How Often Should You Retape Your Hockey Stick?

There is no schedule for retaping. The tape tells you when it is done. Here is what to look for and how much pros vary.

What the pros do

The range is huge, even in the NHL.

• Every game. CBS Pittsburgh reported in 2017 that Sidney Crosby tapes his stick a set way at the same time before every game.
• Almost never. Dawson Mercer told NJD.tv in 2022 that he rarely retapes and only starts over when the tape job gets loose.
• Mid-game. TSN reported that in October 2025 Tim Stützle changed his tape between periods after fumbling the puck, then scored twice in the third.
• Not at all. Zdeno Chara switched to Rezztek blade grips because he was tired of retaping after slashes ripped his tape, NHL.com reported.

HockeyMonkey’s taping guide sums it up: some players retape before every game, others only every few months.

Signs it is time

Retape when you see any of these:

1. Bare blade showing. HockeyMonkey’s rule of thumb is to retape when a significant part of the blade shows through cut or worn tape.
2. Peeling ends. Once the toe or the bottom edge starts to lift, the wrap is coming loose. That is Dawson Mercer’s cue to start over.
3. Fraying. The hockeytape.ca tape types guide says to replace cloth tape when it frays, peels at the edges or stays wet.
4. Tape that stays wet. Lowry’s waxing guide says wet tape can reduce control and add weight.
5. The feel is off. Stützle’s coach told him to change his tape when he was fumbling the puck. Fresh tape is a cheap thing to rule out.

Where tape wears first

• The bottom edge. Lowry’s waxing guide calls out the bottom edge as one of the spots that wears and gets wet most.
• The toe. Chicago’s Jason Dickinson told Second City Hockey he doubles the tape on his toe because faceoffs wear it down.
• The knob. It can outlast many blade jobs. Mercer told NJD.tv he changes his blade tape before games but not the top of the stick.

You do not always need a full retape. A few fresh wraps over a worn toe can buy time. Strip any wet or peeling section first so the new tape sits flat.

How to make a tape job last longer

• Wax it. Lowry says wax protects the tape so you may need to retape less often. Howies says its wax can prolong your tape job. See stick wax.
• Use more overlap. A thicker layer takes longer to wear through. See how much to overlap.
• Dry your stick after you skate. Do not leave it taped and wet in a bag.
• Tape tight and smooth. Loose wraps lift sooner.

A simple routine

How much you play	Starting point
Once a week	Check before each skate; retape when you see wear
Several times a week	Expect to retape weekly or more
Every day, or outdoors	Wax every time and retape when it stays wet

These are starting points, not rules. Adjust to what your tape shows you. For the steps, see how to tape a stick. For the cost side, see how much tape it takes.