Question About Equipment in Junoir Hockey

[onetwo 0]

I was wondering about the equipment junior players wear (WHL, OHL, QMJHL, USHL etc.). It seems that they all wear RBK helmets and gloves, but most of them use other company sticks and helmets, so do they have to wear whatever the league tells them to, or can they choose what they want to wear. (Hopefully I will be in one of these leagues soon :))

Thanks

[strosedefence34 178]

i have a friend who plays junior hockey not sure what league, but from my understanding they can wear whatever they want as long as they match the team colors. he plays for the junior predators on long island. Maybe someone who has actully played can give you a better answer.

[kovalchuk71 212]

Im sure they can, because its only Junior C. Its kind of hard to compare that league to the top leagues in NA.

[lee92 2]

the chl [canadian hockey league, (qmjhl, ohl, whl)] is on a reebok contract, where everything, aside from sticks, must be reebok, or one of its affiliates such as ccm. each team usually has their own stick contracts with different companies, and thats why some use bauer, some use easton, and some use reebok.

[wallin2199 0]

Yeah, its the same in the USHL. Everything is sponsored RBK and CCM as you are outfitted in everything by those companies.

[providencebadboy21 0]

Have a ton of junior experience at all levels. Deal is protective gear (pants, helmets, gloves) is RBK/CCM. Skates are whatever you want, sticks, depending on the team and the league, depend on individual team deals. In the USHL, it's pretty much all RBK/CCM sticks. In the CHL where teams are richer, there's more variety, hence all the CHL XXX-lites you see around. In the USHL, a certain percentage of each team has to wear RBK or CCM skates. If you're not a high-profile guy or are already wearing RBK/CCM, they'll make you rock RBK (I think it may be 40 percent of each team, I don't remember exactly). Same goes for most colleges, although obviously not everyone has the RBK deal: helmets, pants and gloves are provided by whatever company your school deals with, the rest is basically whatever you want.

[onetwo 0]

Thanks everyone for the info!

[All Torhs Team 0]

I have some buddys who play Jr. A and they all used Sherwood sticks.

I think the main reason for it though was because they were basically free as like a sponsor, so they didnt have to buy any other full priced sticks.

[Cavs019 710]

NAHL i'm assuming.

[thorpedo26 0]

NAHL i'm assuming.

thats what i was thinkin as well

[Reaper 0]

the chl [canadian hockey league, (qmjhl, ohl, whl)] is on a reebok contract, where everything, aside from sticks, must be reebok, or one of its affiliates such as ccm. each team usually has their own stick contracts with different companies, and thats why some use bauer, some use easton, and some use reebok.

Skates are also exempted from this deal allowing players to wear whatever brand fits them the best.

[T-Dot. 0]

if you as a jr player want free stuff, you wear whatever company the league has a deal with. if you want to wear whatever it is that you want, you can also do that. But you gotta buy it and it has to match the team colors. Thats how i have always understood it. Even if you get something that is off a lil'... or alot, the teams usually provide shells and coverings to make you look like the rest of the team anyways.

[barrett 0]

In the CHL I think they wear all RBK Helmets , THC gloves and pants. Not to sure about protective, ( I'd say whatever they want ) , Whatever skates they want. If they don't have their own enorsment deal or want to pay for sticks , they use whatever the team has a deal with .

[wallin2199 0]

And yes, it is the NA that is sponsored by Sherwood. No wonder nobody wants to play in that league anymore...

[Project824 0]

And yes, it is the NA that is sponsored by Sherwood. No wonder nobody wants to play in that league anymore...

I know quite a few other teams in other leagues, notably the EJ and the OP also supply exclusively with Sherwood - though it's not a leaguewide sponsorship. I think that has more to do with Sherwood's willingness to work with teams and give them very economical prices at scale than anything. Having seen just about every company's pro/college/junior pricing, that's definitely true. Most of the teams that I've dealt with that have used Sherwood product this year have been very pleased with it as well.

I'd say there's still a good deal of players who wish they could even get a sniff at the NAHL. And if they're undecided, the fact that a year in the EJ will cost them $10-15k minimum might make that decision easy. The EJHL has promoted a lot of players in recent years based only on convenience - if a cellar DI or average DIII team needs a 3rd liner to fill out the roster, why go to Texarkana when you can get one right up the road? The blue chip kids are easy to pick out, and there's only so many of them. What about the rest? I'd still say the NAHL is a better league overall than the EJ.

[Pats 0]

In the CHL the deal also extends to under gear as well but some teams do not follow that rule but they can be fined if their dressing room is inspected. A lot of teams in the WHL seem to be switching to CCM helmets as the quality of the RBK one's has been a concern as of late for some.

[duch 0]

Love the look of the RBK helmet and the lightness. But I find it flimsy compared to the Mission Intake or what I wear the Bauer 8500. Also have had issues with hardening of the pillow soft padding over an extended time period. If I was playing in a league where I was given the equipment I needed to wear however I really wouldn't be concerned with the durability because the team would just replace it if I needed it. Good exposure for your product and I know it works because the kids want to wear what the league players wear and don't really worry about how long it lasts in most cases. Most kids just like to look good.

[wallin2199 0]

And yes, it is the NA that is sponsored by Sherwood. No wonder nobody wants to play in that league anymore...

I know quite a few other teams in other leagues, notably the EJ and the OP also supply exclusively with Sherwood - though it's not a leaguewide sponsorship. I think that has more to do with Sherwood's willingness to work with teams and give them very economical prices at scale than anything. Having seen just about every company's pro/college/junior pricing, that's definitely true. Most of the teams that I've dealt with that have used Sherwood product this year have been very pleased with it as well.

I'd say there's still a good deal of players who wish they could even get a sniff at the NAHL. And if they're undecided, the fact that a year in the EJ will cost them $10-15k minimum might make that decision easy. The EJHL has promoted a lot of players in recent years based only on convenience - if a cellar DI or average DIII team needs a 3rd liner to fill out the roster, why go to Texarkana when you can get one right up the road? The blue chip kids are easy to pick out, and there's only so many of them. What about the rest? I'd still say the NAHL is a better league overall than the EJ.

I would agree and disagree with your point. I played in the EJ and will be going to an NCAA school next year and each league has there benefits. The EJHL is in the backyard of alot of D1 and D3 schools as you have said, which, is definitely a great thing. But I feel the leagues are going in different directions. The EJHL is trying to expand and you are seeing more kids pushing out into the East Coast rather than going to the NAHL. The NAHL seems to be more in a slump as teams are folding and popping up more and more. It is tough to say that the only reason the EJHL is filling NCAA rosters is due to location. With kids being drafted and playing in arguably the most competitive college conference, Hockey East, the EJHL has talent.

Also, the game is very different in the EJ compared to the NA. I have buddies who played out there and the game is more physical in the Midwest and fighting is more tolerable and almost encouraged. The EJ does not let you wear a half shield and is more skilled with no fighting either, it just is more based on NCAA Hockey.

The NA does have plenty of positives, you don't have to pay, which is one very large one. Junior hockey in the East Coast will never be tuition free because their is no market for Junior Hockey out here. The NA draws very well and moves plenty of kids onto the USHL as well.

Overall, I just feel like the leagues are different in what they are doing for hockey players. The NAHL seems to be more of a feeder league to the USHL than a college development league while the EJ is grooming kids for college. I think that talent gap you are talking about is closing though. The NH Monarchs or Junior Bruins would be able to play with any team in the NAHL and would hope to see a Showcase between them in the future. Anyways, thats my two cents worth...and for the record, I didn't like the Sherwood sticks haha.

[Project824 0]

I would agree and disagree with your point. I played in the EJ and will be going to an NCAA school next year and each league has there benefits. The EJHL is in the backyard of alot of D1 and D3 schools as you have said, which, is definitely a great thing. But I feel the leagues are going in different directions. The EJHL is trying to expand and you are seeing more kids pushing out into the East Coast rather than going to the NAHL. The NAHL seems to be more in a slump as teams are folding and popping up more and more. It is tough to say that the only reason the EJHL is filling NCAA rosters is due to location. With kids being drafted and playing in arguably the most competitive college conference, Hockey East, the EJHL has talent.

Also, the game is very different in the EJ compared to the NA. I have buddies who played out there and the game is more physical in the Midwest and fighting is more tolerable and almost encouraged. The EJ does not let you wear a half shield and is more skilled with no fighting either, it just is more based on NCAA Hockey.

The NA does have plenty of positives, you don't have to pay, which is one very large one. Junior hockey in the East Coast will never be tuition free because their is no market for Junior Hockey out here. The NA draws very well and moves plenty of kids onto the USHL as well.

Overall, I just feel like the leagues are different in what they are doing for hockey players. The NAHL seems to be more of a feeder league to the USHL than a college development league while the EJ is grooming kids for college. I think that talent gap you are talking about is closing though. The NH Monarchs or Junior Bruins would be able to play with any team in the NAHL and would hope to see a Showcase between them in the future. Anyways, thats my two cents worth...and for the record, I didn't like the Sherwood sticks haha.

Your points are valid, I'm not really sure we disagree about anything - we've just got different points of view, which helps bring the whole picture together. I played in the NAHL about 15 years ago (yea, I'm old), and have worked with the league quite a bit in the last 5 as a coach and scout, as well as the EJHL. From what I gather, you played in the EJ fairly recently.

Both leagues are very close these days (albeit very watered down in talent), but both second tier to the USHL, and I would argue the BCHL and the western division of the OP. Like you said, the NAHL is having problems with teams folding - that is a direct result of their Tier II status in not charging players to play. While some teams draw "well" (really, how good is drawing "well" in a town like Texarkana or Wasilla?), all teams dig a huge hole for themselves at the start of the season by being tuition free. Whether you make that money back with ticket sales and sponsorships is a crapshoot, especially in some of these small backwoods towns where hockey does not run in the blood of the people. Canadian Tier II's at least have the backing of the townspeople, whereas in the States, they'd rather go to the local HS football game. The EJ doesn't encounter these problems so much with tuition, however is prone to losing some players whose families can't foot the bill.

I would love to see a showcase between the two leagues as you speak of; or better yet, cut both leagues by 40% and combine them. Profit share with lower player tuition to make it as equal opportunity as possible and keep top players around. Create a "scholarship" fund for players whose family situations would exclude them but who have exceptional talent as well as great community and academic resumes. Have an Eastern and Western division, and showcase 3-4 times regionally across the US relative to major NCAA conferences - once in CO, once in MI, once in MN, once in Boston and send teams to the Rogers Jr. showcase in Ontario.

But regarding the Sherwood sticks you hate, you didn't like the feel as a player, chances are they gave you those Forceflex Ti shafts and the XD one pieces, which were agreeably terrible. Their newer shafts and OPS are much improved over those, but again your POV as a player is different from mine - was with a team last year that primarily used Easton and NBH - players actually started coming to us about other options because they got tired of snapping Synergy 2's, SL's and XXX Lites - sticks they didn't even have to pay for. Sherwood came in mid season and was able to supply Momentum Taper shafts (now relabeled RM19 taper), RM9 OPS, and RM19 OPS and RM19 standard shafts, along with any SOP needs. The tapered shafts were a little heavier than the Synergy 2's, but lasted twice as long - at half the price (keep in mind we weren't paying retail on either brand). As a player, you'll have a personal preference, but for the guy that has to place the order and work the budget, it's still dollars and cents.

[oggy_3 0]

NAHL i'm assuming.

thats what i was thinkin as well

the maitime junoir a league all uses sherwood and the ontario junoir a uses sher-wood i think too. I think of all of the junoir leagues in canada you get payed to play, but for sure the maritime junoir a.

[BigDipper 0]

I know this topic is old but I thought I would share some knowledge anyway. I played junior for a long time and this is how the OHL,WHL,QMJHL work. Yes RBK/CCM now own sole exclusive rights. As CCM is just as heavily marketed as RBK each team in the leagues designated to wear either one or the other. meaning helmets pants and gloves. If you as a player dont like RBK gloves and want to wear CCM...too damn bad....your equip manager doesnt want to hear it. As for sticks and skates. The equipment managers are mandated by the leagues contract with the major supplier as to how many of what brand can be used. Example back when I played only two players could wear Graf skates on each club..if i remember right. Same goes with sticks. Majority should be RBK/CCM with other brands mixed in. Sher-wood had a lucrative deal with the CHL but it expired this season.

[JJStripes 1]

I think of all of the junoir leagues in canada you get payed to play, but for sure the maritime junoir a.

I would not go so far as to say they are paid. Most guys are just given a stipend of like $50 a week. At the same time other guys make deals and are handed a couple grand or something to sign. The players who benefit the most are the ones who get jobs in the community as part of the deal. That is especially popular in Junior C where guys come back home for their last year and get set up at jobs that they can stick with for the rest of their lives. I have a few friends who gave up their last year at B so they could go back home and play a year at C plus another as an overager. They were set up with jobs at the main local employer as an incentive to sign, and now they are good for the future.

[BigDipper 0]

CHL mandates a stipend.35 for a rookie and second year, and it increases and you gain experience. vets and overagers get a max out of 55. However there is always cash under the table. Major junior teams will help guys with cars and whatnot to help transsport players from school. A lot of tier II teams are broke and cant afford to pay thier players. I made more playing Tier II than a mjor junior player did. But that was a unique circumstance. The Maritime league pays out some guys. But all it is spending money. It's not a lot and sure as hell not a deal to entice anybody. Research and article from several years ago about a Tier II player out west who was cut from the team and filed unemployment. It was ridiculous and it spawned a investigation into teams paying guys by revenue canada. That's when it became ruled a "stipend" and not a paycheck

[hergs 7]

OHL players are allowed to have 2 pairs of skates on the go which ever they choose. If they want a new pair they have to turn in an 1 of the 2 they already have.

[Pats 0]

OHL players are allowed to have 2 pairs of skates on the go which ever they choose. If they want a new pair they have to turn in an 1 of the 2 they already have.

That is most likely a team rule as some teams will only buy players one pair of skates a season depending on budget. I've seen as many as four pairs for superstar players in one season. Again, I'd have to think it's the team because most major junior teams let the players keep their old skates when they get new ones.