Int/Pro

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Havent played since I was a kid but trying to come back to hockey at 45.

Can someone give me the low down on the differences between Intermediate pads and Pro pads?

Pro pads are wider?

Deeper knee channels?

?

?

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[Wallzy41 9]

Intermediate pads can come in Pro varieties, specifically the top end stuff (G-netik, P4, Larceny, ExtremeFlex Pro), however the intermediate stuff is typically for those who are between pee-wee and bantam age up to Adult women/small statured men sized. The biggest the pads typically go in intermediate are 32+ but are normally 28+ to 31+. Pro pads, I would assume you are talking about Senior Sizing. Senior sizing is 32+ and typically up to 37+ or 36"+. The width between the two is normally 11"(NHL legal specification) for both types of pads. As someone who just started playing goalie as an adult(I'm 19 but started last year), the best thing to do would be to walk into a LHS(That's local hockey shop) with a budget and find what feels the best for you.

Disclaimer: the + you see at the end of all the sizes represents the current trend in pad construction. All pads have a relatively flat face design, for the modern butterfly technique, and the + represents a thigh rise that is added on to the traditional pad size. For example, I came from the 2005 Reebok Premier 1 series 5k pads, size 36" to the Brian's M-Series in 35+2. What this means is, the overall pad length is now a 37" pad, but with a 35" leg channel. Law Goalie et al, feel free to correct me if I explained that wrong.

[Law Goalie 147]

Welcome to the board, and welcome back to the game!

By way of starting, 'pro' is generally a quality rather than a sizing designation; most companies' top retail lines are called 'pro'. (Then of course there are 'pro issue' pads, which are made for active professional or top-level amateur players, which carry an additional implied and sometimes actual difference in quality.)

The question you're 'really' asking is about the difference between 'senior' sized gear and intermediate sizes. To make things even more confusing, there are also 'Intermediate Pro' lines, which are (at least in theory...) intermediate-sized gear made to pro-quality specs.

Generally speaking, intermediate pads (by which I mean leg pads specifically) will:

A) be offered in shorter heights than senior pads (usually 32" or smaller);

B) *sometimes* be listed at 10" wide rather than the standard NHL-spec 11" -- although most quoted 11" pads are actually closer to 10.5" wide;

C) generally offer thinner, less substantial (i.e. 'softer') foams in the knee-block (aka knee landing, the stack of pads on the inside [medial] edge of the pad that the knee lands on in the butterfly);

D) may also be more limited in protection, using thinner or less substantial foams in the main body of the pad -- although, that said, protection from pucks is NOT a factor with modern sheet-foam pads;

E) may be offered in fewer colours, with painted rather than sewn-on graphics, etc.

F) are generally a good bit cheaper.

Basically, what it comes down to is sizing. If you like Company A's pads, and they happen to have overlap between sr. and int. sizing (e.g. both come in 32" base sizes), then the options become relevant; likewise if Company B's sr. pads fit you, but Company C's int. pads are a more comparable fit.

I can tell you that 'deeper knee channels' don't really apply any more. All pads are the same, NHL-regulated distance (more or less) from the rear face of the pad to the trailing edge of the knee-block: 7". There are *some* differences in how the leg-channel, from the knee down to the ankle, may 'feel' or 'play', but these have more to do with the width of the leg-channel -- that is, with whether the supplementary calf protection (not the calf-wing itself, but the stuff nearest the leg) is 'closer' to the leg, or 'wider', attached nearer to the edges of the pad. The setup of the knee-lock can also play into this a little, but again, it has more to do with where the knee is sewn into the back of the pad, how the elastics and straps are placed, etc.

In case you're curious, here's an old post of mine about int/sr/pro glove sizing and quality.

[Redlight 0]

Thanks so much for the welcome and great replies!

Ive got these ancient Eastons that I'm trying to move away from and have found a local seller with these Vaughn's

http://imgur.com/B9gvw9q

I believe these are 7000 series Intermediate? They are listed as size 36 which should fit me nicely.

I can pick these up for $200 but I want to be sure I'm not getting a pad ill suited to my 6'2" frame.

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[Law Goalie 147]

If they're 36" pads, they are definitely senior, not intermediate. (That's a size designation, NOT a quality designation in goalie equipment.) It's possible the seller has somehow measured the pads incorrectly; ask to see a picture that shows the sizing, which is embroidered on the lateral (outside gusset) near the knee on Velocity pads. Those are also clearly from the V3 line, which means they are unlikely to be labelled as "7000 series" (unless they're V2 7000 pads with V3 graphics, which would have been a custom order). The V3 line was:

7100 = Youth
7200 = Junior
7300 = Intermediate
7400 = Senior (non-Pro, price-point)
7500 = Senior Pro

That number will be embroidered right next to the sizing.

$200 is on the high side for those pads, unless they're in phenomenal condition with basically no wear along the medial (inside) edges and surfaces of the pad -- that is, the ones that rub on the ice in the butterfly -- and especially along the medial edge of the boot. If they're in great shape, and the guy's delivering them, or you know him, it's not a terrible deal.

Unfortunately, overall height doesn't correlate to pad size. The only way to get even a vague sense of whether the pads will fit is to find your 'ankle-to-knee' (ATK) and 'floor-to-knee' (ATK) measurements. If you run a quick search, you'll find several threads describing how to do this. Once you have good measurements, you can get a rough sense of whether or not the pads will fit. Generally speaking, Vaughn's pads fit to about 2x your ATK (18" ATK measure means 36" base pad sizing, not including the "plus sizing" additions BCsox described well). Some newer Vaughn pads can be more reliably sized using FTK.

Oh, and definitely post a picture of your Easton pads! I've never actually seen a pair...

[Redlight 0]

Thanks for the advice. I decided to stay away from those pads and picked up these on Ebay for $160. They should be here by Friday.

http://imgur.com/JeUCfAj

I mistyped on Friday. Heaton, not Easton pads. The guy I bought them from claimed they were worn by Manny Fernandez of the Dallas Stars.

http://imgur.com/QC53Ym3

http://imgur.com/ZIS1HQJ

[Law Goalie 147]

One caveat: those Vaughn pads you won on eBay are almost certainly 12"-wide pads. It's impossible to be certain from that picture, but the graphics are first-generation (V1) Velocities.

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I believe you are right.

NHL regs are 11 inches but I doubt my rec league rules are so tight?

[Redlight 0]

^ That post is the result of submitting while half asleep using a phone :)

So, yes I believe those Vaughn's I just bought are V1s. Based on the photos alone, they are in terrific shape. I'll find out for sure later this week.

link to ebay item

If they are V1s then they were made prior to NHL rule changes which restricted goalie pads to 11" correct?

Should I be worried about these Vaughns being 12" in an I-League or D-League? I'd hate to think I wasted money on pads I can't/shouldn't wear.

[Law Goalie 147]

Nobody's going to prevent you from wearing them, but 12" pads come with a handful of problems: they tend, because of their age, to be 'less refined' in certain areas of construction, they're much less mobile than 11" pads in all skating movements, and they're extremely hard to re-sell (if you upgrade, for instance). As for 'shouldn't', don't worry: an extra 70 square inches of coverage in a 1" tall line above the ice isn't going to ruin the game for your opponents; if anything, they'll be glad you're less mobile.

I'm glad the seller disclosed the width clearly in the auction (my concern was that not all sellers do so), and it's an OK deal; I just wanted to be sure you knew what you were getting.

[Redlight 0]

Well I doubt I could be less mobile than I am right now using those heavy, old Heatons LOL.

Thanks for the heads-up though.

[Law Goalie 147]

No worries. And you're quite right: just the decrease in weight and bulk (mainly thickness) will make an enormous difference, though I did notice a big change in moving from 12" to 11" pads, which was basicaly what everyone else reported.