Contact hockey leagues and even some non-contact leagues require players to wear shoulder pads to protect their chest, shoulders, upper back and arms. Body checks are usually made with the shoulders, so it only makes sense that you would want to wear proper protection for your shoulders. Even if you're not playing in a contact league, your shoulders are very likely to make contact with the boards, ice and other players throughout the course of a game. And running into the body of another player can often be the least of your worries; pucks and hockey sticks are often flying around at chest and shoulder height and can cause as much if not more damage than contact with another player's body.

 

We always recommend that even if your league doesn't require that you wear shoulder pads, you still ought to wear them along with every other available piece of protective hockey gear. There are so many brands and models of hockey shoulder pads to choose from, so finding a pair that you're happy with should be an easy task. Some players who choose not to wear shoulder pads say that it's because the shoulder caps get in the way or the pads are simply too restrictive. For these players we would suggest trying a pair of low profile shoulder pads that have smaller caps and thinner padding in the chest and arms. You may actually find that many competitive players wear these "old school" shoulder pads because they're lightweight and less cumbersome than larger pads that may offer more protection. It's a compromise, but some protection is better than none.

 

Hockey shoulder pad sizing is usually based on the height and weight of the player. In order to achieve the most comfortable fit, we suggest that you take into consideration the amount of coverage offered by your hockey elbow pads. For growing players, we suggest a small overlap of coverage connecting your elbow pads and bicep protectors of your shoulder pads for years of play.

 

Our shoulder pads are made by the best manufacturers in the hockey industry, Reebok, CCM, Easton, Oakley, Tron, DR, Powertek and others.