Goalies of the Rink, I need your help

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

I am rocking an assortment of second hand and quite old goalie equipment. I like my chesty, my skates, and my helmet. Those are reasonably new.

However, my leg pads are 33+1 like Vaughn somethings from the early 1990s. They're like the style that the old standup goalies would use. Not really all that useful for a guy who plays a more hybrid to butterfly style. I've just had them a long time. My gloves are a mismatch of a bad ass Brian's glove (Gnetik, maybe) and some non-descript Itech one. Pants are old University of Michigan ones I got from their garage sale about 7 years ago.

I am in the market to look for a new set. However, I play real middle of the road adult league hockey. I don't need anything crazy or brand spanking new. Do you have any recommendations for some brands/sets to keep an eye out for?

I did demo Dylan St. Cyr's Brian's Optiks and those worked out really well. They're also like 2 grand, and I'm not gonna spend that much for what amounts to a hobby.

E: Said Dante St. Cyr instead of Dylan. Dante St Cyr sounds like a badass though.

Click to read more...

 

[puckpilot]

If you shop well you can find really insane deals at goalie monkey. Don't play goal but my friend got pads, a catcher, and a blocker all top of the line pro level and new for like $500. The stuff was old stock from a fee years ago but still.

 

[HHHH]

I second the Goalie Monkey sales, but look at ebay as well...almost all of my gear has come from ebay except for my mask...never skimp when it comes to protecting your brains

 

[bucks_oil]

I am rocking an assortment of second hand and quite old goalie equipment. I like my chesty, my skates, and my helmet. Those are reasonably new.

However, my leg pads are 33+1 like Vaughn somethings from the early 1990s. They're like the style that the old standup goalies would use. Not really all that useful for a guy who plays a more hybrid to butterfly style. I've just had them a long time. My gloves are a mismatch of a bad ass Brian's glove (Gnetik, maybe) and some non-descript Itech one. Pants are old University of Michigan ones I got from their garage sale about 7 years ago.

I am in the market to look for a new set. However, I play real middle of the road adult league hockey. I don't need anything crazy or brand spanking new. Do you have any recommendations for some brands/sets to keep an eye out for?

I did demo Dylan St. Cyr's Brian's Optiks and those worked out really well. They're also like 2 grand, and I'm not gonna spend that much for what amounts to a hobby.

E: Said Dante St. Cyr instead of Dylan. Dante St Cyr sounds like a badass though.

Like you I started with all used 1990's equipment when I got back into beer league hockey about a decade ago, now it's all "new" and I'm starting to upgrade the oldest of the new stuff. My advice:

• (Generally) Start from top to bottom (helmet down) if it makes sense based on the condition of the equipment so that: 1) your head is protected first and 2) it's your own sweat/stink that flows into your newer gear
• Leg pads (especially what you are using) will make the BIGGEST difference and can even change your technique. I was trained in the Bill Ranford era, so "profly" slides did not exist. But you don't need to spend a lot.... see next point
• Definitely use goalie monkey (or pure goalie, or eBay NEW). Go somewhere to try your gear on so you know the sizing, see if the local will match a goalie monkey price (just to be nice). You shouldn't need to pay more than $500 for a really nice set of "last year's model" pads. The $1000+ pads are manufactured in Canada/USA and may last longer, but the China versions are offered by most companies have many of the same features a year or two later and are pretty damn good for beer league
• I'm going to contradict myself a bit: skates made the 2nd biggest performance difference (for me) so maybe the best upgrade order is helmet, leg pads, skates, stinky chesty, stinky gloves

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

Like you I started with all used 1990's equipment when I got back into beer league hockey about a decade ago, now it's all "new" and I'm starting to upgrade the oldest of the new stuff. My advice:

• (Generally) Start from top to bottom (helmet down) if it makes sense based on the condition of the equipment so that: 1) your head is protected first and 2) it's your own sweat/stink that flows into your newer gear
• Leg pads (especially what you are using) will make the BIGGEST difference and can even change your technique. I was trained in the Bill Ranford era, so "profly" slides did not exist. But you don't need to spend a lot.... see next point
• Definitely use goalie monkey (or pure goalie, or eBay NEW). Go somewhere to try your gear on so you know the sizing, see if the local will match a goalie monkey price (just to be nice). You shouldn't need to pay more than $500 for a really nice set of "last year's model" pads. The $1000+ pads are manufactured in Canada/USA and may last longer, but the China versions are offered by most companies have many of the same features a year or two later and are pretty damn good for beer league
• I'm going to contradict myself a bit: skates made the 2nd biggest performance difference (for me) so maybe the best upgrade order is helmet, leg pads, skates, stinky chesty, stinky gloves

Oh, I already did that.

I have a brand new Protechsport mask I got that is awesome and I love.
And I'm familiar with the sizing. 33+1 works fine for me. It's more that I was a dumpster-diving cheapskate before. I'm still not trying to walk in and flash the cash for top of the line, but I want something that will hold up.

Basically, I did exactly that.

Helmet first, Skates next (those are done)
Leg pads and gloves
Eventually goalie pants and chesty.

I just wanted to make sure that I'm not getting something that is okay when something drastically better is a similar or even slightly more price. I don't want to get a 2010 set of pads for 500 and then find like a 2016 set of better pads for around that.

 

[bucks_oil]

Oh, I already did that.

I have a brand new Protechsport mask I got that is awesome and I love.
And I'm familiar with the sizing. 33+1 works fine for me. It's more that I was a dumpster-diving cheapskate before. I'm still not trying to walk in and flash the cash for top of the line, but I want something that will hold up.

Basically, I did exactly that.

Helmet first, Skates next (those are done)
Leg pads and gloves
Eventually goalie pants and chesty.

I just wanted to make sure that I'm not getting something that is okay when something drastically better is a similar or even slightly more price. I don't want to get a 2010 set of pads for 500 and then find like a 2016 set of better pads for around that.

I misread your question. I didn't realize you were looking for specific advice on pads. I'm not an expert on the nuances between models (that's why I suggested to try them, or a similar model, on... not for size but for feel, 5-hole close, etc)... but there are 8 options in the $500 price point and 16 available under $900 in your price point and size on goalie monkey.

These struck me as a great deal on a pro-level pad that would be made in NA. Available in your size in white:
https://www.goaliemonkey.com/equipm...-leg-pads/reebok-goalie-leg-pads-xlt-pro.html

I don't think goalie monkey has stuff that is more than a few years old, but I'm sure other gear-head experts will have more opinions on the available deals.

 

[DevsFan84]

Here's what I would do if I were you:

1. I'd go to a store and try on some stuff to get your leg pad size. Your sizing will almost definitely be different from an old pad like that (a combination of different sizing and pads shrinking over time- older vaughns especially) If you want new and find a good deal, pull the trigger.

2. If you want to go used, shop Ebay. I personally wouldn't buy used gloves, but a lot of people have no problem doing so- they just kind of gross me out. I would, and have, purchased used leg pads which were a great deal.

 

[HansonBro]

I am rocking an assortment of second hand and quite old goalie equipment. I like my chesty, my skates, and my helmet. Those are reasonably new.

However, my leg pads are 33+1 like Vaughn somethings from the early 1990s. They're like the style that the old standup goalies would use. Not really all that useful for a guy who plays a more hybrid to butterfly style. I've just had them a long time. My gloves are a mismatch of a bad ass Brian's glove (Gnetik, maybe) and some non-descript Itech one. Pants are old University of Michigan ones I got from their garage sale about 7 years ago.

I am in the market to look for a new set. However, I play real middle of the road adult league hockey. I don't need anything crazy or brand spanking new. Do you have any recommendations for some brands/sets to keep an eye out for?

I did demo Dylan St. Cyr's Brian's Optiks and those worked out really well. They're also like 2 grand, and I'm not gonna spend that much for what amounts to a hobby.

E: Said Dante St. Cyr instead of Dylan. Dante St Cyr sounds like a badass though.

I have a whole set available if youre near the GTA

 

[JoeCool16]

Since you demo'd Dylan St. Cyr's gear, you're probably pretty short, like me! It's actually awesome for secondhand gear... remember, all those future NHLers that end up being 6'5 are going to need to keep getting new pads, and their parents will be selling their old ones to help fund that. You can get really great deals on gear they may have outgrown after only a couple of seasons.

For buying second-hand, I recommend Craigslist or something like Facebook's market. This means you'd be buying local, so you can avoid hefty shipping costs and actually have a chance to see and quickly make sure the pads fit. Often, the pads in-store won't be the ones you'll be buying secondhand, because secondhand will be a few seasons out-of-date. Sizing may have changed, and can be different between brands anyway.

 

[StrangeVision]

Could give this a shot: Hockey Goalie Leg Pads | Buy and Sell on SidelineSwap

 

[SnipesMalloy]

Hey, I just recently got into ball hockey goalie, and was hoping not too spend much on equip. Enough to protect me and look decent. Since I probably wasn't going to play great, I may as well look like I could be good haha. I used kijiji as my go to for equip. I went to another store first to try on sizes and fits, but it seems like you know that already.

Anyways, I ended up with a great deal, some dad was selling his kids pads that fit me and had been used a few seasons. I paid $250 for the pads and gloves. The gloves aren't pictured but they match the pads. You just may have to be patient on finding exactly what you want.

And because they were second hand and who knows how sweaty this guy was, I went outside on a nice sunny day and gave the gloves and pads a good scrubbing and cleaning, so they weren't to stinky and gross.

 

[Jets]

If you like to go down and move around more than just standing up or blocking butterfly then absolutely make sure you get pads with breaks. A lot of the style now is to use elongated full length pads for blocking butterfly and more standup type styles. I play an active butterfly and absolutely hate having no breaks ( nor would I buy those, personally)

 

[varano]

I am rocking an assortment of second hand and quite old goalie equipment. I like my chesty, my skates, and my helmet. Those are reasonably new.

However, my leg pads are 33+1 like Vaughn somethings from the early 1990s. They're like the style that the old standup goalies would use. Not really all that useful for a guy who plays a more hybrid to butterfly style. I've just had them a long time. My gloves are a mismatch of a bad ass Brian's glove (Gnetik, maybe) and some non-descript Itech one. Pants are old University of Michigan ones I got from their garage sale about 7 years ago.

I am in the market to look for a new set. However, I play real middle of the road adult league hockey. I don't need anything crazy or brand spanking new. Do you have any recommendations for some brands/sets to keep an eye out for?

I did demo Dylan St. Cyr's Brian's Optiks and those worked out really well. They're also like 2 grand, and I'm not gonna spend that much for what amounts to a hobby.

E: Said Dante St. Cyr instead of Dylan. Dante St Cyr sounds like a badass though.

If you're patient, buying on kijiji is the only way to go. I've gotten some insane deals on there. You just have to be patient and find someone who isn't patient enough to wait for their full asking price lol

 

[Lil Sebastian Cossa]

Since you demo'd Dylan St. Cyr's gear, you're probably pretty short, like me! It's actually awesome for secondhand gear... remember, all those future NHLers that end up being 6'5 are going to need to keep getting new pads, and their parents will be selling their old ones to help fund that. You can get really great deals on gear they may have outgrown after only a couple of seasons.

For buying second-hand, I recommend Craigslist or something like Facebook's market. This means you'd be buying local, so you can avoid hefty shipping costs and actually have a chance to see and quickly make sure the pads fit. Often, the pads in-store won't be the ones you'll be buying secondhand, because secondhand will be a few seasons out-of-date. Sizing may have changed, and can be different between brands anyway.

Yep. 5'8 on a good day. I've tried doing the ATK and FTK things and it's always like 16.75-17. I've never been led astray by a 33" pad.

I did manage to get some Ben Scrivens pro returns which are kinda weird. They're 35+1's, but Ben has shorter legs even though he's up in the 6' range, so he took 2 inches out of the shin area, so it's actually essentially a 33+1.5 or so. The thighrise is really odd to get used to after old Vaughns with none.

Thank you all for assistance. I found this through GGSU which is basically facebook's craiglist for goalies.

And St. Cyr is one of my new favorite goalies. Saw his golden helmet during the Jim Johansson classic which was awesome and his Brian's Optiks are ****ing badass. I ended up getting Vaughn V6s which are't optik's but are still damn good. The professor strap is something I'm still getting used to.