New Equipment for older guy

[Oldmannewbie 0]

I am relatively new to the hockey scene as I have not played in more than 15 years. This past year, I got back into it and have begun skating in a rec league. Now that some of my skills are coming back to me, I am interested in purchasing some decent equipment. I have the skates (CCM1052) and the shin guards (Bauer 6000) and I am now searching for decent stuff. I have seen so many topics regarding composite 1 piece sticks, Eagle hockey gloves and Bauer 8000 helmets. I have tried on the Bauers and they just don't seem to fit my dome correctly. Any suggestions on equipment would greatly be appreciated. I have searched the internet for great deals. I wish these type of forums existed when I played in college. At 39, the body just doesn't do what it once did. Thanks in advance! :)

[Cavs019 710]

I'd look at some of the closeout deals on some of the older top of the line/just below top of the line stuff. Many of the older one pieces are significantly marked down currently. What about the 8000 didn't feel right?

[ryno 0]

Welcome back to the game. If it's higher end stuff you're looking for a lot is going to come down to what fits you best, you aren't going to sacrifice much protection from one brand's top of the line to the next. It's up to you what features and fit you are looking for.

Personally I've always liked Jofa for shins and elbows. I like Tackla pants but they are pricey, have a pair of Bauer pro stocks I like also. Shoulder pads I can't suggest since I switch between a pair of old Coopers and Bauer Flak. I like Eagle gloves better than any other but again it will depend on what feels good to you. I'm sure you'll get plenty of opinions on sticks so I'll just leave those alone.

[forsberg91 0]

Hey. Welcome back to the best sport.

First of all, have you tried on the Bauer 5000. I love this helmet and have had it for my last 3. I love the Jofa shins and elbows too. Eagle gloves are my #1 choice for a glove. If you want a one piece stick, try to pick up an '04 SyNergy.

[hockeyluke88 0]

For one-piece sticks, Peranis is having a blowout on a lot of former top-of-the-line stuff still...I think. Then as said before, there are a lot of closeout deals around with some pretty good stuff.

[Accord 0]

You should go to the reviews section here on MSH and check out all the product reviews. As far as protective equipment goes, go down to your local hockey shop and try on everything and buy whatever you find to me the most comfortable while still having a decent amount of protection. Gloves are all about finding a good balance between comfort and protection, but pretty much any top of the line glove is more than sufficient so just buy whatever you find to be the most comfortable. Sticks are all personal preference but one piece composites are very expensive and have terrible durability, I would stay away from them if I were you. Go for a quality shaft and blade combo.

[Chadd 916]

I would avoid OPS and go with a tapered shaft. You get the performance of the OPS and can get the feel of a wood blade.

[KingstonMike 0]

I'd have a look at the Jofa 690 helmet. I really like the way this helmet fits my head; it's very light and comfortable. (YMMV of course)

I'm not sure how much protection you need but for pants I'd check out the Mission M2. It's an inexpensive pant with a lot of nice features.

I echo what others have already stated: go with a two piece over a one piece.

Welcome back!

[Miserable 6]

Check out the Bauer 4000 for helmets. I can't get a 5000 to fit my big, misshapen head but the 4000 fits really well. I would also agree with Chadd, go the tapered shaft wood blade route.

[JCYC5 0]

Try all the brands for helmets. One WILL fit you better than the other, and they offer pretty much the same protection (CCM 1052, Itech HC100, Bauer 5000 which has EPP foam, and CCM 852, Itech HC95 and Bauer 4000 which have the classic styled foam)

[Oldmannewbie 0]

Thanks guys for all the suggestions. I will look for the Bauer 4000 helmet. The 5 and 8K just didn't fit right against my bald dome. As for the sticks, I am currently using the CCM Vector V50 and love the shape but would like something a little less in weight. I will check the local shops and cruise the web for deals. Once again, thanks for taking the time to help out an old guy. :)

[dietzie27 0]

if you wanna look into tapered shafts. ive been seeing east synthesis on sale lately for about $85

[Perry94 0]

personally, no composite techno-junk gimmick can replace a good wooden stick

[awall 0]

Its nice to see that I'm not the only old fart getting into Hockey. At least you played once upon a time, I'm just now learning to skate. That being said I have been perusing the net for any reviews and suggesitons I could find so I will share what little insight I have. Please keep in mind I have yet to touch a puck so my advice is slightly on the myopic leading the blind.

My first suggestion is e-pinions, I found a lot of reviews there and some of them were quite entertaining to read. http://www.epinions.com/sprt-All-Hockey .

Something to think about is do you want to go with some cheap / affordable equipment or do you want something a little more protective. My theory is that I'll probably never play in a competitive league, but I'm old (33 yrs) and I want all the protection I can get since I don't recover like I used to. Keeping that in mind I don't mind spending more for the good stuff if it will be protective.

Here's what I got so far and why I picked it.

Skates. I bought CCM Vector 6's. I have a wide foot (EE) and my internet research said that CCM skates were made wide. I was originally going to go with the Tacks, but my local shop said that he couldn't order them back in January because they had been discontinued until the new line came out in march. He recommended the Vector 6's in their place. Break in was entertaining, but I was just learning to skate and this was my first pair, but now I am pretty satisfied with them.

Pads

When it came to pads my research said that Jofa made the best and most protective. I read a review on the Jofa Shoulder pads and the descriptions dazzled me with technology. http://www.epinions.com/content_138837659268 .

Shin Guards

I picked up the Jofa 9060's primarily because my local shop had them on sale and they didn't have the 9090's in my size. I haven't had a chance to use them yet so I can't offer any suggestions or opinions there. I also discovered that my old overweight self also doesn't fit into them well i.e. the strap that my pads came with won't fit around my leg. I had heard that some people tape their shin pads on so it looks like I'll be doing that myself.

Cup

When I was young there weren't any options there a cup was a cup. Technology has changed since then. The only requirement there was that my wife insisted that I buy the best money could buy, something about protecting an investment. I went with a Shock Doctor because that's what my local shop carried.

Pants

I haven't picked up my pants yet, but had planned to go with Jofa again, that is until I saw that catalog for the new Reebok stuff (same thing I guess). My shop conveniently doesn't have any Jofa pants and I had looked at some CCM's but I plan on waiting until they get the new Rbk's in and then picking up a pair.

Shoulder Pads

I really like the look of those Jofa and if you can read that review up there you can see why. I plan on picking them up when I get my pants, so no experience there.

Elbow Pads

I went with Jofa here and was very glad I did. I bought the Jofa 9177's and used them 5 minutes after I bought them. Since I am learning to skate I have had a few spills and got some good use out of my elbow pads, especially when learning to go backwards. How did I use them so quickly after I bought them, I'm gald you asked? I was kinda excited about trying on my new pads I quickly put on my skates and pads and got on the ice. Well as soon as I put my foot on the ice my feet went up in the air. My first thought was that there was a really bad problem with the ice that day, at least that's what I thought until I saw the skate guards that I had forgotten to take off. I landed hard on my elbow that time and hardly felt it so I highly recomment the 9177s.

Gloves

This was a harder decision. None of the local hockey shops carried any of the Jofa and I didn't want to order any so I looked here in the review section and on e-pinions. In the end I went with some Vapor XX's, not really because they were any kind of super protective, but because I like the color. I also found out that these were the same type of gloves that the owner of my local hockey shop uses so I figure they couldn't be all that bad.

Helmet

I had originally planned to get Jofa here, but admit to being swayed by CCM just because it seemed that that was what most of the Dallas Stars were wearing when I met a few of them. I also couldn't find any at any of the shops here in Dallas. I picked my helmet up used with a full cage for $60 from one of the guys who works at my local hockey shop. He promised me it had only been used once 3 years ago before he had to buy another because of the team he was playing on. It fits and is in good condition so I didn't complain. Besides I plan to scrap the full cage and go with the Itech FX-50 half & half when I start playing.

Cage

I picked the Itech Fx-50 or will pick it because I wanted a half cage half visor. The FX-50 is optically correct so you won't get distortions around the curve and I have heard that replacement visors come 2 to a box.

Well I hope I offered some useful suggesitons. There are other people on this board who have played longer and more knowledgeable so I am kinda curious what kind of responses we'll get.

Awall

[biff44 0]

Hey good for you! I was toying with the idea of playing some duffer hockey too, but I thought the guys would make fun when I straped a big fluffy pillow to my butt!

[Kobe 0]

Although all opinions are welcomed, I wouldn't put too much stock into the hockey equipment reviews at epinions. There just aren't any regulations or guidelines for people to follow when writing those reviews. I'm sure some, if not most, of those reviews were written up after the first or second skate with the product in question. They're just not dependable enough to make a good decision. That being said, the choices that Awall made are still very good (depending on if your budget is as large as his seems to be).

Helmet: Get anything that fits you correctly. Bauer, Itech, CCM, whatever. All of the higher end helmets have some sort of approval by some agency so get whatever that fits you correctly.

Shoulders, Shins, Elbows: Jofa is always good. Some of the higher end stuff is a little bit bulky in my opinion though. Check out the Nike V-10 line. The Nike V-line has won (or been nominated) for several MSH product awards this year and are definately my pick for best bang-for-buck under protective equipment. The Vapor line from Bauer is also excellent. They're quite expensive so I wouldn't recommend them unless they're on sale.

Pants: Tackla makes the best pants IMO. You have to pay for what you get though. If you're digging the newer stuff like the RBK or Bauer 8000 pants then you might want to look at the older pants - the Nike Quest 1 or 2 and Bauer Vapor 6 or 10 pants. The RBK/Bauer pants are new so the Quest/Vapor pants should be considerably cheaper.

Gloves: This has a lot to do with fit preference. Eagles are good for a looser fit. They're some of the most expensive gloves that you can buy though. TPS HGTs are a good choice as well. If you like a tighter fitting glove then the Bauer XV's are far and away the best glove that you can buy. The amount of glove that you get for its price is unbelievable. It's $50 USD cheaper than the XX's and IMO is just as good (if not better if you like a nash/clarino palm).

Stick: Ah the stick. IMO the one pieces just aren't worth it. You can get the same performance with a high end tapered shaft and blade combo. It's true that you can cut most OPS's to make tapered shafts after the blade breaks but you'll lose some length in the shaft. Any of the higher end tapered shafts is a great choice. Check out the MSH review section.

[awall 0]

Good points about e-pinions. I have found one guy who seems to be knowledgable (puckmugger), but one review should not a decision make. Budget, mmm I hadn't thought of my budget being big or anything I just figured that you get what you pay for. I'm also lucky that I don't have to have all my equipment right now and can pick it up one piece at a time.

I forgot to write a section about my stick, but I don't know what to say there as the stick I have is a one piece wooden stick that was given to me. I figured that I would start there and just flounder around until I found one I like. The nasty thing about sticks is that it boils down to personal preferance and to get personal preferance you have to try a lot of sticks and they aren't cheap. I am leaning towards a two piece since it seems you can replace the blade when it breaks and would be theoretically be a cheaper way to try the different curves.

Awall

[kosydar 0]

For pads, if you're playing in a non-contact, laid back league, you might want to look into the Sherwood traditional line of shoulder and elbow pads. They might be a lot easier of an adjustment for you than a lot of the high end, bulky pads that probably have more protection than you'll ever need.

[Kobe 0]

On a sidenote here, you will not believe the lack of protection that NHLers go with for their shoulder pads. I just watched a DVD about Canada's 04 World Cup run which included many locker room shots of the players putting on their equipment. Guys like Sakic wear next to nothing. I remember seeing him wear one of those old Cooper lace-up shoulder pads similar to the Sherwood traditional and Easton classic shoulder pads. He had Bauer shoulder caps sewed on them though but the chest and back protection was next to nothing.

[ryno 0]

Speaking of lack of protection how about Holmstrom's getup. A lot of the older guys seem to wear the older style, minimal protection, shoulder pads since that's what they grew up wearing. Last I heard Shanahan was wearing the same ones he's had since before he entered the NHL.

[Oldmannewbie 0]

Once again "Thanks" for the suggestions. I just came back from a hockey store and tried on the Jofa 9135 elbow pads and they just seemed to be to bulky and restrictive. I think they are great pads for guys who play in a higher level than myself. I did like the Bauer 6000 elbow pads and I tried on the Bauer Vapor XV gloves. I did see a great deal on the Tackla 5000 pants. They were on sale for $48. I am thinking that these will be perfect for me. I have read on the opinions on epinions but I came to this forum to get the information since I wanted to hear from guys/girls that play the sport. Thanks again! :)

[Oldmannewbie 0]

Newest addition to the equipment are Tackla 5000 pants. I just couldn't pass up the deal. $45 for a brand new pair. The hunt goes on for additional equipment. Thanks again! :)

[asdfa 0]

congrats on the purchase, that's a great deal for such expensive pants.

when are you going to start playing, or have you started already? from my experience, a lot of equipment get heavily discounted from april to the summer, so you start playing in the winter, you may want to hold on a bit to get the best deal, just my 2 cents

[Rustyhole 1]

Your 33 and your old??? I'm 34 and I'm not old... old people play with the senoirs! hahaha! Well, I recently got back into the game after a few years of the guys at work bugging me about being such a fan and not playing (other than at the outdoor rink). What I found out is that while I wanted (& could afford high end stuff) basically the stuff out now is far beyond what i remember and used to play with that the mid-level stuff is fantastic!! Basic rules for me (not at the beginnig though!!!) were... get a good pair of skates and gloves and the rest should follow. Lots of players on our team at work play with "classic" lite shoulder pads if you're worried about them being too bulky. Another thing i learned was don't get hooked on a brand and buy something because it says "EASTON" on it without even trying the others. As for comp sticks... wood sticks are much lighter and stronger and the difference isn't as much as you'd think. Will 30 grams improve your game... 100 grams... will you notice? If you want a comp stick go with a 2piece like (in my opinion Easton's UltraLite or Z-Bubble) and use tape around the shaft for grip to save $40 or so for the "grip" version. As for what i bought here goes ...

Helmet: Bauer 5000 w/ Itech HX50 Optech visor ... helmet fit good and it was on sale. visor was reinforced with metal bars/cage at top. i thought this was good as i need to wear glasses. also bottom is cut to allow better ventilation

Shoulder pads: Easton X-treme... i think these are '02 or earlier; couldn't find too much info on them but salesperson recommended them. Also, friend was recommending the SherWood oldstyle classic pads but i wanted more protection. Probably could of used those classic ones now.

Elbow: Easton UltraLite... these are very comfortable, lots of protection. like you, i want to practice safe hockey! (there's a joke there somewhere)

Gloves: Easton Synergy... pure impulse buy as i already had good gloves. only complaint is that the palms are white and if you use colored tape on your shaft the dye comes off staining the palm. oh well, they're comfy

Pants: CCM 659 Tacks... these are WAY more comfortable than i was expecting a hockey pant to be. inside of legs are zippered to allow better ventilation

Shin pads: Easton ZLD... also older model, these are great but velco needs readjusting as when i go to attach it, i'm already past where the other half is. they are not loose and don't move around but... it bugs me greatly.

Skates: Bauer Vapor VII... these are great skates and a level (or 2 or 3) beyond what i had before. lots of support and great feel.

Stick: Easton Synergy Si-Core Grip 85 flex 'Modano'... overall very happy with this stick (had them since Nov. 04). Only complaint is it has a somewhat hollow feel to it that my UltraLite didn't. Also have an Easton Z-Bubble 2piece with a wood 'Modano' blade that's also great.

These are my obsevations only and don't describe others experiences. It's great you're back in the game. It only took me 2 or 3 games to adjust to wearing equipment, but my coworkers tell me i'll need LOTS of practice trying to read the puck. lol. Good luck and good shooting!!

[jimmy 194]

Many of the beer leaguers I play with use the Sherwood 5030 classic shoulders, very light and not much protection, just like we use to use when hockey was a game not a fashion statement. :-) As for the rest of the gear, they aren't real picky, whatever is on sale and/or whatever $$$ their wife's allow them to spend.

I would definately buy a cage for whatever helmet you get.