Goalie pads
- Thread starter Galchenkel
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The best quality pads on the market right now (in my opinion) are RBK and CCM Blockade. Your friend needs to pick a pad that fits his style. He can check the manufacturers web site for information, colour, sizing etc.
If you can, get them custom ordered at a sports shop. It doesn't cost any extra but it takes a few weeks to get them - especially at this time of year. Tell him to go check them out, see how they fit and pick one.
If he can't do that and he doesn't care to get custom pads, check out eBay. They have a ton of goalie equipment and you can get some great deals.
If you can, get them custom ordered at a sports shop. It doesn't cost any extra but it takes a few weeks to get them - especially at this time of year. Tell him to go check them out, see how they fit and pick one.
If he can't do that and he doesn't care to get custom pads, check out eBay. They have a ton of goalie equipment and you can get some great deals.
Galchenkel
Registered User
Greechbc9 said:
well, he'll play something like 6-7 hours per week at junior level. and on the ice
Goalie pads are a very personal thing, largely dictated by one's style of play and personal preferences.
For a strictly-butterflying goalie, the RBK Premiers are pretty much king of the hill right now, having a nice pre-curved shape and empty, open Lefevre style leg channel. The downside is that they're on the heavy side and their thick thigh rises hurt mobility somewhat.
For a hybrid goalie, the Vaughn Velocity 2 is probably the top box-style pad out there. The leg channel is much busier than in the case of something like the RBK and the pad will not give quite the same butterfly coverage, but is much more flexible and lighter and will allow for better mobility.
In terms of a flat-faced but traditional-styled (with lateral flex as opposed to box) pad, take a look at both the Eagle Infinity and CCM Gatekeeper. The Gatekeeper is a great pad and much lighter than most others, however its main caveat is that it is more prone to not rotating fully in the butterfly.
Pads such as the CCM Blockade have largely fallen out of favour due to their complete lack of flex in the knee, which makes it extremely difficult to close the 5-hole properly unless one has a high degree of natural hip flexibility.
If you want a straight-up, traditional styled pad with lots of flexibility in both directions, take a look at the Eagle PMW1. The downside here is that the pad does not translate to the blocking, butterfly style of play well. They're great for hybrid-to-standup goalies however.
Also, consider a smaller manufacturer who can make you a set of pads exactly to your specs, usually for considerably less than a big-brand. Three with excellent reputations are Battram (http://www.battram.com), Miller (http://www.goaliestore.com) and Smith (http://www.smithhockey.com). Don Simmons is also prevalent in the non-name-brand goalie equipment market, however their gear is generally not built to the same level of quality nor do they do any custom work beyond changing colours.
For a strictly-butterflying goalie, the RBK Premiers are pretty much king of the hill right now, having a nice pre-curved shape and empty, open Lefevre style leg channel. The downside is that they're on the heavy side and their thick thigh rises hurt mobility somewhat.
For a hybrid goalie, the Vaughn Velocity 2 is probably the top box-style pad out there. The leg channel is much busier than in the case of something like the RBK and the pad will not give quite the same butterfly coverage, but is much more flexible and lighter and will allow for better mobility.
In terms of a flat-faced but traditional-styled (with lateral flex as opposed to box) pad, take a look at both the Eagle Infinity and CCM Gatekeeper. The Gatekeeper is a great pad and much lighter than most others, however its main caveat is that it is more prone to not rotating fully in the butterfly.
Pads such as the CCM Blockade have largely fallen out of favour due to their complete lack of flex in the knee, which makes it extremely difficult to close the 5-hole properly unless one has a high degree of natural hip flexibility.
If you want a straight-up, traditional styled pad with lots of flexibility in both directions, take a look at the Eagle PMW1. The downside here is that the pad does not translate to the blocking, butterfly style of play well. They're great for hybrid-to-standup goalies however.
Also, consider a smaller manufacturer who can make you a set of pads exactly to your specs, usually for considerably less than a big-brand. Three with excellent reputations are Battram (http://www.battram.com), Miller (http://www.goaliestore.com) and Smith (http://www.smithhockey.com). Don Simmons is also prevalent in the non-name-brand goalie equipment market, however their gear is generally not built to the same level of quality nor do they do any custom work beyond changing colours.
It all depends on his style and what he likes.
What kind of pads does he have now? How does he like them?
What kind of pads does he have now? How does he like them?
Additionally, if you're concerned about lightness above all else, take a look at the Sher-Wood Cerberus 10. They're head and shoulders above everything else in terms of weight, and Sher-Wood's past durability problems appear to have largely abated.
I should also mention that in a similar vein to the Velocity 2 is the new Itech 11.8 X-Factor series. They've got a better knee setup than the Velos, but the downside is that the leg channel is absurdly crowded.
I should also mention that in a similar vein to the Velocity 2 is the new Itech 11.8 X-Factor series. They've got a better knee setup than the Velos, but the downside is that the leg channel is absurdly crowded.
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I use Smith gloves and they are the best piece of gear I've ever owned. Based on that I would not hesitate to purchase Smith pads and will be when I'm in the market next for pads due to the quality, customization, and price.
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