Equipment: What's the minimum price someone must pay for equipment?

[jnk96]

Hey guys!
I'm thinking about starting to play hockey and I was wondering how much I'd have to pay for the equipment. I have CCM Vector skates but I'd need everything else. Since I'm a starter, I don't want to spend $300 on a stick, $200 on gloves, $300 on a helmet and so on. But what is the minimum I have to pay for all together? Like I want something that is good enough but as cheap as possible. Second question: Where should I get it? In a store/online/second hand? And what could I get in a second hand store? Probably anything but a stick?
Help is much appreciated! Thank you!

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[mbeam]

When I started, I bought all my gear except for skates and stick at a second hand shop. I don't believe I paid more than $250 CAD for the lot: shins, pants, socks, elbow pads, shoulder pads, gloves. You can get some reasonable quality items for fairly cheap there. I think I picked up most items for 20-50 bucks a piece. The only thing you shouldn't skimp on as a beginner is your helmet. I'd look to spend ~90-120 on your helmet/cage/visor combo. But money definitely shouldn't be the deciding factor for that item.

If you go with a wooden stick you can pay as little as $15, while low-end composites can run you about $60.

edit:*CDN prices. I have no idea what you'll find in Germany.

 

[noobman]

Hey guys!
I'm thinking about starting to play hockey and I was wondering how much I'd have to pay for the equipment. I have CCM Vector skates but I'd need everything else. Since I'm a starter, I don't want to spend $300 on a stick, $200 on gloves, $300 on a helmet and so on. But what is the minimum I have to pay for all together? Like I want something that is good enough but as cheap as possible. Second question: Where should I get it? In a store/online/second hand? And what could I get in a second hand store? Probably anything but a stick?
Help is much appreciated! Thank you!

You can get all used equipment at a relatively low price, except you have to be prepared to go bargain hunting.

If I were you I would shell out on a good pair of entry level hockey skates and a new helmet. The skates should run you up approximately $200 or more (you could go used but it's hit or miss on quality and wear/tear), while the helmet should be around $80.

A wooden stick will cost you as little as $13, but maybe you'll want to go up to the $30 range unless you're penny pinching. By and large a quality wooden stick is better than a cheap composite, so even a $50 wood stick would be very good. Pants, gloves, shoulder pads, shin guards, elbow pads, and a jock should average out to around $25 a piece assuming that you're going for the bare minimum.


In total (excluding skates, which you own) you're looking at ~$300 to get all of your gear.

 

[jnk96]

Okay, that sounds quite good. Thank you!
I think I'll have up to $500 CAD to spend. So probably I could buy a composite stick. But would you recommend that? I heard people saying a wooden stick might be better for beginners since it makes stick handling easier.

edit:*CDN prices. I have no idea what you'll find in Germany.

I'll move to Canada in August so Canadian prices are exactly what I need!

 

[American in Paris]

If you're in Germany, you should check out this shop:

http://www.hps-sport-shop.de/

They buy up all kinds of excess stock and sell it on the cheap. Look in the special deals section... some of the prices are almost as low as what you'd find on Hockey Monkey.

 

[Jarick]

Check this thread out

I have listed:

$60 helmet
$30 cage
$30 shoulders
$30 elbows
$50 gloves
$50 pants
$40 shins

That's just under $300 for everything except the stick. Add $30 for a wood stick. Then about $50 for a couple jerseys, jock, bag, tape, socks, etc.

You can go used to shave some of that down. If you have used sports stores, look for some shoulder pads, pants, maybe a bag, used but clean jerseys and socks...

 

[AIREAYE]

Jarick's got it covered. Be prepared to possibly spend more on a helmet/skates.

 

[jnk96]

Thanks guys!

@Jarick
Ooops, didn't find that thread... Great help!

 

[JoeCool16]

Jarick's got it covered. Be prepared to possibly spend more on a helmet/skates.

Guy's got skates.

Incidentally, skates are one of the big ones you DON'T want second hand if you're going that route! Things like elbows, shoulders and pants are all generally pretty safe to throw through the wash and I probably wouldn't have any qualms about getting them second-hand. Helmet you'd probably want to go new, because you never know what happened to it in it's past life and you'll want to protect your head from any accidents.

I'm not sure how cleaning shins would go but you sweat a ton down there and I wouldn't want that unless I could wash it first.

I had a friend who got all their gear second hand(including helmet and jock, the latter I found to be very gross) and a jersey and socks for $100. Came with a bag too. This was off Craigslist, and he bought it in a set.

 

[shoeshine boy]

whatever you do DON'T go without facial protection even if the league you're playing in says it's ok. imo, beginners should never be allowed to play without a cage or a visor.
one of my local beer leagues requires no facial protection even if you're stepping on the ice for your first game ever. stupid.
there's is nothing "tough" or "cool" about losing an eye.

 

[jnk96]

whatever you do DON'T go without facial protection even if the league you're playing in says it's ok. imo, beginners should never be allowed to play without a cage or a visor.
one of my local beer leagues requires no facial protection even if you're stepping on the ice for your first game ever. stupid.
there's is nothing "tough" or "cool" about losing an eye.

I'm 16 so I'll definitely have to play with a cage. And even if I had the choice, I'd always play at least with a visor! I really can't understand the players who play without one.

 

[McDugan]

What I did a few years ago was find a set of stuff on eBay (or maybe it was Craigslist, I was looking both places) that someone was getting rid of. Luckily it all fit me, so it got me started. Using that stuff, I was able to figure out what aspects of each piece of gear I liked/didn't like. For instance, my first helmet had very little ventilation and that was really hard for me (I shave my head, and the sweat would just pool and it was retaining so much heat!) so I read around and ended up with a couple of Mission Intakes on clearance. Very comfortable and cheap!

I lurked a ton of gear posts on this board and on ModSquadHockey and over time I upgraded gear piece by piece when I could find major bargains. When HockeyMonkey was posting a lot of their 'Wicked Deals' on Facebook, I got some amazing bargains there, and I've even happened across some great gear at crazy low prices at yard sales.

 

[AIREAYE]

As long as the skates fit and have a decent amount of steel left, there should be no issue buying them second hand.

 

[boltnut]

I got everything for just under $300. That includes all pads, skates, helmet with cage and a stick and the bag to carry it all. Ordered all of it from Hockey Monkey. The pads were a package deal the rest was on clearance.

 

[jazzykat]

Don't worry about your stick too much. They are the coolest things (for whatever reason) and are very important but your skates and helmet are probably the most important.

Skates are #1 priority make sure they fit right and have adequate support.

Since everyone posts their experience I'll tell you about mine.

I bought the highest level skates (on ~clearance) and the highest level helmet+cage. All my other stuff is middle of the road (except my high-end shin pads...but they were cheap on clearance).

Putting on well fitted high quality (I am sure 1 or 2 models down would have been fine) skates changed my game almost over night. An appropriately fitted and supportive skate won't make you better than you are but it will allow you to "be all you can be".

As for the rest of your equipment you probably won't have much of an opinion on what is good and what sucks so cheap stuff for now is probably ok, with the exception of your helmet (or at least your cage). For safety's sake you want a good helmet fit, but if you have a cage that works for you then you won't feel like you are being blinded by the bars in it. That is key at least in my book, otherwise I would have taken it off and went back to a visor.

Nice gloves are just nice...they have more protection and blah blah but they just feel right...

IMO this is what I would spend extra money on:
1. Skates
2. Gloves/Cage
3. Gloves/Cage
4. Helmet (I'm not convinced that any of them are that protective.)
5. Shin pads/Stick(remember these break)
6. Shin pads/Stick(remember these break)
7. the rest

Also, if you are on a budget check out Winnwell brand stuff. I have their gloves (Awesome, but a little heavy) and a chunk of my club plays with their GX-8 stick including me. If the rest of their pro-stock line is on par with their gloves you can have great equipment for middle tier prices from the big names.

 

[Jarick]

Assuming they are clean, I have no problem buying shoulder pads, pants, and skates used. Most of the time you're wearing a layer between yourself and the gear so it doesn't get as nasty.

Elbow pads and shin guards I'm iffy on. Those are on bare skin most of the time and mine tend to get pretty nasty if they aren't washed regularly. But let's say they are clean and in good shape without any discoloration, sure I'd use them.

Helmets and gloves, no way. I don't know where a helmet has been and they are cheap enough to buy new. Gloves, not a chance in hell. They are the nastiest piece of gear. If they've seen any use, no thanks.

I've seen some great deals on all kinds of stuff at used shops. I've bought a lot of gear that's been sitting on the shelf for years still in the bag or box and heavily discounted.




I've covered this all in the post I linked, but while helmets and cages are important to use, you don't have to pay a ton of money for them. They all pass the same certifications. There's no helmet which has been proven and certified better or worse than any other one. Sure, some are lighter or more comfortable, but they aren't proven to be safer. If it fits your head without discomfort, that's all you NEED. If you've got extra cash, splurge for nicer padding or better ventilation or adjustment.

Cages are just too cheap to skimp on. I mean the most popular ones in college are the CCM 580's and those only run about $35.

 

[sanityplease]

Good advice here.

I'll add: try to get shin pads w/ removable liners, cuts drying time drastically, it's awful to go play a game with wet, heavy pads.

& if someone is, & fully grown (around 200lbs or more), I'd make sure your pants have good hip protection. Had a guy in my league last year, great player, in great shape & been skating all his life, forgot to remove his soaker, first step on the ice fell hard & broke his hip. I had a good scare as well while using borrowed skates, fell hard on my hip while pivoting, could barely walk for a week.

Also, make sure your stick is short enough. Too long of a stick reduces your hand mobility. Virtually all of the great puck handlers I've played with use a stick cut no higher than their chin w/ skates on.

 

[TLow97]

I just started hockey again last Winter after not playing since I was 16.

I would suggest buying "as you go" if you can. If you shop online on a site like Total Hockey, if you spend $75< shipping is free. They usually have a lot of good deals.

 

[greyraven8]

Might have more luck (selection/prices) in the thrift stores and on Kijiji once we get closer to winter. Though there are yard sales this time of year and you might find some stuff there. With the thrift store/yard sales the best luck I've had have been with jersey, socks, shin, elbow, shoulder, helmet; in my experience finding half decent quality pants and skates there that fit is rare.

Almost everything in my 2 sets of player's equipment and 1 set of goal equipment is used except the jock and sticks (plus 2 of my hockey bags and one pair of pants). Most people would recommend a new helmet/cage too.

The best places for 2nd hand skates I have found is my local hockey shops (one is Dave Wilson - part of the Source for Sports "chains") and Play-it-Again; Kijiji is another option. A mid grade or better pair of used skates is much better than an entry level or low level new skate. Think I got both pairs of my used player's skates locally for around the $100 mark; barely use pair of goalie skates got off Ebay for not too much more.

The model of Tackla brand pants I have are probably overkill for the level I am playing at, but I'd personally recommend them or something similar that has some good padding the tailbone and hips.

If you decide to go the online route for some items and get items shipped to where you are staying in Canada, factor in shipping costs and if getting items from the states make sure they will ship by USPS. Getting bent over by UPS's brokerage fees is not something you want to experience.

 

[jnk96]

I found some really nice clearance stuff on hockeymonkey.com. But probably I should go to a store to see what fits well...

 

[shoeshine boy]

there's also the Tron Hockey if you want to buy brand new and money is really tight: http://www.hockeytron.com/
I've bought a few things from them just to try them out. their "generic" brand stuff isn't bad for the price and they usually have 20-30% coupons as well.
note: I've never used their sticks and don't know anyone personally who has.

 

[mbeam]

I found some really nice clearance stuff on hockeymonkey.com. But probably I should go to a store to see what fits well...

Hockey Monkey is great if you live in the USA but after the shipping to Canada, you're pretty much on par with Canadian prices. Depending where you're living in Canada, there may be ways to ship to the USA and then drive down to pick it up (there's a service that runs out of Pt. Roberts for Vancouverites, for instance).

 

[AIREAYE]

Hockey Monkey is great if you live in the USA but after the shipping to Canada, you're pretty much on par with Canadian prices. Depending where you're living in Canada, there may be ways to ship to the USA and then drive down to pick it up (there's a service that runs out of Pt. Roberts for Vancouverites, for instance).

That never made any sense to me. There are always great prices in Canada, most people just don't look for them or ask around.

By the time you factor in...time, and gas and everything, it doesn't seem at all worth it to me. Plus dealing with potential warranty/return scenarios.

 

[JoeCool16]

That never made any sense to me. There are always great prices in Canada, most people just don't look for them or ask around.

By the time you factor in...time, and gas and everything, it doesn't seem at all worth it to me. Plus dealing with potential warranty/return scenarios.

I know people who do that, and in Surrey it actually totally makes sense. It's like a 10 minute drive to the border for me and you go when your tank is near empty anyway. Gas is far cheaper in the States so you fill up there, pick up your package and you're off. Only real costs are rental of wherever you're getting the shipping to, and the time cost if the border lines are brutal.

I agree you'd be hooped if you needed to return whatever you got for some reason.

 

[mbeam]

That never made any sense to me. There are always great prices in Canada, most people just don't look for them or ask around.

By the time you factor in...time, and gas and everything, it doesn't seem at all worth it to me. Plus dealing with potential warranty/return scenarios.

I've never done it but I know people who have done it through a company in Point Roberts and it costs them maybe $5. It can actually save them a ton of money sometimes but more often than not they're doing it because they can't find a specific item in their local shops.