Youth Goalie Sticks: Paddle Size and Tape

A young goalie’s stick has the same parts as an adult’s: a blade, a wide paddle, a shaft and a knob. It is sized differently from a player’s stick, and the knob has its own rules at higher levels.

The full adult tape job is in the goalie tutorial. This article covers what changes for small goalies.

Sizing: it is the paddle that counts

Goalie sticks are sized by the length of the paddle, the wide part above the blade. Bauer’s size guide says to measure straight down the back of the paddle, from the top of its shoulder to where the paddle meets the blade.

Bauer and CCM publish the same chart for young goalies:

Size	Paddle length	Age	Height
Youth	20 in	5 to 6	Up to 4’2”
Junior	21 in	7 to 8	4’0” to 4’4”
Junior	22 in	7 to 8	4’4” to 4’6”
Intermediate	23 in	9 to 14	4’6” to 4’9”
Intermediate	24 in	9 to 14	4’9” to 5’5”

Senior paddles, for goalies about 14 and older, run 25 to 27 in on both charts (Bauer also lists a 24 in senior paddle on one model). Within the senior range, the charts call paddle length a personal preference.

Go by height first. Ages are a rough guide only.

Taping the blade and paddle

The steps match an adult goalie stick, on a smaller scale.

• Blade. GoalieMonkey’s guide says to cover the whole blade, overlapping each wrap slightly, and to aim for a smooth wrap without air bubbles or creases. It suggests an extra layer along the bottom edge for protection.
• Paddle. How much of the paddle to tape is a choice. See how goalies tape their sticks.
• Width. 1 inch tape follows a small blade easily. Wide tape covers faster. See widths and roll lengths.

The knob: sized to a small glove

GoalieMonkey’s goalie taping guide gives advice that suits young goalies:

• Size it to the hand. Smaller hands may do better with a slimmer knob.
• Build it with a gradual flare, wider at the very top, so the hand does not slip off.
• Secure the base with extra tape so the knob does not shift.
• Hold the stick with the glove on, check the balance, and adjust.

Some pros build very large knobs. Size your goalie’s knob to their own blocker hand, not to what the pros use.

What the rules say

White knob

The NHL, PWHL and IIHF all require a goalie stick to have a knob of white tape or other approved material at the top of the shaft. In the NHL it must be at least 1/2 in thick. See goalie stick knob rules.

In minor hockey:

• Hockey Canada Rule 3.3 does not set a knob colour or size in the sections we read, but Rule 3.3(d) says the end of every shaft must be covered, and a hollow shaft also needs a cap.
• USA Hockey Rule 301(a) requires the end of a hollow shaft to be fully covered. The Junior Hockey Edition adds that a goalkeeper’s knob must be tape or other approved material.

A white knob is legal everywhere, so it is a safe choice for a young goalie.

Stick size

Hockey Canada Rule 3.3(c) limits a goalie stick to 1.4 m (55 in) from the heel to the end of the shaft.

Broken sticks

Hockey Canada Rule 3.2(c) says a goalie may not keep playing with a broken stick of any kind. Rule 3.2(a) also says a player with a broken stick must drop all the pieces right away.

Safety: never tape over a crack in the paddle or shaft. A cracked goalie stick should be replaced, not repaired with tape. Hockey Canada advises parents to replace cracked or structurally unsound equipment right away.