Between The Pipes

Here it is the most important game of theinclude a comfort foam lining, sweatbands to
hockey season. This is it, time to make it orabsorb the sweat, and face protection by way of
break it in the Kelly Cup finals. As a netminder,a wire net. This wire net provides protection for
aka the goalie, you have quite a few jobs. Ofall areas of your face, ensuring safety from a
course, as we both know, it is important to keepflying puck or another player.
the puck out of the net and away from the goalOf course, as you know the blocker and catcher
crease. While you are not frantically skating upare two very important pieces of equipment for
and down the ice, checking, or shooting the puck,a goalie too. In fact, they differ from any other
you have perhaps the most important role on thetype of hockey gloves. As a goalie, you will have
hockey team, watching the puck, preventing theto catch fast moving pucks and you spend a lot
other team from scoring, communicating withof time on the ice. This means you must have
your team and the number one personal role,protection for your hands against the speed of
your own safety and protection.the puck, as well as the blades of other player's
When the opposing team is barreling down theskates. When it comes to the blocker and
ice, directly towards you they have only one taskcatcher, the catcher is placed on one hand, the
in mind, scoring a goal. That means at some point,blocker on the other. Of course, this will depend
very soon you will have a puck flying right at you,on what hand you use the most.
which might be traveling at extremely highThe blocker is a sturdy glove, placed on the hand
speeds. Therefore, it is of highest importance thatthat holds the stick. This glove works to deflect
you have the best and highest quality of goaliehigh shots on goal and provides your hand with a
protection available. What do you need? You needmassive amount of protection against the
a high quality goalie helmet, a blocker, and aelements of hockey. A catcher is designed very
catcher.similar to that of baseball catchers. It comes with
Does this mean you should run out and buy thea deep pocket for handling the puck, it is
first helmet you see? Absolutely not! The helmetimportant when choosing a catcher that you
must be a goalie helmet. The helmet has to bechoose one that works well with your needs and
specific for goalies. There are several reasons forabilities. With a catcher, you can catch the puck,
this, the first reason being that the goalie helmetcover a puck, or deflect a puck, without damaging
has to be light in weight. You have to moveyour hand.
quickly and a heavy helmet will weigh you down.Of course, there are other elements of protection
Another feature of a goalie helmet is that it isthat a goalie must have, but the goalie helmet,
shock resistant, with all the spills, hits, and tumblesblocker, and catcher, are three of the essential
a goalie must endure, you want to make sureelements of playing hockey.
your head is protected. Some other features