Hockey equipment, and the rules and standards behind it.

Hockey kit is built around two kinds of rule. Rulebooks say what a player must wear and how big a stick, a goalie pad or a puck may be. Certification standards, checked by bodies such as CSA, HECC and BNQ, say whether a helmet, a facemask or a neck guard has passed the tests a rulebook asks for. A piece of gear can look right and still fail either one.

Whose rules?

Hockey does not have one rulebook. These pages always name the body and the edition:

• IIHF Official Rule Book 2026/27: the International Ice Hockey Federation's rules for its own competitions, including the world championships and the Olympic tournament. Its equipment rules are Rules 9 to 14, with extra rules for women's play (Rule 102) and men's junior play (Rule 202).
• NHL Official Rules 2026-2027: the National Hockey League's rulebook. Its equipment rules are also Rules 9 to 14.
• Hockey Canada's 2026-28 Playing Rules: the rules for hockey registered with Hockey Canada, in force from the start of the 2026-27 season. Equipment is Section 3.
• USA Hockey's 2025-29 rules: the current USA Hockey playing rules cycle. Its online rulebook could not be read for this site, so USA Hockey points here rely on USA Hockey memos, state association notices and news reports, and we say so each time.
• NFHS: the National Federation of State High School Associations, whose ice hockey rules book is used by US high school associations.

Provinces, states, leagues and tournaments can add their own requirements on top of these. Hockey Eastern Ontario, for example, requires certified neck guards for all registered players and officials in all on-ice activities (a branch policy in effect since 1 December 2023), and Hockey Northwestern Ontario requires mouthguards from U7 to Junior.

The certification marks

A June 2010 letter from CSA to Hockey Canada noted that nearly every helmet sold in Canada carries three marks: CSA, needed to sell the helmet in Canada; HECC, mandatory in the United States; and CE, needed to sell and use it in Europe. Which one matters for play depends on where you play. Hockey Canada checks only the CSA sticker, and USA Hockey looks for a HECC sticker that is still in date. Our helmet sticker checker walks through what each sticker tells you.

How the section is organised

• Feet and stick: skates, skate sharpening and sticks.
• Head and neck: helmets, visors, cages and full face protection, and neck guards, where many rules have changed since 2023.
• Body protection: shoulder, elbow and shin pads, gloves and pants, and mouthguards and protective cups.
• Goaltending: goalie equipment, which the rulebooks measure piece by piece.
• The puck: pucks, including the lighter puck Hockey Canada allows for its youngest players.
• Looking after it: fitting and sizing and equipment care.

How we handle claims

Rulebooks and standards bodies are our primary sources. Where a maker or retailer describes its own products, or explains a rule, we label that as a claim. Where sources disagree, as they do on the age range of some neck guard rules and on how often to sharpen skates, we give each version and who says it. We do not quote prices. When you are ready to buy, the gear guides cover equipment by category.