You’ve got your new hockey stick and you think you’re ready to hit the rink and smash your slapshot past the defenders and into the corner of the net, right? Almost, but there’s still one thing you need that’s absolutely crucial for your success as a hockey player. You need to tape your stick with the best hockey tape you can find!
Whether you use composite sticks or wood hockey sticks you’ll likely want to protect the blade with tape as well as create a knob at the handle for a better grip. Taping your stick is important because it prevents moisture from accumulating on the blade while in game.
Extra moisture reduces your grip on the puck and is something you can’t afford to be worrying about if you want to keep up with your competition. Taping your hockey stick will also increase its durability and thus quality stick tape should be seen as an investment that will save you money rather than an expense.
Hockey tape is now considered to be essential hockey equipment for NHL players and there are several different types on the market including cloth and grip tapes to suit your personal preference. A well-taped handle on the butt-end of the stick can result in good grip, accuracy, control, and power when handling the puck and also reduce stick vibration.
You’ll find hockey stick tape is available in a range of colors, patterns, widths, and lengths as well as materials. With dozens of ice hockey stick tapes, however, it’s difficult to tell which tapes are the best for your stick.
For that reason, we’ve built a buying guide of the best hockey stick tapes for you.
SHORT ON TIME? Here are our high quality picks.
SPORTSTAPE HOCKEY TAPE
Our choice for best OVERALL hockey tape is Sports Tape. It's made with good quality materials, has great performance and the best price point for a 6 pack.
CHECK OUT THIS HANDY COMPARISON TABLE
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Table of Contents
1) Howies Stick Tape
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Overview
Howies stick tape is among the most popular brands with hockey players as the company produces traditional black, white and colored cloth tapes as well as colored no-stretch and stretch hockey grip tapes and shin pad tape. The cloth tapes are made of tightly-woven poly-cotton cloth material which makes it a natural rubber adhesive. The tape is designed to handle all rigors of the sport and won’t come unraveled when wet. Each roll is 25 yards in length and an inch in width with 1.5-inch, 15-yard rolls available as well.
The colored pro-grip, no-stretch tapes are 1.5 inches wide and 10 yards long and are self-adhering. This tape is thinner than the cloth style for an enhanced feel and comes with a coarse, abrasive grip. The stretchy grip tape has a spongy feel with a soft abrasive grip and comes in rolls that are five yards long and 1.5 inches wide.
Howies stick tape is available in several colors such as white, black, red and blue. It’s available in single rolls and you can also find it in a variety of packages such as 3, 4, 12, 24, 30 and 32 packs with the price per roll being lower when it’s bought in bulk.
2) Renfrew Stick Tape
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Overview
Renfrew makes pro-level friction tape in various widths, styles, designs, and colors with the most popular widths being 3/4 of an inch, one inch, and 1.5 inches. Stretch grip stick tape is also available. The friction tape comes with an additional grip for better puck handling and vibration absorption and enables you to get an excellent grip on your stick. The tape is made of thick woven-cotton with a consistent coating of tacky adhesive and is designed to form a moisture barrier between your blade and the ice.
A single roll of black or white thick friction tape is an inch wide and 20 yards in length and can be bought in bulk with cases of 36 rolls available. Coloured and graphic-design rolls can be found in a variety of lengths. The stretch grip tape is flexible, sticks to itself without adhesive and is easy to tear by hand. It provides tackiness and a cushion and is also ideal as an overwrap.
Renfrew Stick Tape is quite popular due to the wide assortment of colors and designs offered. Buying the tape in multi-roll packages and by the case will result in savings.
3) Lizard Skins Stick Tape
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Overview
Lizard Skins grip tape is made of Durasoft Polymer and is ideal for taping the handle of your hockey stick. It provides an excellent lightweight and tacky feel while also offering comfort and cutting down on wear and tear on your gloves. The tape is very thin which enables you to get an excellent feel on your stick. This tape promotes top-level puck control and stick handling by cutting down on uncomfortable vibrations.
Each roll is 39 inches long and contains a top cap for the end of the shaft as well as finishing tape. It can be installed by removing the adhesive backing from the tape and then placing the pre-cut edge at the top of the stick’s shaft.
Lizard Skins is generally used as an overwrap or grip and is ideal for placement over top of any type of tape job you may have on your stick. This makes it more of a grip than a typical hockey stick tape in many people’s eyes. It comes in several different colors and designs and is just 0.5 millimeters thick.
4) A&R Sports Stick Tape
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Overview
A&R is well known for its sports accessories with hockey tape being one of its best-selling items. This cloth tape is ideal for taping the grips, blades, and handles of all hockey sticks. The tape provides an excellent grip while reducing vibrations for optimal stick handling, passing and shooting. It’s quite durable and remains in place while wet.
The company makes traditional black and white cloth stick tape along with other colors as well as clear, water-resistant shin pad tape. A roll of the tacky adhesive stick tape is typically an inch wide by 20 yards long and is quite durable.
A&R hockey stick tape can usually be bought in single rolls and you’ll also be able to find it in packages of two and six.
5) SportsTape Hockey Tape
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The SportsTape brand is quite popular with hockey players as the company makes traditional adhesive cloth/polyester stick tape. This is a durable, tough tape that is made from tightly woven poly-cotton fabric and comes with a plastic grip coating which makes it ideal for taping the blades and handles of sticks. It’s easy to tear without the need for scissors due to the serrated edges and allows you to quickly tape sticks on the bench.
The water-resistant tape stays secure even in moist conditions and offers a strong, long-lasting bond. The tape doesn’t seep adhesive or leave residue on your hands or gloves. The company also makes trainer’s tape as well as stretch adhesive tape and under-wraps.
Sports Tape Hockey Stick Tape typically comes in rolls that are an inch wide and 20 yards long and money can be saved when buying multi-packs of tape. The tape can be found in an assortment of widths, lengths, colors, and patterns and can also be bought in bulk in multi-pack bundles and cases.
6) Comp O Stik Tape
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Comp O Stik hockey tape is popular for taping the blades and handles of ice hockey sticks as it’s made of cloth and helps improve your puck control. It protects the shaft and blade and since it’s water resistant it stays attached when wet meaning there’s no need for stick wax. The abrasion-resistant tape can handle the punishment a stick takes during games. It comes in traditional black and white colors as well as in several designs.
You’ll also be able to find clear shinguard tape and cohesive soft-grip tape by Comp O Stik. The soft-grip tape is very conformable and lightweight and adheres to itself instead of coming with a strong adhesive coating. This tape is available in a wide variety of colors and is wider than the traditional adhesive tacky tape.
A typical roll of Com O Stick hockey tape is an inch wide and 30 yards long and can be found in several colors and design patterns. The tape can be bought individually as well as in combo packs and boxes of 16.
FAQs About Hockey Stick Tape
Do NHL hockey players tape their sticks?
Yes. All professional ice hockey and field hockey players tape their sticks with black or white tape because it provides a better grip, and do not allow sweat to interfere with the player’s performance.
What kind of tape should I use on my hockey stick?
Not all players use the same type of tape, but some of the most commonly used tapes are professional hockey tape, friction tape, electrical tape, and even rubber tape which is also used on the blades.
Is hockey tape toxic?
There have been lots of studies related to electrical tapes, professional hockey tapes, etc. and even though some of them are made of materials such as Polyethylene, they do not pose a risk for our health and can be used frequently.
Conclusion
We hope you’ve found our list of hockey stick tapes useful. Hockey players have a diverse set of needs from their equipment and as such, we tried to offer you as many suggestions as possible for which tape might be the best for you. If you have any questions or want to let us know about any quality tapes we’ve missed feel free to leave us a comment. We’re excited to read what you have to say.
You got your tape! Now it’s time to grab some stick wax!
