Glove (ice hockey) facts for kids
Ice hockey players wear special gloves to protect their hands during the game. There are two main types of gloves. Skaters wear similar gloves on both hands. Goalies wear different gloves on each hand. These gloves help keep players safe from fast-moving pucks, sticks, and sharp ice skates.
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Skaters' Gloves: What They Do
Skaters' gloves are designed to protect a player's hands. They shield hands from hard shots, accidental hits from sticks, and even cuts from skates. These gloves are mostly for safety. They do not help players play the game better.
Goaltender's Gloves: Catching and Blocking
Goalies wear two very different gloves. These gloves protect them. They also help goalies stop pucks.
The Blocker Glove
On the hand that holds the stick, a goalie wears a blocker. This glove has a large, flat pad. The pad covers the back of the forearm. It usually goes past the wrist. Goalies use this glove to deflect shots away. It acts like a wall. In the National Hockey League (NHL), this glove cannot be wider than eight inches. It also cannot be longer than fifteen inches.
The Catching Glove
On their other hand, goalies wear a catching glove. This glove looks a lot like a baseball glove. Goalies use it to catch flying pucks. NHL rules say this glove cannot have a perimeter (distance around the edge) more than forty-five inches. The widest part of the glove cannot be more than eighteen inches.
