Big shoulder pads

[LetsGoWings13 0]

After going to a drop in and playing with some players who play in juniors I noticed they wore shoulder pads that were no bigger than the sherwood classics and it kindof got me wondering do big shoulder pads really protect you that much? After seeing alot of guys in the nhl and all of the junior players ive seen wear shoulder pads with little protection but are playing at a very high level of contact hockey and they dont get hurt that often. Id rather wear a much smaller shoulder pad thats why I am asking.

[mack 44]

They do protect you but I've also found them to hinder movement, so I've gone to Shanny-ish levels of shoulder protection as long as I can remember.

[LetsGoWings13 0]

Well im wearing nike pro stk the smu from peranis and they are much less bulky than my 8000 lightspeeds but if they arent protecting that much i could save money and move easier with the sherwoods.

[Miserable 6]

I wear the Itech SP50s and haven't really noticed a huge difference in protection from my bulkier pads. The one thing is there's almost no protection under and around the arms so I've taken a few sticks there but not really a big deal. Been crosschecked in the back, taken and thrown a couple of hits, and landed on the ice a couple of times without any damage so far.

[pantherfan 0]

They do protect you but I've also found them to hinder movement, so I've gone to Shanny-ish levels of shoulder protection as long as I can remember.

WOW Thats hardcore do you play in a full contact league?

[Chadd 916]

It depends on how big you are, how much you get hit and how you get hit. Those of us playing in beer leagues don't need as much. Guys that are bigger and stronger also have a little more body for protection. Plus a lot of the guys who play juniors do things just to be more macho than the other guys.

[jjtt99 0]

I had a challenge because I didn't need the huge shoulder caps, but I needed more protection around my ribs because I have cracked one twice now.

That's pretty much mission impossible so I use ones on the medium-larger side -- Bauer 3000's:

http://www.247hockey.com/pd_bauer_3000_hockey.cfm

Not great...but not horrible either.

[Chadd 916]

I had a challenge because I didn't need the huge shoulder caps, but I needed more protection around my ribs because I have cracked one twice now.

That's pretty much mission impossible so I use ones on the medium-larger side -- Bauer 3000's:

http://www.247hockey.com/pd_bauer_3000_hockey.cfm

Not great...but not horrible either.

A friend of mine who wanted the same thing cut the caps off of some old Jofas.

[Project824 0]

After going to a drop in and playing with some players who play in juniors I noticed they wore shoulder pads that were no bigger than the sherwood classics and it kindof got me wondering do big shoulder pads really protect you that much? After seeing alot of guys in the nhl and all of the junior players ive seen wear shoulder pads with little protection but are playing at a very high level of contact hockey and they dont get hurt that often. Id rather wear a much smaller shoulder pad thats why I am asking.

Guys who play juniors and pros are a lot better at taking hits and avoiding them than the average youth player. You also get used to when you should expect a hit, and hits that you see coming rarely do much damage. Last, those guys tend to be better built physically and by that age conditioned to recover from those hits.

If you're playing in a non contact men's league like most guys here are, there should be no problem going with a lighter flexible shoulder pad. If you're playing full check hockey then you should probably think twice if you actually need an internet opinion to decide whether to try some smaller shoulder pads.

[NJ2000DEVILS 0]

What you need to consider when buying shoulder pads is the level and style of hockey that you play. If you never get in front of pucks, then you will probably need little chest protection.

Shoulder caps are another consideration. If you ever go into the glass or boards hard, or play with guys that can't skate and knock you down, you have to make sure that your shoulders are protected from falls into the boards.

[jjtt99 0]

I had a challenge because I didn't need the huge shoulder caps, but I needed more protection around my ribs because I have cracked one twice now.

That's pretty much mission impossible so I use ones on the medium-larger side -- Bauer 3000's:

http://www.247hockey.com/pd_bauer_3000_hockey.cfm

Not great...but not horrible either.

A friend of mine who wanted the same thing cut the caps off of some old Jofas.

I wonder if Jofas (with caps still one) would have prevented the broken collar bone I received in December!

Gotta love the good old hockey game :P

[jbyun04 7]

What you need to consider when buying shoulder pads is the level and style of hockey that you play. If you never get in front of pucks, then you will probably need little chest protection.

Shoulder caps are another consideration. If you ever go into the glass or boards hard, or play with guys that can't skate and knock you down, you have to make sure that your shoulders are protected from falls into the boards.

i concur

[LetsGoWings13 0]

Im playing in a full contact leauge but I rarley get knocked around most of the time im the one doing the hitting.

[forbs02 20]

It seems the older the player gets, the less pads they want. When I'm fitting squirts and pee-wee aged kids for shouldies, their main concern is belly padding and big shoulders. Most parents want their kids to have their bellys covered (to block those hard slappers by the 8 yr old ) and the big shoulders so their little guy looks bigger. Then you get the 17 yr old high schooler who wants "something legit... to make me look like a dangler". Its all personal preference I guess... thats the end of my long pointless observation.

[dollarhyde 0]

I never wear sholder pads. I get hurt occasionally, but it facilitates better mobility. I am 6'4" 270 and wear a cage. I can take the bruises and play D mostly. A, B, and C leagues. I'm all for tackla girdles as a side note. Face it. It's hockey, it's physical and it's my religion/church. Can't miss church. I want the very least restriction regarding equipment. My opinion.

[Rustybender 0]

Non contact beer leaguer here.

For almost the last 2 years it has been no shoulder pads for me. I play D. Some of the guys have heavy shots. I will block them and sometimes I will get bruises. When I'm feeling nasty, I will deliver a bodycheck. I've never injured myself hitting someone.

I do have a pair of Sherwood 5030's and they are not restricitve, but I sweat like a pig when I wear them so they typically stay home. If I'm playing in a tournement where I'm not sure how strict the non-contact rule is, I will take them along.

[dollarhyde 0]

I also have the XXL 5030 sher-woods just in case. They make me too hot and I overheat. But if you play head's up style and play smart, no need for shoulder pads. I can still accept a decent check and reciprocate just as well without pads. No shoulder pads for me. I agree. Much more comfortable and cool. A banana cup I am an advovcate for though. :)

[JR Boucicaut 3801]

I don't wear them even though both of my shoulders are bad. Can't find the perfect set but I did try on the Vector 6.0s today and loved the caps, but just too much pad.

[Gongshow11 1]

look at it this way. try playing with shouldies, then at shinny play with no shouldies, see which is better. You'll see its no shouldies for mobility. I use jofa 9800 i think, which a protective slim fitting set

[hamstercaster 2]

The way I see it, better safe than sorry... although I don't wear them yet, I'll be off to buy a shoulder pads this weekend. I usually play D and get hit a lot by pucks as I don't get out of the way of the shots. Before I get cracked ribs or a broken colar bone, I'll get shoulder pads. I had stopped wearing them as they didn't fit me and no hockey jersey would fit over my pads anyways as I had gained too much weight. Now that my weight is slowly getting back in check, I'll use them again. As for mobility... the best players in my beer league all wear bulky shoulder pads, from Junior A players to all the other talented players that never played in any league and it doesn't seem to hinder their movements. I actually had no problems before either when I wore them so I figure it won't be any different this time around.

[Storm 0]

I had the small sherwood pads for the longest time.

Then came the time to replace them and I also wondered whether I should go for another pair of small pads or get big ones.

My friends who wear jofa told me I'ld get use to them so I bought jofa 5500 for $30.

After my 4th time on the ice I've gotten totally use to them and am glad I got them.

I't not so much the hitting but the falling, sliding into the boards, into the posts or any other unpredictable accidents that may occur that made me decide for the big pads.

[LetsGoWings13 0]

The reason im considering this is I rarley get hit. I play defence and most of the time im going against a smaller speedy winger who is scared to hit me or trys and doesnt do much when we go into the corners. Ive never got hit with a shot in the chest.

[Jake 0]

I got hit in the chest the other day, it sucks.

I'm cutting the caps off my old Easton Air's tonight.

[biff44 0]

A lot of small guys wear big shoulder pads so that they look bigger!

Bigger guys that are in pretty good shape do not need all that padding, and in fact it just gets in the way when you are taking a slap shot.

[LetsGoWings13 0]

The biggest thing ive noticed with big shoulder pads is I like to skate with the puck and lot of the time it creates a big target and the person just knicks you causing you to spin or loose your balance.