Care & Cleaning of Equipment

Chances are, you have a lot invested in equipping your hockey player.  This page discusses the various pieces of equipment and how to keep that equipment in top shape, ready to play, all season long.

Helmet

You can count on losing some of the screws that hold the facemask on at some point in time, usually at the worst possible time.  Do yourself a favor and buy a few in advance, and put them in a small tupperware or other container in your players equipment bag.  One way to slow down the loosening of these is to remove them, coat them with Loc-Tite threadlocker, and re-assemble.  Use the removable Loc-Tite.

Some players favor the Itech plexi-glass shield over the wire cage type of facemask.  Be aware that extra care is necessary to keep these shields from scratching, and you should always treat the shield with an anti-fogging solution to keep vision clear during play.

Putting  numbers on the helmets is fun - they are usually easily removed.  Some coaches like to tape the players names on the fronts for awhile at the start of the season.  The tape residue can be removed with Goo-Gone.

Mouthguard

You can spend a little or a lot, for off the rack moldable plastic mouthguards for about $1.50, all the way up to $xxx  for custom-fitted mouthguards from your dentist or orthodontist.  The inexpensive ones work just fine.  This is another piece of equipment that will become lost when you least expect it.  Buy a few cheap ones and toss them in the players bag for when they do get lost.  The players will eventually chew these to nothing, so replace them at least twice a year.

Shoulder Pads

Watch the fitting to see that the pads go all the way out to the shoulders before they curve down to cover the top of the arm.  When they don't, your player has outgrown them.   Sweat and moisture will eventually destroy these, especially if they are never allowed to dry in between uses.  These can be cleaned by the Esporta cleaning system available at the Eagan Arena.

Elbow Pads

Breezers or Hockey Pants

Shin Pads

Skates