How we recommend
We recommend gear by category and use, not by brand, and do not quote prices. We may earn a commission on purchases at no cost to you.
Before you buy: programmes that supply the kit
Several entry programmes put new players in equipment before the family buys anything:
- NHL/NHLPA Learn to Play, run with USA Hockey, is for first-time players aged 5 to 9 who have never registered with USA Hockey. The Nashville Predators' programme page says participants receive head-to-toe equipment to keep, from helmet with cage and neck guard down to skates, stick and bag, plus on-ice classes, and strongly recommends a learn-to-skate class first.
- NHL/NHLPA First Shift, created with Hockey Canada, is for children aged 6 to 10 who have never registered, with a six-week on-ice trial and fitted head-to-toe equipment, per the Ontario Hockey Federation's 2025-26 overview.
- USA Hockey's national Try Hockey For Free days lend equipment at participating rinks, per USA Hockey.
Programme details vary by club and season, so check the local page before you buy.
What the rules require
We found no certification standard for pads, gloves or pants, but three items are certified, and the rules for them depend on where and at what level you play.
| Body and rulebook | Helmet and face | Neck | Mouthguard |
|---|---|---|---|
| Hockey Canada 2026-28 Playing Rules (all players, warm-ups included) | CSA-certified helmet with a CSA-certified facial protector attached, unaltered (Rule 3.6(b)). A full facial protector is compulsory in every category except Senior and Major Junior (Rule 3.6(e)). | BNQ-certified throat protector for players in minor and female hockey (Rule 3.6(c)). | Not mandatory under the national rules except in divisions that allow a half visor; branches can require one. Hockey Northwestern Ontario, for example, requires one from U7 to Junior. |
| USA Hockey 2025-29 rules | HECC-approved helmet, with the HECC sticker in date (2013 USA Hockey memo; Minnesota Hockey, 2021). Facemask wording could not be read directly. | USA Hockey says its 2025-29 rules require neck laceration protection for all youth, girls and high school players. AP reported in 2024 that adults are strongly recommended, not required, to wear one. | Not confirmed from the rule text; check with your association. |
| IIHF Official Rule Book 2026/27 (international competition) | Full-face protection for men's U18 and all women's players; at least a visor for men's U20 and men's senior players born after 1974. | Neck laceration protector for all players in all categories (Rule 9.12). | Required for men's U20 players without full-face protection; recommended otherwise. |
Nothing on this page says a product is certified or legal for play. Check the sticker or label on each item and your association's current rules before the first session.
Our picks by category, head to toe
Helmet with a full cage
A helmet sold with a full facemask can cover the requirement for most youth play in one purchase, if both carry the certification your body requires. Read the sticker for where you play: CSA for Hockey Canada, an in-date HECC sticker for USA Hockey. The Pashby fitting guide says the helmet should be snug, stay put with the chin strap fastened and sit just above the eyebrows, and that the chin should sit in the mask's chin cup. For new facemasks in Hockey Canada play, Rule 3.6(e) links each type to a CSA sticker colour: white for players of any age and orange for players 10 or younger. See helmets.
Best for: Every new player, child or adult
Neck guard
Required for youth play by both Hockey Canada and USA Hockey. In Hockey Canada play it must be BNQ-certified; the Pashby guide says it must carry the BNQ label, fit snugly and cover the throat fully. See neck guards.
Best for: Every youth player, and adults by choice
Shoulder pads
The Pashby guide says they should protect the whole shoulder joint, reach just above the elbow, meet the top of the pants at the back and not dig into the neck when the arms go up. For female players it notes a combined shoulder and chest protector.
Best for: All skaters
Elbow pads
The point of the elbow sits in the inner cup, with the pad meeting the shoulder pad above and the glove cuff below, per the Pashby guide. The IIHF, NHL and Hockey Canada rulebooks require a soft outer covering on elbow pads; see protective gear.
Best for: All skaters
Gloves
Snug but not tight, overlapping the elbow pad through full motion, with a soft palm and no holes, per the Pashby guide.
Best for: All skaters
Padded pants
Fitted by waist size with the shin pads on, overlapping the top of the shin pad and covering thigh, hips, tailbone and kidney area, per the Pashby guide. For female players, it says fit the hips first.
Best for: All skaters
Shin guards
Sized in inches and fitted with loosely laced skates on, the cap centred on the kneecap, per the Pashby guide.
Best for: All skaters
Jock or jill
We found no rule requiring one for skaters, but the Pashby guide says cups come in sizes for all players and are fitted by waist size. It also recommends a properly fitted sports bra for every female player.
Best for: All players
Skates
The Pashby guide says never buy skates to grow into, and to fit them in the socks you will skate in. A retailer, Icebox Hockey, says recreational and youth skates are the most flexible models (claim). See skates.
Best for: Children's first skates; adults see the skate guide
A junior or youth stick
Hockey Canada's Coach 1 manual (2022) says young players should use junior sticks, with narrower shafts and shorter blades, and that on skates the stick should reach somewhere between the collarbone and the chin. See sticks.
Best for: Young players
Equipment bag
The Pashby guide says to dry all equipment after every game or practice, and a 2013 Hockey Calgary post, written to promote a gear-cleaning service, advised opening the bag to air it. Unpack it when you get home.
Best for: Carrying it all to the rink
How to choose
Never buy to grow into
The Pashby guide is clear on this. Oversized equipment slides away from the area it is meant to protect. Fit everything wearing the light undergarments and socks you will play in, and fit the pieces together: elbow pads meet shoulder pads and gloves, and pants overlap shin pads.
Second-hand gear
Pads can be passed on if they fit and are sound; the Pashby guide says cracked or unsound items should be replaced or professionally repaired. Helmets need more care. In USA Hockey play, a helmet past its HECC sticker date is no longer certified, and a retailer, HockeyMonkey, advises replacing any helmet whose history you do not know (claim). In Canada, Hockey Canada says to replace a helmet that is cracked, has loose fittings or missing liner pieces, or has taken a severe impact.
Adult beginners
The rules loosen with age in some places. Hockey Canada's 2026-28 Rule 3.6(e) makes a full facial protector or visor compulsory in Senior hockey but only recommends it for male adult recreational hockey. AP's 2024 report says USA Hockey strongly recommends, but does not require, neck protection for adults. Your league can require more than the national rule, so ask before buying.
Next, read the fitting and sizing page with the gear in front of you, and check your association's current rules.
Sources
- Hockey Canada Playing Rules 2026-2028 (PDF)
- IIHF Official Rule Book 2026/27, Version 1.0 (PDF, FISG copy)
- Hockey Canada, CSA certification reminder (2022, PDF)
- USA Hockey, HECC sticker enforcement memorandum, 26 September 2013 (PDF)
- Minnesota Hockey, HECC certified masks permitted (4 January 2021)
- USA Hockey, 2025-29 playing rules changes (16 September 2025)
- AP via 13abc, USA Hockey will mandate neck laceration protection (28 January 2024)
- NHL Learn to Play, Nashville Predators programme page
- Ontario Hockey Federation, NHL/NHLPA First Shift overview 2025-26 (PDF)
- USA Hockey, national Try Hockey For Free day
- A Guide to Fitting Hockey Equipment, Hockey Development Centre for Ontario and the Dr. Tom Pashby Sports Safety Fund (PDF)
- Hockey Canada, Coach 1: Intro to Coach, Skills and Key Teaching Points (2022, PDF)
- Hockey Northwestern Ontario, intra-oral mouthguard policy (PDF)
- Icebox Hockey, skate fit guide (retailer)
- Hockey Calgary, gear care post (19 February 2013)
- HockeyMonkey, when to replace a hockey helmet (retailer)