Holiday from UK to USA, hockey store recommendations

[Quintin 16]

I'll be making a my first ever trip to the US in August/September and surprisingly, I have hockey equipment shopping on my mind. I'm looking to buy a pair Supreme TotalOne MX3 skates along with a pair TUUK LS2 holders and STEP steel runners to go with them - preferably have them fitted onto the skate in store. I've done a Google search but I'd like to get everyone's opinion of shops in or nearby the area.

These are the places where I'll be, and for how long:

NYC (5 days)

Phoenix, Arizona (2 days)
Las Vegas (5 days)
Roadtrip from San Francisco to Los Angeles, California (5-7 days)

Many thanks MSH!

[flyers10 57]

Phoenix has Behind the Mask (3 locations) and Coyotes Ice sports. Not sure if either sells Step steel.

[AIREAYE 248]

In my NYC experience, it'll take you a good part of the day to travel to the New Jersey side for Monkey or Pure Hockey (which I visited). Those offer the best selections and sales, but if you can take care of your shopping in Phoenix, like flyers suggested, you can spend more time enjoying NYC!

[Zjack38 46]

There's plenty of stores all over Calli as well

[Cosmic 178]

I visit Los Angeles quite a bit, and Hockey Monkey in Irvine is the best stocked store within 50 miles; maybe even within 500 miles. HM is definitely my preferred store, with nowhere close for #2. Great selection, always good stuff on clearance (if not in store then online), and the people who work there are all ideal. I order a lot from IW online too, but their in store experience is not really set up to be an in store experience. Good people and all, just more of a wherehouse (like their name) than a show room. Hockey Giant in Anaheim is good, may find a crazy clearance deal there, not as huge selection though as HM. Jake's in El Segundo is a unique place- mom and pop type feel and nice selection of pro stock pants. Never been to Tron Hockey but they are close by too. I think that's everything for LA/ OC.

[MN old and slow 92]

pro shop at los vegas ice center is pretty good. That is coming from a mn guy!

[x-axis 44]

Is that the order you are visiting the cities?

I'd call ahead and make sure they have what you are looking for and can do the install within the time you are in that city. Those will probably be your biggest issues and having someone reliable do it. If they don't have it in stock it will take them 2 days to a week to get it in California.

As for California hockey shops, from SF to LA...

I'd look into Hockey X Sport in Oakland, then Hockey Giant in San Jose, and San Jose Sharpening and Profiling to do your install.

Hockey tron's store is no longer in Norwalk, they moved to San Diego. They wouldn't carry anything you are looking for any how.

If you decide to do it in the LA/OC area, I would have Hockeymonkey Irvine or Ultimate Skate at Anaheim Ice do the install. They are the most reliable. Everyone else I would not trust time-wise.

[Chadd 916]

pro shop at los vegas ice center is pretty good. That is coming from a mn guy!

I've been there a few times and thought the selection was pretty lame. They had five year old sticks, still listed at full retail price. In terms of quantity, they had a ton of stuff. In terms of quality, not so much.

[SirJW 207]

Hopefully you can get a few skated in the new wheels b4 you leave the area you buy them from. This way you can get any adjustments needed for a wonderful fit.

[MN old and slow 92]

I had a great experience at vegas pro shop, Quite a bit of good stuff and they match internet price. Decent players in vegas and great entertainment. At my age the best from last year works just fine. Vegas is heavy on Graf which I like. Last time there was August 2013.

[z1ggy 81]

+1 to HM. The one nearest me is a pretty good store. Even has a place you can shoot pucks.

[MN old and slow 92]

Vegas has quite a bit of rink rat time. You can buy in NYC or az and break in at sick and puck. That place is a slice of MN in the desert.

[IPv6Freely 2096]

HockeyMonkey is going to be the best store you'll see on your trip. Save your cash until you get to California ;)

HockeyGiant isn't bad, especially now that they've opened up the store to be a good 2-3x the size it used to be.

HockeyTron should be avoided for reasons you can easily see in the HockeyTron thread. Their selection isn't great anyway - it's 90% their Chinese knockoffs with very little in the way of name brand gear. Nothing you wouldn't find at HM or HG.

Hockey tron's store is no longer in Norwalk, they moved to San Diego.

They did? Where? EDIT: Wow. Vista, that's literally 5 minutes from me. Still won't get my business though.

[beerleaguecaptain 999]

Don't waste time in NYC looking at hockey gear. HM in Woodbridge NJ is best but really, it's NY, there are far better things to do.

[IPv6Freely 2096]

Don't waste time in NYC looking at hockey gear. HM in Woodbridge NJ is best but really, it's NY, there are far better things to do.

That, and if you're going to be hitting a HM in CA, it's a whole lot closer to LA than Woodbridge NJ is to NYC so you might as well wait.

[HDHockey 19]

The only advantage to hitting NJ over CA is if the in-store specials listed for them are better at 1. For example, Woodbridge has 20% of RBK protective this month, but that is not listed on the Irvine specials. Not sure if they match each other or not, but I know I have been able to catch some pretty good deals with the in-store specials at Woodbridge, never been to Irvine so it may be the same.