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avery16

hockey officials gear

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Looking at getting a girdle.. I had been wearing soccer goalie shorts, but it seems like injuries are taking longer to recover from.. Any opionions on the CCM HP9 Referee Girdle? How does it fit? light weight? protective enough? it says it has a built in jock.. last time i had a mission girdle with a built in jock it didnt work out too well.. i dont see reviews anywhere for this.

or alternatives? roller hockey girdles?

what about the rest of the gear? best pants? jerseys?

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It all depends on the level you will be working and what you will feel comfortable with.

I have had an SP jersey for close to ten years that is just about due to be replaced, same for the pants. The HP9 is pretty much the default ref girdle, a ton of the guys wear them. I know a lot of guys are going to pants with the pads built in, just avoid the CCM hp100. Those things are terrible. The Stevens stuff is really nice, if you want to go that route. I've used mylec street hockey shins for the last 15 years and some volleyball elbow pads for the last couple. I'm going to upgrade the shins and elbows this year, but I won't be going with anything large or heavy.

You don't need protection everywhere or even a lot of protection. You just need to have a little in the right places. I suggest going with light and mobile gear that will help you get out of the way and offer enough protection if you can't. The down low crash shorts I have are great for reffing, like the mission Thorax or some of the other light weight inline girdles.

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I use the Force PTX Pro Pant, they retail for about $180. I did a review of them for another site, which I've added below, it goes along with the pictures here: http://imgur.com/a/ID4lI#15.

The pant takes a step away from other pants with integrated padding, as the pads are not sewn into the pant, rather they are attached via a snap system that creates the effect of the pads floating.

I have been using these pants since November of 2011, in approximately 160 games, as both a linesman and a referee. The material and padding are both very efficient in providing protection without compromising mobility.

Fit (9/10)

I previously wore a basic CCM Pant, and I was concerned that I would lose the comfort that I felt with that pair switching to these. First thing I did was swap the left pad for the right pad, because for some reason they fit better on opposite legs. I felt like there was a bit of stiffness out of the box, however that was gone after the first couple of games. The pant legs are cut very wide which is excellent for use with shin pads. These pants are definitely intended to be used with the pads in, attempting to use them without the pads throws off the fit by a lot. Ranked 9/10 because of adjustments needed out of the box.

Mobility (10/10)

The padding in the pants is constructed in a way that allows them to move seamlessly with the user, there are plenty of splits that allow them to freely move without compromising protection. They are also mobile enough to allow the user to move quickly up ice with no restriction.

Protection (10/10)

The padding seems very minimal at first glance (no poly inserts, all foam), but in use they are excellent. I've taken a slapshot from a midget player straight off the hip, which would normally put me in considerable pain, in these I didn't even feel it. There are gaps between the pads but they are positioned in a way that they would rarely be exposed.

Durability (8/10)

I have a couple issues with the durability of the pads, from the pictures above you can see where the pads have ripped from the edges on the velcro from my jock. This also happened to a friend that wears these, Force sent him a new pad, no need to return the defective one. Other than that, the durability of the rest of the pant is rock solid, the pants themselves hold up very well to wear, and I have taken several skates to the shins with no damage.

OVERALL RATING (9/10)

These are a great pant with excellent mobility and protection, the only real issue is with durability of the pads.

As for jerseys i use the CCM M-Pro 150-S, and that just boils down to my personal preference.

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As mentioned before, it's all about what allows you to NOT think about what you are wearing. The CCM M-Pro 150-S is what I wear and seems to be the most popular sweater. I wear the Stevens pants without the built-in padding. I like my padding touching my body and not 'floating.' One day I may try out the padded version but the setup I have right now gets the job done. As for shins, I use the Bauer Supreme 850 guards. I haven't been hurt too bad with them but I may invest in hard caps as I continue to do higher level games. I don't think there is a right or wrong way as long as you 'look the part.' Chadd mention volleyball pads. I've seen guys use lax elbow pads. You definitely can get creative to save some $.

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Vote here for the Combat pro 300 padded pants. They are relatively durable and very well padded. I work NAHL, USHL, and college and have yet to get caught unprotected in these pants.

As for a jersey I wear whatever the leagues provide: SP, CCM 160, or Force. I made custom shin guards from PG knee caps and CCM SH80 lowers. Tour padded shirt, Farrell elbow pads, Acme Thunderer whistles and the best invention ever, shin tights, round out the package.

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Anyone wear anything to protect the chest/heart? Or have recommendations, Ive heard of Ref's getting a deflections or shot in chest and ending up very badly for them, like two steps, face plant and then emergency room//surgery?

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If you are good about your positioning and awareness then it should be extremely rare for a ref to take a shot to the chest. When I was reffing I wore a Bauer ref girdle that was pretty light and comfortable, even used it for inline, and then my usual shin and elbow pads. Other guys would laugh because I used socks under my ref pants so I could tape my shin pads in place.

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If you are good about your positioning and awareness then it should be extremely rare for a ref to take a shot to the chest. When I was reffing I wore a Bauer ref girdle that was pretty light and comfortable, even used it for inline, and then my usual shin and elbow pads. Other guys would laugh because I used socks under my ref pants so I could tape my shin pads in place.

You've clearly never worked a tier-III junior game. Those guys lob pucks like they're grenades -- head down, muscled as hard as they can. No amount of awareness can prepare you for those gongshows.

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This is what I use. The padding is a lot like what you get in the ccm except it is a little denser. The materials are better quality too. Also, the legs are a little longer than what you get in the ccm which is awesome imo because I always used to have a huge gap between girdle and shin.

http://www.hockeytron.com/Hockey-Protective-Equipment/inline-hockey-girdles-senior/Tron-S10-Senior-Inline-Hockey-Girdle.html

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anyone have any opinions on stevens referee gear? anyone use the stevens chest protector? for mens league?

I've only used the non-padded pants and I haven't been disappointed. One day I'll pony up the money to get the padded version haha. Why do you ask?

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well on it seems like all of the stevens gear is the most expensive.. does that mean its the top of the line? or just charging alot because "nhl refs use their product"... and the chest protector looks like a good beer league alternative to shoulder pads.. but quite expensive.

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Anyone wear anything to protect the chest/heart? Or have recommendations, Ive heard of Ref's getting a deflections or shot in chest and ending up very badly for them, like two steps, face plant and then emergency room//surgery?

Maybe this with the shoulder caps cut off? http://www.icewarehouse.com/descpage.html?pcode=MPROS

I plan to get one of those when my DownLow shoulders wear out (if they haven't come up with something new, yet)

EDIT: Oh, looks like the shoulder caps and bicep guards actually come off. In that case, I think that would be good buy for reffing.

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anyone have any opinions on stevens referee gear? anyone use the stevens chest protector? for mens league?

I know a bunch that wear the Stevens pants with and without the pads.

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anyone have any opinions on stevens referee gear? anyone use the stevens chest protector? for mens league?

I've never used the chest protector, but like most sports equipment it's personal preference. I prefer a girdle and regular pants setup over any combo. If you are looking at padded Stevens pants be sure you check out the alternatives, because there are some other good options out there. I don't recommend PG though because they knowingly ripped me off $80 a few years ago.

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Stevens shell-pant wearer here, as well as Stevens shins. The shinguards are good, light and they mold to your leg when warm, but a recent slapper/dump caught me on the shins and stung like a mother. I've been thinking about upgrading as the guards are 5+ years old and starting to show it and there isn't any knee protection if you fall on your knees.

Some of the combat gear looks really nice.

As for websites:

Officialswearhouse.com

Refscloset.com

Referee's Crease (in Camden NJ)

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