Are you wondering if the tape on your hockey stick is still good to go for the next game? You’re in the right spot
You should retape your hockey stick when the bottom of the blade is worn out or when you have large gashes in your blade. This is typically every 3-10 games. If you play center you can expect to tape your stick more than other positions due to face-offs. Common causes of wear on your tape are hard passes, shot blocks, puck deflections, and other players’ skates or sticks.
There are some things you can do to extend the life of your stick tape. Read on to find out!
When Do I Need To Re-Tape My Hockey Stick?
How often you keep your stick on the ice and how aggressive the game was will determine how often you have to retape your hockey stick. Typically you can expect to retape your hockey stick every 3-10 games. However, I have had to retape my hockey stick after one game.
You need to tape your stick when you have chunks of tape missing or the bottom is worn out. Chunks of tape will go missing when other players slash your stick with their stick or step on your blade with their skates.
You may also notice knicks in your hockey stick tape from catching a really hard pass or from deflecting pucks.
Another sign that you need to retape your hockey stick is that the bottom of the blade is exposed. This is also a good sign that you are keeping your stick on the ice.
Some players use how quickly the bottom of their stick tape is worn down as an indicator of how often they have skated with their stick on the ice and they look forward to seeing the bottom of the stick tape worn out. It’s always a good thing to skate with your stick on the ice. This means you score more goals usually!
If you play center, you can expect to retape your stick more often than other positions because face-offs can be brutal on the blade of your stick. Constantly whacking and fighting for the puck will cause your stick tape to break down much more quickly.
You should not have to retape the handle or the knob on your stick unless you do not like the size of it. (insert inappropriate joke here). I have never had the handle of my stick wear down, if anything hockey stick tape will wear out your gloves before it goes bad on the handle of your stick.
Why Do I Need To Tape My Hockey Stick?
You need to tape your hockey stick because it provides protection to the blade and it also allows you to grip the puck better.
Hockey stick tape is made of a semi-water-resistant cloth that absorbs some of the impact from the puck. Your hockey stick is made of epoxy and carbon fiber and even though modern sticks are very tough they are still prone to chipping and cracking. You do not want to ship or crack the blade of your hockey stick.
Not only does hockey stick tape provide protection but it allows you to grip the puck better. Hockey stick tape is textured tape and will allow you to grab onto the puck and control it more.
You will be able to stick handle better, shoot harder, pass better, and catch the puck better than you would if you did not have stick tape on your hockey stick.
Players will often use hockey stick tape to tape the top of their stick where you grab with your top hand. Hockey sticks can be slippery and putting a few rolls of tape on top will allow your hands to grip the stick better. Some players will tape a large knob on the top while other players prefer no knob. That is a personal preference.
How Do I Make My Stick Tape Last Longer?
The best way to make your stick tape last longer is to apply hockey wax to your freshly taped stick blade. Hockey wax helps with the build-up of ice on your stick. Ice eventually melts and turns to water and that softens up your tape.
This soft tape leaves your blade prone to slashes, pucks, and skate blades.
There are lots of brands of hockey wax out there but not all of them are created equal! Some players avoid wax altogether because they say that they don’t see the point. Waxes that are not designed for hockey will freeze up when on the rink and eventually fall off your stick, which is completely pointless.
The best brand of hockey stick wax that I have found out there is made by the ProPerformance Wax Company. Applying the wax is a two-step process. You lay down a base coat and then follow it up with a separate wax that has been designed to give you either better grip or control.
ProPerformance Wax is on the pricey side so if they are out of your budget, Howies makes a decent product but in my opinion, nothing is beating ProPerformance right now.
The best way to make sure that your stick tape lasts longer when applying wax is to be extremely liberal with your wax. Cover the heck out of your blade. Use more than you think you need to.
Another trick to help your stick tape last longer is to try a different brand. If you feel like your tape gets worn down really fast try buying something else. Renfrew and Howies are some of the most popular hockey stick tapes on the market right now. If you aren’t using one of those you should try them out.
How Do I Tape My Hockey Stick?
There are multiple ways to tape your stick. The tape patterns have some fun nicknames too.
- 5 strand
- Just the tip
- The Sock
- Heel-Toe
If you are worried about the amount of hockey tape you are going through, the 5 strand or just the tip are good options for you, however, I think you will be going through sticks a lot quicker.
The sock and the heel-toe cover most of the blade and will offer the most protection and grip.
No matter the design it’s best practice to lay down a strip of tape on the bottom side of your blade, covering the entire area that you are about to tape. This provides an extra layer of protection since this is the area that will usually wear out first. Some players even use a different color tape here so that they can see when it wears out.
After that base layer is down it’s good to start at the heel of your blade and work your way towards the toe. I just use regular scissors to cut the end and smash it to the blade.
Take a puck and rub your blade up and down pushing the tape onto the blade the best you can and you are ready to go!
How Long Does Hockey Stick Tape Last For?
Hockey stick tape will usually last 3-10 games in beer league hockey depending on how aggressive your games are. Use a quality brand and load your blade up with wax to ensure that your hockey stick tape lasts as long as it possibly can.
If you play center expect your hockey stick tape to wear down more quickly than other positions.
