How Much Tape Does a Youth Stick Need?

Nobody publishes an official “tape per youth stick” figure, and youth blades vary by brand. The honest answer is to measure your child’s blade and run the numbers. It takes two minutes.

Measure the blade

You need two measurements, in inches or centimetres:

• Length: from the heel, where the blade meets the shaft, to the tip of the toe.
• Height: the tallest part of the blade.

For comparison, NHL Rule 10.1 caps an adult player’s blade at 12.5 in long and 3 in tall. Youth sticks are much shorter overall, but measure the blade rather than guess.

Do the maths

Tape per pass

One pass around the blade covers the front, the back and the bottom edge. That is roughly twice the height, plus a bit.

Tape per pass ≈ (2 × blade height) + 0.5 in

Number of passes

Each pass moves you along the blade by the part of the tape that does not overlap. HockeyMonkey suggests overlapping a little less than half.

Passes ≈ blade length ÷ (tape width × (1 − overlap))

Tape per job

Tape per job ≈ passes × tape per pass

A worked example

These are example numbers to show the method, not a measurement of any particular stick. Swap in your own.

• Blade: 10 in long, 2.5 in tall.
• Tape: 1 in wide, one-third overlap.
• Tape per pass: (2 × 2.5) + 0.5 = 5.5 in.
• Passes: 10 ÷ (1 × 2/3) = 15.
• Tape per job: 15 × 5.5 = about 83 in, or about 2.1 m.

Howies lists its 1 in black cloth roll at 24 yd, which is 864 in. At about 83 in a job, that roll would cover about 10 blade jobs before you count the knob.

The knob

How much tape a knob uses depends on how big you build it, because you wrap over the same spot. Build it a few wraps at a time and stop when your child’s little finger wraps around it with gloves on, which is HockeyMonkey’s test. See knob size for small hands.

Budget tips

• Tape less of the blade. A mid-blade job covers where the puck sits and uses less tape.
• Use a lighter overlap. Going from a half overlap to a third cuts the number of passes by about a quarter.
• Keep the knob small. It is better for small hands anyway.
• Retape only when it needs it. HockeyMonkey’s rule of thumb is to retape when a significant part of the blade shows through cut or worn tape. See how often to retape.
• Buy in packs. Howies, for example, sells its cloth tape in 3, 12 and 30 packs as well as single rolls. Compare price per metre, not price per roll. The widths and roll lengths article shows why.
• Store rolls well. North American Tapes, the maker of Comp-o-stik, warns that a crushed roll can squeeze adhesive between layers and shred the edges. Keep rolls in a box or tin in the hockey bag.
• Share across siblings. One roll of a neutral colour can serve several kids.

Spend on the stick, not the tape

Tape is the cheap part. In a USA Hockey ADM Kids guide, USA Hockey’s Scott Aldrich says there are lower-cost youth sticks that perform fine for a beginner. “The stick doesn’t make the player,” he says. A sensible budget is a properly sized, inexpensive stick and a roll or two of ordinary cloth tape. See youth and junior stick sizes.

How much to keep in the bag

A simple kit is one roll of blade tape and one for knobs and repairs. Add a roll of clear or sock tape if your child tapes their socks.

Safety: keep scissors in a closed pouch in the bag, not loose with the gear.