A complete first kit — adult and child
Everything you actually need to get on the ice, what each piece is for, what to buy new, and the programs that will lend you most of it so you can find out whether you like hockey first.
Hockey's entry cost is real, and it is the main reason people who want to play never do. So before the list: try before you buy.
Both national bodies run beginner programs built around exactly this problem. Hockey Canada's First Shift is designed for children aged 6 to 10 and includes equipment as part of the package. USA Hockey runs Try Hockey For Free days for young beginners, and many associations and adult leagues keep loaner gear. Several charities help with cost — KidSport and Jumpstart in Canada, and the Hockey Canada Foundation's assist fund, among others.
Use them. Then buy.
The list
Head and neck — buy new
- Helmet, certified (HECC for USA Hockey, CSA for Hockey Canada) and undamaged.
- Facial protection — a full cage for anyone under adult classification; adults may have the option of a half-shield.
- Mouthguard — required for many youth age groups and cheap dental insurance for everyone else.
- Neck protector — required for youth, girls' and junior players in USA Hockey and in Canadian minor and female hockey.
Skates
- Skates, fitted properly. Not your shoe size; see the fitting guide. New skates are not sharpened — get that done before the first session.
Body
- Shoulder pads — sized by chest measurement. Adult non-checking leagues often use lighter models.
- Elbow pads — the cap stays on the point of the elbow when you bend your arm.
- Gloves — measured in inches; should meet the elbow pads with no bare forearm showing.
- Hockey pants — should reach the top of the kneecap.
- Shin guards — cap centred on the kneecap, top overlapping the pants.
- Jock or jill (pelvic protector) — not optional, at any age.
- Base layer, and cut-resistant socks if your budget stretches.
The rest
- Stick, cut to length. See choosing a stick.
- Hockey socks and a jersey — usually two jerseys for drop-in, one light and one dark.
- Tape, spare laces, water bottle.
- A bag, and somewhere to dry everything.
What to buy new, and what not to
| Buy new | Fine used | Never used |
|---|---|---|
| Mouthguard, jock/jill, neck guard | Shoulder, elbow and shin pads | A helmet of unknown history |
| Helmet, unless you know its full history | Gloves, pants, bags, sticks | Anything cracked, repaired or altered |
| Skates, if the budget allows one fitted item | Skates that genuinely fit you | A cage that has been cut or drilled |
More on this in buying used hockey gear.
For a child, specifically
Sizing changes every single year, sometimes mid-season. Experienced hockey parents buy the certified safety kit new, get skates fitted with about half a size of growing room, and source everything else from association swaps, gear banks and the used rack. Then they sell it on and do it again.
Put your child's name in everything. Dressing-rooms full of identical black bags eat equipment.
Dressing order (tape this inside the bag lid)
Base layer → jock/jill → shin guards → socks → pants → skates → shoulder pads → elbow pads → neck guard → jersey → helmet → gloves. Skates before shoulder pads, because bending over to lace up is much harder afterwards.
After every session
Take everything out of the bag and dry it. Gear that lives wet in a bag stinks, degrades faster and grows things you do not want near broken skin. A drying rack, a fan, or even a hook in the garage will double the life of a kit and make you much more popular in the car.
Sources. USA Hockey and Hockey Canada equipment requirements and beginner-program pages; certification detail from HECC and Hockey Canada's certification bulletin; program and charity names from their own sites. Checked September 2026. We deliberately quote no prices — they go stale and vary hugely by country and season.