Hockey Tape Uses
Every player needs hockey tape! To a player, it is one of the most valuable things. It can be found in every dressing room and in every player’s bag, from stick blades and shin pads to balled up on a dressing room floor. Hockey tape has many purposes. Tape is used to keep pads in place, keep skates tied and tight, protect stick blades and provide a bit more grip on the puck!
Hockey tape, especially clear poly flex tape, is used by a variety of players to help keep their pads, especially shin pads, in place. Clear tape is usually best because it is stretchier compared to traditional cloth tape. It also holds tighter on pads which allows the player to not worry about them moving out of position.
Another use for clear tape that is helpful for newer skaters or younger players is for ankle support. A few wraps around the upper part of the skate in the ankle area can really help. In addition to newer players, you might find that some players who are planning on skating for hours use tape to keep laces tied (some officials tape their laces so they don’t come untied during games.) Clear tape is a valuable asset for most players and is one of the most “borrowed” things in every dressing room!
Clear tape is great and has purposes that a lot of hockey players need it for. However, the one kind of tape every hockey player will recognize is cloth tape! Cloth tape, like clear tape, can be found in every dressing room and on every player’s stick. Cloth hockey tape can help protect a player’s blade. It helps avoid some minor blade chipping and absorb moisture (which helped from keeping it going into the wood in the days of wood sticks). The tape also provides grip on the puck (combine it with a wax coat and get even more grip!). The tape provides a bit more friction than just the hard carbon fiber blade. In addition to the blade benefits, most players use tape to provide a grip up top. Some players put a knob at the top of the shaft to help provide a grip. It also gives an easy way to pick up the stick if dropped. You might also see some players “candy cane” their sticks and give themselves a bit of extra grip. Cloth tape has a lot of uses for every player!
As you can see, there is a reason for every hockey player to have tape. Hockey tape has many purposes it can be used to keep pads in place, keep skates tied and tight, protect stick blades and provide a bit more grip on the puck!
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