So you’re thinking about starting to play ice hockey as an adult. Whether you’re looking to hit the ice with your child, spouse or other family member, or you have a group of friends learning together, or you’ve always just wanted to try it out, learning to play ice hockey can be an extremely satisfying experience.

That said, hockey is also often viewed as being one of the least accessible mainstream sports for new adult players. The purpose of this post is simply to provide you some additional information for your own comfort before you head to the pro shop for the first time, start practicing, etc. Here are some of the common barriers and/or considerations for you think about:

1. Initial investment
2. Learning the basics
3. Time commitment

#1: Initial Investment

Compared to some activities (going to the gym, soccer/football, basketball, running), ice hockey is viewed being high cost and is one of the barriers-of-entry for many prospective new players. Further to equipment cost, parents of youth players face steep playing costs (time commitment, ice time, travel, tournaments, etc.)

Fortunately, as an adult, you aren’t playing rep hockey, and therefore aren’t likely to be traveling much for hockey (though still possible – more to come on that later). Actually playing hockey (cost estimates in Canada) will often be $15-40 per depending on officiated league game vs. indoor pick-up, which while not nominal, is certainly affordable compared to many other activities including golf or skiing/snowboarding.

If that level of ongoing cost is reasonable to you, your hesitation is more likely related to ice hockey’s initial investment. There’s a lot to acquire:

• Hockey bag (for your equipment)
• Helmet & facial protection (cage, visor, shield)
• Shoulder pads
• Jersey
• Hockey jock or jill
• Dry-fit shirt
• Elbow pads
• Hockey gloves
• Hockey pants
• Hockey socks
• Skate socks
• Shin pads
• Skates
• Hockey stick
• Sock tape & stick tape

While it’s a long list, there are a few ways you may be able to save some money. Each piece generally has several options ranging from pro/elite-level (most expensive) downward. You may also be looking at heavily discounted / clearance items, or even second-hand items. A more detailed look at equipment is coming in an upcoming dedicated “Beginner’s Series” post, but for your consideration, I’ve separated each piece of equipment based on whether I’d recommend saving or splurging on each particular piece:

Save (Not likely to notice material difference as a beginner)	Look for fit & feel, save if you can	Splurge (Item’s price may yield noticeable performance benefits)
Hockey bag Jersey Hockey socks Skate socks Sock tape & stick tape	Helmet & facial protection Shoulder pads Dry-fit shirt Hockey jock or jill Elbow pads Hockey gloves Hockey pants Shin pads*	Skates Hockey stick Shin pads*

You’ll notice that the vast majority of equipment to purchase I’ve listed in the first 2 columns, meaning “green light” on pursuing cost savings as appropriate. You may be surprised by where helmet is listed, however there has been conclusive testing showing more expensive helmets do not necessarily offer better protection against concussions, so fit & feel are paramount. A quick primer on the “splurge” items”:

Skates: While you almost definitely don’t need top-end skates to start, skates at a higher price-point impact both performance and durability and therefore if you plan on playing regularly and it’s within your price tolerance to go up a step or two, do consider it.

Hockey stick: While you’ll inevitably break your first hockey stick (likely the most “consumable” piece of equipment), a stick’s weight, balance, and feel are all greatly improved higher up on the price point. So, shop around for the stick lineup that best suits you, and consider going up a step or two.

Shin pads: I have this listed in 2 columns, and here’s why: pro-level protection likely isn’t paramount for a beginner player. However, when you do get hit (by a puck or a stick) it’ll most likely be on the skate, or on the shin pad. Therefore, in addition to fit & feel, I’d encourage you to consider overall protection (ability to deflect or absorb impact) and coverage (full leg wrap, no gaps around ankles with skates on) for this piece of protective gear before others, especially if you’re interested in trying your luck as a defenseman.

I hope the above guidance helps you think about where you may be able to cut corners and pick up your first set of equipment within your budget. I’ll offer two additional comments re: equipment: first, I’ve noticed some beginners with the mentality of “I’m planning on playing a lot so I’d rather buy the best because it’ll last forever”. In most cases this simply is not true. While you’re free to spend your money as you desire (and more expensive equipment is often better at some things), much of your gear is what I’d consider as a consumable, and you’ll go through iterations over time. My personal recommendation would be to better determine your characteristics as a player first, and then begin to make informed investments in pieces of gear to complement those characteristics.

Second (and finally), if you still can’t quite get over the hump of purchasing everything needed, and you have access to an outdoor rink (often free), then don’t! Start with outdoor shinny to see if you like it, then purchase the rest. All you’ll need is a helmet, hockey gloves, a stick, and skates (and maybe some basic knee and elbow pads for those less stable). Accumulate the rest over time.

#2: Learning the Basics

My “Total Beginner’s Series” will go a lot deeper into the fundamentals of hockey over the coming weeks, including:

• Hockey stance & basic stickhandling
• Forward starts, strides, turns & crossovers
• Stopping
• Backwards starts, skating & crossovers
• Pivots
• Mohawks
• Basic positioning

As a basic primer, I’d suggest you consider your starting point: are you learning to play, or learning to skate?

Learn to play infers you can get around the ice, turn, and stop, in a relatively safe fashion. I’m not necessarily talking power stops, tight turns & crossovers, but when you’re playing a sport where accidental collisions and injuries are far more likely to happen at lower levels (vs. higher level non-contact hockey), I can’t overstate this enough – and I unfortunately see individuals jump straight into games without considering “can I do this safely, for myself and those around me?” Trust me, everyone else on the ice will greatly appreciate your consideration of this important topic. If you’re “learn to play” (like really), skip the next section.

Learn to skate means you likely need some help getting around the ice safely. There’s nothing wrong with admitting it, and your future teammates will appreciate your advance preparation. If this is you, I’d offer the following suggestions:

• Don’t let your inability to skate be your barrier to learning hockey. Your friends’ childhood skating lessons only bought them a few weeks’ leg-up on you. Trust me, you can do it.
• Follow our beginner’s series of content like your life depended on it (okay, probably not life – howbout your chances of making it “pro” will double?)
• Time + practice = proficiency; get comfortable on the ice. Go public skating. Live at the outdoor leisure rink. Stay for those extra 10 minutes after your session if the zamboni is late. Go to the rink early.
• Some things are much easier to practice with some padding on and hesitancy due to fear of falling could prevent you from successfully attempting proper technique. No, going to public skating with hockey pants on doesn’t look cool. No, as an adult, you shouldn’t care, and neither do we.
• If, in the early days, your ankles bend inwards (think baby giraffe, except it’s you), don’t wrap your laces or use tape to force them into submissive ‘rigidity’. It may make you more comfortable skating in the short-term, but you aren’t doing yourself any favours. Strengthen your hockey-specific ankle & leg muscles. Wear your skates (standing) while watching TV. Brushing your teeth. On that Zoom call.

#3: Time Commitment

While any frequency of hockey offers great exercise and tons of fun, I’d suggest one hour per week (on the ice, total commitment varies depending on how quickly you get ready, distance to travel, etc.) as the minimum to make true progress if picking up the sport as a hobby, and two-to-three hours per week as the optimal amount of time for key areas of development.

What are these “key areas of development” I mention? Shouldn’t I just play as much hockey as possible? Sort of. Being on the ice more often is almost always a good thing. However, many of you likely have limited amount of time you can commit to being on the ice, and I’ve seen many adult recreational players plateau in their progression, often simply because of misplaced allocation of that time.

Here’s a rough breakdown of what I mean by key areas, each offering distinct benefits, and if 100% of your hockey time is dedicated to only one or two of these, not only is it a possible diagnosis if why your game may not be progressing as fast as you’d like, but also may offer food for thought on how may want to reallocate your time depending on your individual needs (you aren’t likely to have enough time to do all of them all the time):

• Skating is a lot more than being on the ice, and playing games likely doesn’t provide sufficient practice, for new players, at much more than forward strides. It’s incredibly important to develop your outside edges (in addition to inside), pivots, turns, crossovers, backwards strides, and more. One quick example: what’s the point in learning an outside-edge stop (other than a celly)? That’s easy: safety. You won’t always have perfect control of both feet in a game. You may step on a stick, the puck, someone may be hooking or holding you, and you can choose to A – maintain control and stop with what you have available to you, or B – catch an edge and hope you aren’t in a compromised position (ie. danger-zone proximity to boards).
  • Leisure skating, outdoor rinks, etc. (often available for free in many geographies) are a great opportunity to practice skating!
  • Canlan Sports (or other municipal programs – offered at various locations) offer learn to skate, or play to learn programs that place significant emphasis on proper edgework. Alternatively, contact us!
• Shinny or Pick-up hockey offers the opportunity to play hockey, have fun, get exercise and improve your skills broadly in a “just for fun” setting. This is where many hockey players spend the majority of their time – so do I! If you notice yourself beginning to plateau, I’d encourage you to look at the other key areas to see if you need to re-balance your allocated hockey time.
  • For the GTA, Hockey Toronto offers daily pick-up hockey for adults in a variety of skill levels. For other locations, finding a game should be a quick and easy google search away.
• High Repetition, Stick & Puck or “Open Ice” is the opportunity to develop muscle memory, because in a game situation, having to think about how you need to do something probably means you’re too slow to be successful. This may mean repetitive skating, stickhandling, passing & shooting drills – you may not be specifically learning anything new, but that’s OK; the idea is to identify a skill, learn it, then ingrain it into muscle memory through high repetition.
  • You don’t necessarily need to find an instructor-led program for this purpose; if you can find open ice, stick & puck time, or even outdoor time (with off-ice training products, Marsblades, or other) you can achieve muscle memory on your own! Just ensure to challenge yourself to work on areas of opportunity, not just the same old forward strides / shots!
• Flow / Timing / Positional Drills and Instruction teaches you the game of hockey. You may be getting pretty fast, a pretty hard shot, but noticing yourself ineffective in higher-level scrimmages. This may be where you need some help. What is hockey, if not skating, shooting, and passing? Tons. A few examples:
  • How do I win faceoffs?
  • What’s correct basic positioning in the defensive, neutral, offensive zones for each position?
  • How do I play and battle along the boards safely?
  • How do I breakout, regroup, and cycle?
  • What’s an attack triangle?
  • How do I develop better timing so I’m attacking with my team, and not by myself?
  • How do I make myself a better passing option when I don’t have the puck?
  • How can I incorporate more deception into my game?
  • How do I play proper defense?
• League / Officiated or Higher-Intensity Play or Practice is simply the next-level of gameplay. Once you’ve sufficiently developed your skating, flow / timing, and other skills through a variety of practice and play methods, you may notice yourself struggling making the leap from pick-up hockey to league games. While it’s possible you’re in the wrong division, often it’s simply because you aren’t used to a game environment where your opponent is exerting maximum effort. Take the 10 same skaters from a pick-up game and toss them on the ice in a league game, and you’ll notice more aggressive defense, tighter fore(and back)-checking, and generally less time-to-react.
  • The solution to this is simply to become more accustomed to high-pressure situations. This doesn’t necessarily have to be league play; it may mean any environment where the opposition is say >50% defensive effort; it may mean simply running your solo drills at a quicker pace; it may mean shifting the types of drills you perform to incorporate more battle scenarios (ie. 1-on-1); it may mean adding a “friendly” back-checker to your skating routine.

As with everything, hockey is what you want it to be, and everyone has their own personal objectives for the game. You may have no interest in league play, and there’s nothing wrong with that. That’s why I’m not suggesting specific things I think you need to do, but moreso outlining considerations for you to take a look at in line with your objectives.

If anything in this post resonated with you and/or you have follow-up questions, make sure to follow along to our Total Beginner’s Series of upcoming content, or reach out to us for more immediate feedback, suggestions and tips!