Style Over Substance

Style over Substance

Hockey style, or “Sty” as the kids call it, has become more and more prevalent since the takeover of social media. Different groups, boards, and “clubs” traditionally have a time of year where their members show off their current gear collections or setups. Like the real world, just because a look or style is popular, does not necessarily make it functional.

Take the helmet for example, some of the most protective helmets on the market get passed up because they do no look all that great. For a very long time, the Bauer 4500, Nike NHH004, and Cooper HH3000, which are all essentially the same helmet was considered the most stylish helmet on the market. Take one good look at them and anyone will realize they are a minimalistic helmet that would not be considered overly safe by today’s standards.

Same thing goes for a set of custom gloves. There are so many different gloves on the market, all with similar designs but slightly different fits. Some are a bit boxier, which would be your standard four roll design, some are tapered, and others may just have a unique design. Players should be fitting themselves with equipment that fits properly and be less concerned about what it may look like.

Not every youth team needs to present themselves like an NHL squad. The aesthetics of the game are beginning to cost the same as the ice time, which too is getting out of control. We enjoy seeing each teams’ uniform designs while they are in town for our Michigan youth hockey tournaments, but we are much more pleased when we know each and every participant is outfitted in the safest gear. For information on our upcoming tournaments which include the Green Ice Classic, Hockey Fights Cancer and the AAA Detroit Showdown head over to our tournament page.