Looking into getting some goalie gear for my 9yr old.
Where should I be looking for used gear? - other than Marketplace, Kijiji and play it again sports.
What kinds of things should I be considering, he currently seems to fit 24” pads but if we got him larger ones is that a hinderance?
Thanks in advance for the advice.
Too big is definitely a hindrance, movement early is key. If you think he’s about to grow you can go a bit bigger since this season is almost over you’re looking at next season a bit but just don’t go too big. Get something with modern straps, gone are the days of fidgeting with a million leather buckles. Also been a long time since my kid had laces for toe ties, there’s just as good if not better options out there.
In Edmonton there is a specific Facebook group for used goalie gear, I used it quite a bit over the years. Eventually I went the new market as he started to slow down growing as I wanted to make sure we were getting the best fit for him and good protection, but you are a ways off from that.
Best of luck, being a goalie parent is the best and worst if it, but wouldn’t trade it.
Not a helpful answer to your question, but a funny story.
The Goalie on my Beer League Team's son wants to start playing in net.
To discourage this, any time he is shooting puck on his son, he aims for all of the soft spots in the equipment.
Check your local MHA. They may have a buy/sell section for goalie gear since so many kids are either buying or selling every year as they move through the system.
Not a helpful answer to your question, but a funny story.
The Goalie on my Beer League Team's son wants to start playing in net.
To discourage this, any time he is shooting puck on his son, he aims for all of the soft spots in the equipment.
The happiest day of my hockey parent life was when it was my kids turn to play goal in Atom and got lit up and decided he didnt want to be a goalie.
I see this sentiment a lot and I know a lot of it is joking but want to reiterate if a kid wants to be a goalie it’s an incredible journey. They learn and mature faster than a lot of other players, they become self reliant, they have to learn to regulate emotions, it’s hard physically and mentally. There’s so much more.
It was hard at times and yup it’s damn expensive but again wouldn’t trade it, it’s what he wanted and I’m proud of him. We are in our final year of U18, can’t believe the journey is over.
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Not a helpful answer to your question, but a funny story.
The Goalie on my Beer League Team's son wants to start playing in net. To discourage this, any time he is shooting puck on his son, he aims for all of the soft spots in the equipment.
I did this and he just smiled. That's when I knew I had a goalie kid.
Play it again sports sometimes has some pads/gear available too
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Looking into getting some goalie gear for my 9yr old.
Where should I be looking for used gear? - other than Marketplace, Kijiji and play it again sports.
What kinds of things should I be considering, he currently seems to fit 24” pads but if we got him larger ones is that a hinderance?
Thanks in advance for the advice.
Welcome to the darkside...
As a fellow goalie parent my advice is:
Don't skimp on the helmet. If your goalie shows long term interest in the position, invest in the best helmet you can afford. Ear ringing and headaches are not just part of being a goalie. Try to avoid plastic or polycarbonate shells.
Goalie skates do make a world of difference.
Oversized equipment is a hinderance. While trying to balance costs with growth spurts is important, gear that is to big will definitely slow them down, and make movement difficult. Pads in particular, ensure their knee is landing in the knee block when in the butterfly, and unless they're very leggy, avoid larger thigh rises (+1.5, +2, etc...) or they'll struggle closing the five hole and getting up quickly.
Sidelineswap.com usually has good selection, but you'll want to get sized in store before making online purchases. Try on different brands, they all fit and feel different.
When my son was younger, he loved warrior gear as it tended to be lighter and easier to move in. As he's aged and grown, he's taken to Bauer and CCM which are a little bigger and bulkier, so he feels more protected and bigger in the net.
I could talk about goalie gear and the position all day (from a goalie parent perspective), so if you have any questions, or concerns, feel free to reach out.
I have zero experience with goalie equipment, but East Side Sports in Airdrie has used goalie equipment and the staff is quite knowledgeable. Not sure if that is anywhere near where you live…
when you ask "What kinds of things should I be considering" are you referring to what gear is needed or are you referring to sizing?
in terms of goalie specific gear - blocker, trapper, chest gear, goalie knee pads, goalie pads, the chin dangler (the plastic piece that hangs down from the mask to protect the throat from shots).
at 9 years old you can use a normal player lid with a cage, player jock, player hockey pants, player skates (you can get goalie skates, but at 9 lots of kids just use their player skates)
for sizing - honestly, you want it to fit properly for both protection and proper movement. a tiny big is probably ok becuz kids grow like weeds, but definitely not massively oversized.
for places to get used gear, i'd contact local minor hockey groups. they might have some used gear or know of others with gear.
are there any guys in your area that fix hockey gear? they might not have any, but they'd know a ton of people with gear (my current set of pads/blocker/trapper were becuz a guy i know that fixes gear had a customer ask him if he knew anyone looking for gear his teen-aged son outgrew)
maybe talk to equipment staff for the flames/wranglers/hitmen. i know the equipment guy for the rockets here in kelowna has hooked up a ton of my buddies with stuff for their kids
__________________ "...and there goes Finger up the middle on Luongo!" - Jim Hughson, Av's vs. 'Nucks
I always try to prioritize budget on pants and chest protectors. At that age, some kids will be able to fire it and you always get some bonehead coach taking clappers at kids too. In general, I don’t recommend buying used masks or helmets as it’s tough to know the history and small cracks can be hard to find. There should be some decent deals on new stock right now as well as stores will be trying to get rid of inventory in preparation for all the new goodies in the spring. If you have any more specific questions or would like some help sizing feel free to DM or fire me a text! This was my world for close to 30 years and I still have to fight the urge to horde goalie gear when opportunities come up!
Too big is definitely a hindrance, movement early is key. If you think he’s about to grow you can go a bit bigger since this season is almost over you’re looking at next season a bit but just don’t go too big. Get something with modern straps, gone are the days of fidgeting with a million leather buckles. Also been a long time since my kid had laces for toe ties, there’s just as good if not better options out there.
In Edmonton there is a specific Facebook group for used goalie gear, I used it quite a bit over the years. Eventually I went the new market as he started to slow down growing as I wanted to make sure we were getting the best fit for him and good protection, but you are a ways off from that.
Best of luck, being a goalie parent is the best and worst if it, but wouldn’t trade it.
Fully agree on the modern strapping. A quick Velcro or two is so much better than the many leather straps and buckles
OP, do your kid a favour and learn how toe ties work.
I see a lot of kids using the bungees that come with their pads and having them way too tight.
When you butterfly, your pads should rotate and there should be enough slack such that the skate toes should be touching the ice.
If they are too tight, it torques your toes upwards and if the skate blades are parallel to the ice, it puts a lot of unnecessary strain on the knees and hips. It kills me seeing kids 10 years old talking about having sore hips
As for the mention of better options out there - they sell some combo toe ties that are bungees to tie around the skate, with a short length of lace, but that’s easy enough to do in a homemade way without spending over 50 bucks
This guy has a couple of good videos that explain it well
I see this sentiment a lot and I know a lot of it is joking but want to reiterate if a kid wants to be a goalie it’s an incredible journey. They learn and mature faster than a lot of other players, they become self reliant, they have to learn to regulate emotions, it’s hard physically and mentally. There’s so much more.
It was hard at times and yup it’s damn expensive but again wouldn’t trade it, it’s what he wanted and I’m proud of him. We are in our final year of U18, can’t believe the journey is over.
Another side benefit that parents often ignore is you have now created a future where your son/daughter can probably play hockey for free for life. Everyone is always looking for goalies. And if they are interested they can even make some money by being a rent a goalie. I am always jealous of those guys as I fork over another $20 for an ice time lol.
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Here's my Coles Notes. For the other goalies out there, YMMV:
New equipment:
thehockeyshop.com has good sales pricing right now
hockeymonkey.ca can be ok sometimes
You can redeem CT points at Pro Hockey Life
I think Teamtown Sports has sales on True gear at the moment
Used equipment - beyond Kijiji and FB:
Sideline Swap
eBay can have ok deals sometimes
For kids, Kijiji and FB are pretty good as kids grow out of their stuff often so gear can be in ok shape. Downside is, people want new pricing for their used gear.
Helmet:
Buy new and higher end ones. They shouldn't need more than three (junior, intermediate and senior) as they grow. But yeah, you'll have to bite the bullet on this one. For reference, a good adult helmet can run about $1000 if not on sale.
Chest:
There will always be some ahole coach who likes to rip clappers on a kid. You can probably get away with buying a good used one. Newer generation models don't soak up as much water so you can give it a good wash and it should be fine.
Pants:
Same as above
Gloves:
Personally, I can't buy used gloves. Those things get funky gross. There are different angle breaks for how a goalie closes their catcher (I believe a 60 degree angle glove is the most popular as it closes toward the base of the thumb). You can cheap out on the blocker but just make sure there's enough finger protection.
Pads:
Personally, I would buy used with no models being older than say... 4-5 years old? A lot of tech has changed since the 2010's. Size appropriately. Popular measurement metrics are ATK or FTK. You can google those to figure out sizing and match to the manufacturer.
Skates:
Used. I see so many used kids goalie skates in great shape for cheap. Try to find one-piece skates (i.e. skates without those white cowlings surrounding the skate) as it will be more difficult to learn the newer techniques with a two piece skate.
Sticks:
Ugh. Stupid expensive. Sizing is also very personal preference based. Buy some old sticks in various sizes for cheap to figure this out first before sinking more money into it. There's also a lot of YouTube videos to help you.
Accessories:
Get your kid used to a goalie dangler and neck protection. Knee protection is also required (this you can probably find used for cheap). Obviously, get a new jock/jill.
Also, check with your Minor hockey Association. Often they have a negotiated discount with a 1-2 different hockey shops. I know ours is 10% off. Which helps when you buy goalie equipment.
We started with hand me downs from a neighbor, but when my kid showed serious interest we bought him the good stuff. It makes a big difference in regard to sliding, where rebounds go and how heavy them are. We got our kid Vaughn V10's . Which are smaller versions of the adult stuff. It has made a huge difference.
I echo the sentiment of not going to big. You want to learn to make the saves without relying on the equipment.
If you worry about injury there are undershirts you can buy with extra padding in the soft spots. Those help to mitigate injury from coach's firing the puck too hard.
My kid got a set of CCM Eflex gloves 2 yrs ago when she was in U11. I forget exactly which one. It was impossible to break in. I did everything you will find in any of the videos, hot water, tying it shut, oven, opening and closing it thousands of times (not exaggerating) while watching a Flames game.
Impossible. Put in more than the required effort, over the course of weeks, and still couldn’t break it in. She could only squeeze the bottom a bit, but the glove didn’t fully open and close.
Kept the blocker. Bought her a Warrior glove and never looked back
I sill remember Jarome Iginla at a novice practice for Glenlake many years ago saying “if you don’t want your kid to be a goalie, let him play goalie”. I guess that worked for him.
Kids goalie gear
