Hockey is a sport that requires a lot of equipment, and it can sometimes be overwhelming to try and figure out what you need. Not only that, but there are multiple hockey brands out there selling gear, the major ones including Bauer, CCM, Warrior, and True just to name a few. Some teams and players are sponsored by specific brands, meaning they have to wear those brands, but for most amateur players, you choose the brands of the gear that you wear. That's great if you like choice, but not so great if you feel overwhelmed by options!

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That said, the brand of the gear does not matter as much as the gear properly fitting, but it is still important to find the gear that works the best for you. The two pieces of gear that are more specialized and depend more on the player themselves are hockey skates and sticks. If you're having trouble landing on your brand of choice, here are a few options to consider/

Hockey Skates

Hockey skates are a piece of equipment that can be more brand specific. Each brand has their unique style and special aspects that make their skates “the best.” For example, Bauer makes two lines of skates, the Bauer Supreme Skates and Bauer Vapor Skates. The Supreme skate is designed for more powerful skaters with speed. The Bauer Vapor skates are for players who are more agile and quick. Bauer allows the opportunities to have three different fits to these skates that fit better to the shape of the foot of the player. These fits differentiate in width and depth of the skate. 

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CCM has three different lines of skates in their brand. The first line are the CCM Ribcor skates that are for the more agile and quick players. The next line is the CCM Tacks skates that are for the powerful skaters. The last line that they have is the CCM Jetspeed skates. This is what they call their hybrid skate that is for the skater who is both powerful and fast. CCM has three different profiles of their skates that are for narrow, regular, and wide fits. 

The top 3 hockey skates of 2022:

1. Bauer Supreme Mach Skates

2. CCM Tacks AS-V Pro

3. Bauer Vapor 3x Pro

Hockey Sticks

Hockey sticks, like skates, are more specific to a player because each line of sticks come are designed to fit the different needs of players. Hockey sticks come in two different styles depending on whether you are lefty or a righty. There are different sizes of sticks that obviously depend on the height of the player. 

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Sticks also have different curved blades, and the type of blade that a player uses depends on what a player prefers. Players can try different blade curves to figure out what they like best. Sticks also have a variety of “Lies,” which are different angles of which the staff of the stick meets the blade. Again, a player chooses a lie based on their comfort for shooting and handling a puck. 

The last important factor of a hockey stick is what is referred to as the “flex.” This is how flexible the stick is and refers to how much force is needed in order to bend the stick. Younger players should use a lower flex because they do not have as much force to use. As players get older and stronger, they may begin to use a higher flex because they have the force to bend the stick when shooting the puck.

Top 3 hockey sticks of 2022:

1. Bauer Vapor Hyperlite

2. CCM Jetspeed FT5 Pro

3. Bauer Supreme Ultrasonic GripTac

Everyone has their own preferences when it comes to picking which brand of equipment they use and what type of skates or sticks they use. Most players use a mix of brands and just focus on picking the gear that they believe works best for them. In the end it doesn't matter which one you choose–all that matters is that the equipment fits correctly and that the player is comfortable in the gear. When it comes to skates and sticks, players should use the gear that works best with their playing style. 
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* Originally published on November 15, 2022, by Marissa Massaro