When most people think about hockey, they likely picture players decked out head-to-toe in gear. Hockey is an intense contact sport, so players need significant padding and equipment to help prevent serious injuries. There’s also hockey equipment that doesn’t exist solely to protect players, but are essential parts of the game. However, while today’s players have only the best equipment to keep them safe on the ice, hockey equipment of the past wasn’t always as advanced as it is today. Hockey has a long history, and throughout the years, there have been many changes to hockey equipment as better designs and materials have been created.
So, how has hockey equipment evolved? Learn more about what’s changed over the years!
Skates
Of course, you can’t play hockey without a pair of skates. Today, skates are expertly designed and even the simplest pair can cost a decent amount. You might think that this was always the case, but early skates were far different from the ones you can buy today. Instead of the skates we know today, earlier hockey players wore regular leather boots with a blade that could be attached and later removed with straps. As hockey grew in popularity, leather hockey boots with a blade permanently attached were introduced. Today, hockey skates made from synthetic materials that protect the foot and allow for peak performance are standard.
Padding and Guards
Getting hit with a puck, falling on the ice, colliding with other players, and slamming into the boards can all result in painful and even life-changing injuries. Some of the earliest forms of padding and guards for hockey players are shin guards from the 1880s. Shin guards during this time were nothing like what they are now and were originally made from materials like leather and wood. Of course, the materials used for padding and guards have developed significantly since then. Players today are virtually covered in padding, as serious injuries can occur anywhere on the body.
While more materials for padding and guards were developed, there were some challenges to get it exactly right. Plastic and fiberglass became popular following WWII, but while this kept the player wearing the equipment safe, it was a danger to others around them. Slamming into these hard materials could injure others, making soft outer padding necessary.
Helmets
Today, you probably wouldn’t think that any hockey player would play without a helmet. However, helmets are a shockingly recent addition to a player’s necessary equipment. Initially, you would never see hockey players wearing helmets. While a few players chose to wear helmets, this was far from the standard. Helmets in the NHL were not mandatory until 1979, and this was only for players who signed contracts after this time. The last NHL player to play without a helmet was Craig MacTavish, who retired in 1997.
Gloves
Early hockey players frequently wore gloves. However, gloves were primarily used just to keep players’ hands warm on the ice. Starting in the 1900s, players started adding padding to their gloves to provide extra protection to their hands. After Montreal Maroons’ Babe Siebert broke his thumb in the 1930s, gloves with reinforced thumbs were created.
Goalie Masks
Goalies wear far more protection than anyone else on the ice to protect them from incoming pucks. One important piece of their equipment that wasn’t always around is the goalie mask. The first known goalie to wear a mask was university player Elizabeth Graham in 1927. While a few goalies occasionally wore masks, a goalie in the NHL did not regularly wear a mask until 1959 when Jacques Plante of the Montreal Canadiens was struck in the face with a puck and would not return to the ice unless he was permitted to wear a mask. Original goalie masks were made from molded fiberglass, but metal cages surrounding the face are standard today.
Hockey Sticks
Hockey sticks were originally made from one piece of wood. In the 1940s, sticks made from multiple layers of wood were introduced. These were lighter and more flexible than sticks made from a single piece of wood. Starting in the 1950s, fiberglass was wrapped around wooden hockey sticks to help reinforce it. Hockey sticks also started being made with curved blades in the 1960s, at the time known as banana blades. However, too much curve in the blade made shots unpredictable and dangerous, especially for goalies, so the NHL began limiting how much curve a blade could have. Today, sticks made from a single piece of composite are standard.
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FAQs
Hockey sticks were originally made from one piece of wood. In the 1940s, sticks made from multiple layers of wood were introduced. These were lighter and more flexible than sticks made from a single piece of wood. Starting in the 1950s, fiberglass was wrapped around wooden hockey sticks to help reinforce it.
How has ice hockey changed over time? ›
1910-11Game changed from two 30-minute periods to three 20-minute periods. 1911-12National Hockey Association (forerunner of the NHL) originated six-man hockey, replacing seven-man game. 1917-18Goalies permitted to fall to the ice to make saves.
How have hockey sticks changed over the years? ›
At the time, sticks were not curved, and the blade was inserted into a notch in the shaft and glued together. In the 1950s, wood blades were wrapped in fiberglass, making them cheaper, lighter, and more durable. The 1980s saw the introduction of aluminum sticks; they were made legal in the NHL in 1981.
What equipment is used to play hockey? ›
This usually includes a helmet, shoulder pads/chest protector, elbow pads, mouth guard, protective gloves, heavily padded shorts, a 'jock' athletic protector, shin pads and a neck guard. Goaltenders wear masks and much bulkier, specialized equipment designed to protect them from many direct hits from the puck.
Has the hockey puck changed? ›
In the 1870s the pucks were developed into flat squares using either wood or rubber. People later started cutting lacrosse balls into thirds and using the middle third as a makeshift hockey puck. Over the course of the 1900s, these pucks evolved into the rubber discs we now see in ice hockey today.
Does hockey equipment expire? ›
Yes, certified-safe hockey helmets have an expiration date, as do hockey visors and cages.
Can you have two goalies in hockey? ›
At minor levels and recreational games, goaltenders do occasionally switch with others players who have been taught goaltending; however, most recreational hockey rules are now forbidding position swapping due to an increase in injuries. A typical ice hockey team has two or three goaltenders on its roster.
Why is hockey not popular anymore? ›
In conclusion , Hockey is not as popular as other sports because of the regional differences in the United States, from the issue of where hockey must be played, how much it costs, and how hard it is to play.
When did NHL stop using wooden sticks? ›
When did hockey stop using wooden sticks and balls? Sticks made of wood continue to be made but the higher grade sticks are now manufactured from composite materials which were first permitted after 1992.
What is the bottom of a hockey stick called? ›
5 - Blade Heel - The heel of a hockey stick refers to the bottom of the stick at the back of the blade below where the blade and the shaft meet. 6 - Blade Patterns - Blade patterns consist of a number of different elements; curve type, curve depth, toe shape, face angle and lie.
Hockey ball is don't have a specific or special name to call. Hockey ball is called hockey ball . The ball used in the game of field hockey is spherical in shape. Hockey Ball sample image. Made of solid plastic, a hockey ball is very hard, and in some cases, may contain a core made of cork.
What do hockey players call their jerseys? ›
The hockey sweater is called a sweater instead of a jersey (though some still insist it's a jersey) because that's quite literally what hockey players wore originally. The game was played outside, so the athletes wore wool-knit sweaters.
What does hockey equipment look like? ›
Players wear protective padding that includes shin guards, shoulder pads, elbow pads, helmets with face masks and gloves. Hockey sticks come in many shapes and sizes and can be made from wood or composite materials. There are also skates, which are specially designed for speed and agility on the ice.
What 3 sports contributed to the evolution of hockey? ›
Ice hockey is believed to have evolved from simple stick and ball games played in the 18th and 19th centuries in Britain, Ireland, and elsewhere, primarily bandy, hurling, and shinty. The North American sport of lacrosse was also influential.
What is the history of the hockey stick? ›
In the early days of hockey (around the mid-1800s), sticks were made of wood, first from a single chunk, later with many layers of wood glued together to add flexibility. By the 1950s, manufacturers began wrapping sticks with fiberglass for reinforcement.
What are hockey sticks made out of now? ›
While the first hockey sticks were made from mulberry wood, the modern-day ones are a composite of fibreglass, carbon and aramid, a type of fibre. The hockey stick is the most important piece of equipment in field hockey, without which players cannot play the game.
What is the history and development of hockey game? ›
Field hockey was reportedly played even before the birth of Christ. Basically known as the “ball and stick” game, it was played since ancient times in places diverse as Rome, Scotland, Egypt and South America. The game was referred to in different names but the basic idea of playing the game was the same.
