Gear upgrade priority

[MondoxGecko 0]

Been a lurker here for a while, and this is my first post here. I just picked up the game last year in my early 30's, and really appreciate all the information and opinions in these forums, they have been tremendously helpful.

My dilemma, well, it's really not much of a problem, is I was given a gift card to a hockey e-tailer, but I'm not sure what equipment I can upgrade that would give me the best benefit. I don't really need anything, so this prompted the question, what is the generally accepted priority in upgrading equipment? The consensus seems to be that Skates, Gloves and Helmet are the most important, but after that I'm not sure what has the most impact on the game.

I imagine priority would depend on personal preference, ones current equipment and skill level, so this may be an impossible question. However, I would appreciate hearing anyone's take on it.

[McDougalfaschnitzer 32]

What helmet do you have now?

[Amiroo39 121]

Nothing quite like getting fitted with the correct pair of skates that fit right. I'd put skates at the top of my list.

[bunnyman666 445]

Skates.

Helmets and gloves are important, but skates can raise your game.

[TeamHonda401 54]

My priority would be skates, then helmet, then sticks.

[ntwusc 62]

What gear are you currently using? Anything that bothers you about what you currently wear?

[All Flash 49]

Surprised stick hasn't been mentioned as it has the ability to up the confidence of a player more than any other single piece of equipment ( for out players) . IMHO.

That being said skates and helmet are definitely the first upgrades that should happen.

[Ps12 11]

I started upgrading recently. I upgraded my skates first then my helmet. Then pants. Next are skates again. Lol.

For me i wanted skates that fit. Then i wanted a helmet that fit and wasnt expired.

[chrisehyoung 14]

I've been upgrading my gear recently and went skates, stick, helmet, gloves, shin pads, pants, socks (skate and shin), elbow, and shoulder. I was pretty patient and waited for the right deals to come along. I also unloaded a bunch of old gear I had kicking around for extra cash towards the new gear.

The biggest performance increases were from the skates and stick but the new Re-akt cage really helped with visibility and a more comfortable helmet just made life nicer. I'm at the point now where I want good protection but it has to be comfortable as well.

[Chadd 916]

Skates, stick and gloves have the most impact on your game.

[Beflar 53]

If you have a piece that doesn't fit ie elbow pads to big, then start with that. After that skates then gloves.

Not sure why people are saying helmet so much...

[Souldriver 64]

If you have a piece that doesn't fit ie elbow pads to big, then start with that. After that skates then gloves.

Not sure why people are saying helmet so much...

Because the helmet is the piece of equipment that protects your biggest asset

[chrisehyoung 14]

If you have a piece that doesn't fit ie elbow pads to big, then start with that. After that skates then gloves.

Not sure why people are saying helmet so much...

Because a lot of guys getting back into the game after an absence have expired helmets and don't realize it. Also, a good fitting helmet with good air flow will make your ice time far more comfortable and safe. We are mostly men who play for fun and can't afford time off work for a head injury.

[MondoxGecko 0]

Probably should have posted my current Equipment in the first place, whoops :)

Helmet: Cascade M11

Shoulders: Bauer One80

Elbows: Bauer One80

Gloves: Bauer Pro 4-rolls, Bauer Supreme One40

Pants: Warrior Bonafide (size 38, but I've lost ~ 40lbs so they are at least a size big. Absolute tanks though, never felt any (of the many) falls I've had.)

Shins: Bauer Nexus 600

Skates: CCM U+ 10

Stick: Sherwood 5030 (wood)

I was given most of the Bauer stuff, and found some good deals on the others; to be honest it is probably a bit overkill for beer league. Everything fits pretty well as far as I can tell, sometimes my shins feel really hot, and my right elbow will start sliding down towards the end of a game, but those are the only issues I ever notice.

I think I'm good with my skates, I tried on everything I could find anytime I was near a hockey store, and the CCM's were the best fit I encountered. I have cheap wood sticks, since I was just learning and did not think I would get much out of a higher end composite stick, but I could be completely mistaken here. I did borrow another guys 11K SickKick III for a game, but outside of the decreased weight I didn't notice much of a difference. The decreased weight was nice, but I'm not sure if that serves me well in the long run.

Also, I'm in the southern US so, anything that would be more breathable, or cooler would be considered an upgrade from my point of view.

I appreciate all the comments so far, and what I'm gathering is I should probably be looking at gloves and stick. The Re-akt cage is an interesting idea as well, the stock cascade cage is a bit heavy compared to the others I've seen.

[IniNew 51]

Stick

Pants

Gloves

Skates

is the order I would go in.

[ridindirty 11]

For OP, after posting his gear:

Stick, smaller elbows, new pants. Btw the Re Akt cage is great I recommend it.

[strosedefence34 175]

judging by what you already have and my mentality of if it isn't broken don't fix it maybe just the stick. If you grab a composite it will be at least 100g lighter then the wood and thats for a low end. If you're happy with the stick hold onto the gift card providing it doesn't expire and wait till you need something.

[ntwusc 62]

Since your pants don't fit, I'd start there. CCM CL's are the best combo of protection & weight I've ever used, albeit expensive. Bonafides are also great, and you may be able to find them on clearance somewhere for pretty cheap.

Next I'd definitely try a composite stick. Go for something high end on closeout if you can find the right curve/flex combo. My break from playing during college coincided with the proliferation of OPS's, and when I started playing again, it was like night and day.

Everything else looks pretty good. I was expecting to see all low-end stuff, so you've done well so far.

[wrangler 157]

The RE-AKT cage is the best I've used for visibility and weight.

Helmet and skates, in that order (for safety reasons), are most critical for fit. If they're not quite right, I'd address that first.

Overall, I'd be looking at what you really feel the need to change, as far as improving protection, fit, and mobility. Which equipment actually got you thinking about change? That may be your starting point.

[Tailboard Jockey 25]

Going by your list, I would get a new stick first. Everything else, you'll have to decide what doesn't fit right, what is getting worn out, or what you want better performance from.

[CommodoreColt 19]

If your ducks are already in a row and you're happy with the gear you've got, spend on the thing that will most likely keep you off the ice first... the most disposable or breakable things. Sticks/blades or skate steel comes to mind first. Personally I've been through many cracked knee caps on shin pads so I consider those almost disposable (in my case, not everybody's case). Try to plan ahead and pre-emptively replace the first thing that might break on you at an inopportune moment. Are some things in your bag worn out more so than other things?

I agree with the conventional wisdom here, though. Skates and helmets can almost always stand to be upgraded... skates if your improving skating skills require it, and helmets if you aren't already using the best possible protection for your head and face.

[Vet88 673]

Or you could look at this another way. How much better do you want to get or are you just happy with the way you play? Ice time is always limited so maybe think about some off ice training tools, things I can think of are:

- tape 2 tape, slide mat, shooting mat, goal and tarp, pucks - to practice passing, shooting and puck handling

- green biscuit, abs blades, inline skates - to practice skating and puck handling.

You are in southern US so the weather is more friendly towards outdoor training. For you and the level you are currently at, imho any of those options are going to improve your game a lot faster than a gear upgrade.

Otherwise just buy / replace stuff that annoys you or doesn't quite fit right, the gear you currently have will take you a long way in terms of ability and skill if it all fits well and you are comfortable with it.

[MThockeydad 469]

Maybe upgrade your elbows to something that fits you well. Fit is subjective, but they should stay in place.

I started the season with some crappy TPS elbows that always slid down. I was lucky to not take a hard fall to my elbows when they were down. Found some Bauers that fit me right and I've been a lot happier (and not distracted).

Anything that could get you hurt should get replaced first--none of us are getting any younger, and the less hurt you get, the longer you can keep playing! :)

[donkers 31]

I'd actually go pants then enough tape to last you a life time. The 5030 is a solid stick and nothing wrong with a good wood twig unless you're dying to change it up. If your elbows are sliding up and down then I'd try new ones or if it's the elastic band that is becoming loose then you can repair that easily.

[Nosferatu 8]

Interesting to see about expiring helmets , I definitely fall into the category of someone who had a hefty break from playing hockey so some of my gear is getting on a bit . What is the approximate lifespan of a helmet ?