Hockey is a very intense sport. On the ice, everyone looks like gladiators. In order to protect ourselves, we need the best of the best quality of equipment. I will show you, in order of dressing, all the equipment one needs for a hockey game.

        These are called shin pads. They are almost always put on first. The main purpose of shin pads is basically to protect your shins. They are really comfortable and help a lot.

         Socks are the cloth things that are taped or Velcro-ed to your shin pads. They go over top of the shin pads and differ in color. Color is determined by team and team color

       Next are the pants. Pants are worn over top of everything. They’re big and bulky to protect your hips and thighs from shots and sticks. On some brands, there are these things called lumbar protectors that are used to protect your lower back.

The skate is the mouth of the beast. The tires of a car. Skates, along with every other piece of equipment, are essential. They are usually one size below your shoe size because they need to be snug. They also have to be tied tight to prevent ankle injuries.

Shoulder pads are one of the most important pieces of equipment a player can have. You check with them, you block with them, you practically sleep in them. They protect your upper body, shoulders, and your collarbone (But not always).

Elbow pads are obviously used to protect your elbows. Science and companies have brought these along so much. They are usually made of a mixture between plastic and cloth. On the newer ones, they have added another piece of plastic overtop called a slash guard.

Neck guards are extremely important. They mostly protect the puck from high sticks but sometimes pucks. It is a thin piece of cloth surrounding the neck.

I’d have to say the helmet is the most important protection item. It’s worn over the head. You can either buy a shield or a cage. The shield, which is my favorite, is a thick piece of fiber glass covering the face. It gets foggy sometimes but there is a special spray you can use to clean. Although I like the shield better, the cage offers more protection.

Gloves are worn overtop of the hands and are used to grip the stick. They also prevent hand and wrist injuries. There is a loose piece of leather in front of the thumb which allows you to move it.

       Finally, after everything is on, you put your jersey on. The symbol and colors depend on the team. Usually your last name and a number are put on the back. You may pick the number but you can’t have two of one number on a team. The letters ‘C’ and 'A' are put on the upper right hand side of the jersey. These determine the captain and alternates of a team. Also, small little STOP signs are put on the back of jerseys in the minors to remind kids not to hit from behind.

The stick is the main part. Put it in your hands and your ready to go. Length and size depend on height and preference. Most sticks are cut at about the nose of the individual. Also there are different curves to the blade again based on personal preference.