Coach JeremyA newer list has been published for 2015: Visit our hockey player gifts for 2015
If you have a hockey player in your family or group of friends then you might be looking for the perfect gift for them. Sometimes finding that perfect gift can be tricky, but when it comes to hockey players anything that has to do with hockey will be sure to make them grin from ear to ear! There are a lot of products out there, so I asked a whole bunch of hockey players* what they wanted for Christmas and the list below will help you get that perfect gift.
Top 10 Gift Ideas for Hockey Players
In no particular order, here is the top 10 list.
Outdoor Rink (synthetic or ice)
You can’t exactly fit this under the tree, but an outdoor rink is the ultimate gift for anyone in the family. A lot of memories were created on our outdoor rink, and I credit our rink to 80% of my skill. There are some products that will help you out, but the best way to get started is to do your research. Here is a list of tips for building a backyard rink and if you wan’t to make it really easy you can buy a backyard rink building kit
Rock’em Sock’em
Every year for Christmas I would get Rock’em Sock’em (Don Cherry videos) I have 1-21 and this year #22 comes out. This is a non-stop highlight reel of the previous NHL season showing all the best goals, passes, plays, dekes, hits, and fights. I watch each one about 10 times before new years and I still reach back and watch the old ones on VHS. This is a must have for true hockey players and fans (I usually pick up a few new deke’s to use!) Buy it Here – this is a hot product, if it is sold out you can still order and they will ship when available.
Hockey shooting Surface
We have reviewed the hockey shooting pads, tiles, and the Extreme passing kit. These are all great surfaces to practice stickhandling and shooting. If you want your kid (or kid at heart) to practice stickhandling and shooting then a smooth surface is all they need. BUY IT HERE – I recommend the roll-up pad with bungee cord, lots of room to practice with a pass rebounder.
Hockey Net / Backstop
A hockey net is a great gift for any hockey player because they will get a lot of use out of it. The net will be great for pond hockey, or on a backyard rink during the winter, and great for road hockey and target practice in the summer. You can pick up the EZ-Goal that folds up for easy storage and the backstop which is a godsend when you are practicing shooting! BUY IT HERE – Comes with free targets!
Hockey Video Game
Whether it’s Blades of Steel or NHL 11 most hockey players love playing hockey video games, chances are the hockey player on your Christmas shopping list does too. You could reach back and get ice hockey for regular Nintendo, but the hot consoles this year are X-Box 360 and PS3. I am sure you already knew that though. The hot hockey game this year is NHL 11 you can get it here
New Stick
A hockey stick is a great gift for any hockey player. If the person on your list plays high level hockey then you will want to spend around $150 or more on a stick, other wise they won’t want to use it. If you have a casual player they will be thrilled to get any composite stick. I recommend the Winnwell GX-8 as it feels like a $200 stick with only a $100 price tag!
New Hockey Equipment
Whether it is new skates, a helmet, or protective equipment it seems around this time of year every hockey player could use a new something or another. If you are a parent of a hockey player you are going to have to buy new hockey equipment anyways, so you might as well pass it off as a Christmas gift! Some good sites for hockey equipment are Hockey Monkey, Total Hockey, Hockey Giant, or search for a deal here.
Quick Stickz
I recently did a QuickStickz review, this device hooks up to your computer and uses a stickhandling ball as the controller. You can complete drills and games online to improve your skills. This is a great way to encourage a kid to practice their stickhandling, and keep their head up. You can get the QuickStickz and a free three month membership on their official website.
Tickets to the Game
Nothing is more exciting than watching your home town hockey team play their hearts out. If you live near a city with an NHL team then tickets for you and your special hockey player is a great idea. If you don’t have an NHL team maybe there is another team around. I have watched everything from Junior up to AHL and they are all fun to watch, and a good night out. If you are looking for cheap tickets check out Save Fans, where you can negotiate the price with other fans and get cheap tickets.
Jersey of their favourite player or team
Most hockey players are also hockey fans, find out who their favourite hockey player in the NHL is and pick up one of their Jersey’s. You can get NHL Jersey’s at most hockey stores, if you are looking for a rare jersey or a good deal you can try searching here
Stocking Stuffers
Here is a quick list of ideas for stocking stuffers
The Obvious
- Stick tape
- Skate laces
- Stick wax
- A stone
- Hockey Pucks
The Ultra Cool
- Weighted Hockey Pucks
- Stickhandling Balls
- A Green Biscuit (my favourite off ice puck and all the kids on the hockey team I coach love it) –Get it here (I recommend the Green Biscuit, and stickhandling balls as a combo)
- Magic Stick (it really does work great, I love it!)
For more stocking stuffer ideas check out the stocking stuffer page on Hockey Shot
*Special thanks to everyone from “the rink” at HF Boards, Reddit Hockey, and the fans of How To Hockey on Facebook for helping me compile this list!
