL didn't have a commercial contract with them. I added the velcro and straps to the guards to help hold them under my socks while I lace up my skates- they didn't have straps. I think these will be the first replacements.
These were my best find! A NOS (New Old Stock), unused pair of CCM Tacks breezers. The Tacks line was a popular line for CCM before they were bought- also by Reebok. These are from the late 90s, I think. I was really pleased to grab these, because they are a little shorter in the leg than most of the hockey pants I've seen on the market. I'm short. They have great protection- maybe even a little too much in the thighs. They are really comfortable in the hips and the the seat, and have my all time favorite sports company logo ever- the classic CCM squares. Besides the stiff thigh padding, the only other drawback on these pants is the cinch belt. They don't have laces and the belt has slipped once or twice. I went with suspenders to with deal that.
Just a detail of the Tacks logo on the breezers.
My elbow pads are another great find. Like the breezers- these are unused CCM gear. The Vector line is still available, but it is now red. They have an internal elbow cup and great strapping. They are comfortable and stay in place really well. During the scrimmage at my last LtPH session, I ended up finding out how great these were... a couple of times.
Adult recreational hockey is non-checking. Because of that, there is absolutely no need for the chest, back, and shoulder armor most players wear. Most of the guys in my class wear high tech, full protection, expensive shoulder pads. I wear these- used Sherwood 5030s. They are basically a padded vest with plastic shoulder caps. They offer the least amount of protection, but are light and comfortable. They also cement me as an old man. In fact- the other guy in my class who wears these pads is older than me. Heh...
Like my skates, I found that the most comfortable brand for my extreme extremities was Graf. I bought these Supra G15 gloves new, and they were one of the few purchases I made that was over $30. I think I paid $42 for them- I bought them at a used sporting goods place, which has a small stock of new seconds. They are SO comfortable. They are tight on my hands, really flexible, and have a reinforced palm that still lets me grip my stick with good reactions.
Another piece of new kit is my helmet. I grabbed a Bauer 2100 at the same place I got my gloves. It came with the cage. This is the most ubiquitous helmet in recreational hockey. It's inexpensive, adjustable, pretty comfortable, and decent head and face protection. I've had to modify mine a bit because of my glasses, but it still works fine. I do need to get contacts though... I spent half my time on the bench wiping fog off my lenses.
And just to fly my geek flag- I added this to identify my helmet.
Stick wise- I have a few to choose from, but right now I'm using this. This is an Easton wood/ABS stick that I got on the cheap- I have two. The blade pattern is Zetterberg. It's a flat, nearly closed pattern with very little curve, which is recommended for beginners. This thing is a weighty beast, though. I'm rationalizing this with the fact the Roman Legions trained with over-weight wooden weapons and wicker shields. The idea is that if you train with equipment that is heavier than what you use to fight, you fight better and longer... it'll work until I can get something else.
Finally- You need to cover all this stuff up, so I have a selection of sweaters and socks. So far, I've only worn one set, and a couple can only really be worn when I have a little more experience; aka- confidence to fly my colors.
You basically need two sets of sweaters and socks- a dark and a light. I grabbed these Tron sets on ebay for $25 a set (with free shipping). A cheap price for cheap gear. I've only worn the burgundy set, and that only twice, and the socks already have a tear in them. I'm going to continue to use these through my LtPH sessions and then get some better gear. The socks are the new mesh style, but I like the knitted style better- they fit a bit tighter. I got the knitted Toronto away socks to wear instead of the white mesh.
My 501st set! I made this sweater awhile ago. It's the 501st back patch on a 1940-50s style Chicago Blackhawks sweater with Imperial Cog patches on the shoulder. I have to admit- I love striped older style sweaters. The socks are knitted Chicago home socks. The Blackhawks wore black socks with red and white stripes with this uniform from 1937 to 1955, but I like the red better.
And last, but not least is my Alma mater- CU! I bought the sweater at a CU-CSU game, which we try to go to every year, with me and my friend Jared in our CU gear and our friend Jack in his CSU kit. The socks are Pittsburgh Penguins home socks. I was thinking about wearing this at my last LtPH session, since it's at DU, but since I really stink up the ice, am going to spare CU the embarrassment.
My next project is to build a rack on the wall of the laundry room- where I store my gear- so I can hang it up to dry after playing. I never really appreciated how sweat soaked this stuff gets, and am really keen to keep the odor down. I'll post photos of that soonest.
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