Hockey can be an expensive sport. Do NHL players pay for their own gear?
NHL players do not pay for sticks. Their current team pays for the sticks. Even if certain players are sponsored by a brand, the team still has to buy the sticks from the brand. Some teams pay $300,000 a season to provide sticks for their players.
Sticks are an expensive piece of equipment, yet they seem to break all the time. Why are they so expensive?
How much Does a Stick Cost?
Hockey sticks can range between $50 for a youth size to $300 for a top of the line, NHL quality stick. You can spend $2,000 on a stick if you would like. Most sticks NHL players use cost $200.
If you want to see the price break down between youth, junior, intermediate, and senior, you can check out Pure Hockey to compare pricing.
The most common hockey stick brands are Bauer, CCM, Warrior, Easton, and True. Hockey stick sponsorships are just like any other professional sport although the NHL still has to purchase the gear. Brands sponsor players as a marketing tool, so all the kids will buy that stick. It works wonders in hockey. If you have a favorite player and want to mirror his style of play, you are going to try his stick out at least once.
How much teams pay for sticks is not public information. If the stick retails for $200, the team will be getting a discount because of the number of sticks they will be ordering. One can only guess teams are only paying production cost and shipping,
If you want a signed stick, it will probably be double the cost of retail. If you want to check your favorite team’s available signed stick collection, you can check out Sports Memorabilia. They have a great selection of signed sticks, puck, jerseys, etc.
What Sticks do NHL Players Use?
As I mentioned earlier, you will find most players using sticks made by Bauer, CCM, Warrior, Easton, or True. It is all about feel and getting results with your stick.
Below are a few sticks that some NHL stars use, but if you want to find someone that is not listed, you can do some research on them and figure what gear they use.
CCM Ribcor is used by players such as Joe Thorton, John Tavares, Jonathan Marchessault, John Klingberg, and Kyle Connor.
Bauer Vapor 1x can be found in the hands of Tyler Seguin and Jake DeBrusk.
Warrior Alpha QX is handled by Brad Marchand, Mikko Koivu, and Ryan Suter.
If you really want to know what a specific player is using, you can check out Gear Geek. They track what type of stick every single NHL player is using.
NHL players are known for customizing their sticks. If you’ve been around hockey you know players tape their sticks in a unique way. From spending hours on taping as if it’s a piece of art, to wrapping the blade a few times and calling it good, players are spread all over the spectrum.
Here, Tomas Tatar explains all the TLC he gives his Warrior stick.
There are many players with great tape jobs around the league. A few years back the NHL interviewed players from across the league asking who has the worst tape job in the league. Jamie Benn of the Dallas Stars was the lucky name many players repeated.
How Often do Players Change Sticks?
This is a loaded question. You could ask 10 players and get different answers. Every level of hockey will give you different answers as well. In the NHL, players can use 2 to 3 different sticks a game. Certain players are known for using a new stick every period, even if their stick is not broken.
When their stick breaks, the get a new one. If a player puts weight on the shaft and it is not sturdy and they feel it is about to break, they will get a new one. Other players are just superstitious and ‘need’ a new stick every period. The last thing you want is to wind up for a slap shot and have your stick explode when it makes contact with the ice.
As you go down in competitive levels, the longer you will use a stick. For obvious budget reasons, teams do not have 6 figure budgets to spend on sticks every season. In the AHL, players can get a little picky with their sticks, as it is a close next step to the NHL.
Zoom out all the way to youth hockey, and I am sure you do not want to buy your kid a new stick every game. For simple math, you can add 2 zeros on the end of your kid’s number of games, and that is about how much you will be paying. No parent wants to do that. Always have a few sticks on hand.
How Many Sticks Does a Hockey Player Use in a Season?
In the NHL, a player will use 200 sticks if he plays all 82 games. That is a lot of sticks. When players break their stick, obviously they grab a new one. Some players are in the habit of playing with a new stick every game whether they need a new on or not.
Breaking the number down per game, it comes out to about 2.5 sticks per player. That becomes expensive for the person fitting the bill for 200 sticks a year per player. There is a subtle conversation that has gone on for years regarding who should pay for that equipment- the player or the organization.
In recreation hockey, you will need 2-3 sticks per season, depending on how you play. If you play rough and take a lot of slap shots, your stick is going to break. It could even be a fluke of someone stepping on your stick and the blade breaks in half. It happens! Be prepared.
What is Flex Anyways?
When it comes to sticks, one term used to describe sticks is how much flex or bend they have when shooting or handling the puck.
Pure Hockey explains how flex is measured, “Sticks are placed on a machine, on held fast at each end. A mechanism centered between those two points presses down, bending the stick one inch, and measuring the amount of pressure it took. A 100 flex hockey stick would take 100 pounds of pressure to bend the stick one inch.”
If you are curious about how to pick the best flex for you, they have a great stick flex guide.
Flex is important as you find your style of play. If you have a shorter, quicker shot, you will want more bend or ‘flex’ in your stick. This will allow you to receive the pass and release the puck all in one motion. If you take a lot of slap shots, you will want a stick on the stiffer side.
Who Pays for NHL Players Equipment?
As contracts between equipment companies, the NHL, and players are all kept undisclosed, we can only get pretty close to the answer. Similar to sticks, players have agreements with certain brands to wear their stuff. However, since the rest of the pads are underneath the jersey and pants, players are more flexible as to what they wear.
NHL teams are still on the hook for all the equipment. Because the equipment is not seen or used to shoot the puck, players will wear the same gear as long as possible. They do not want to change. What they have done so far has gotten them to the top league, why would the change?
Like most sports, hockey is all about the feel. “Feel good, play good.” If they found a pair of Warrior shoulder pads in college that they love, most likely they will play in the same pads until they retire. When the pads wear down, they will buy the same ones over and over. Even if the pad design becomes out of date, you will have a hard time convincing that player to change.
