Hockey players want the best puck control possible when it’s on the blade of their stick as they need their shots and passes to be quick and accurate.
They tape the blades of their sticks for optimal puck control, feel and grip as the puck has a tendency to slip off of the blade of an un-taped stick. In addition, most players tape the butt-end of the stick into a knob as it gives their top hand a much better grip.
Why Do You Tape the Blade of a Hockey Stick?
Taping the blade of a hockey stick provides a player with better puck grip, feel and control. The taping process also protects the stick’s blade from moisture on the ice as well as from nicks, chips and cuts during the heat of the action, which helps the blade last longer.
What are the Different Ways to Tape a Hockey Stick Blade?
There are several ways to tape a hockey stick blade such as from the heel of the blade to the toe. You can tape the blade starting up the heel, in the middle, or towards the toe. The typical ways to tape your hockey stick blade are heel to toe, mid to toe, above the heel to toe, heel to mid toe, and mid to mid toe.
See the most common hockey blade tape jobs below:
| Heel to Toe | Mid to Toe | Above the Heel | Heel to Mid Toe |
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You can tape your stick any way you choose as it’s all a matter of personal preference or perhaps even superstition. Feel free to tape the blade in whichever way you’re the most comfortable with and what provides you with the results you’re looking for. Just remember to apply the tape to the blade as smoothly as possible to make sure there aren’t any wrinkles in the tape.
Why Do Some Players Wax their Taped Blade?
Cloth hockey tape is used to give you a better feel for the puck and to help prolong the life of the stick. When the blade becomes moist or wet from the ice it makes it more difficult to control the puck and the tape helps keep the stick dry.
You can also help preserve the tape and the blade and cut down on friction between the blade and the ice by using stick wax. This is done by applying a thin layer of the wax to a taped blade and to the bottom of it where it makes contact with the ice.
The wax is designed to provide the tape with watertight protection and to help stop it from unravelling when it becomes moist. Basically, the tape is used to protect the blade of your stick and wax is applied to protect the tape.
This gives the stick a dual layer of protection. The wax also acts as a tacky cushion which provides the blade with a softer touch and better grip when handling the puck. Waxing your stick is also optional and a personal preference.
Why Do You Tape the Knob of a Hockey Stick?
Most players tape the top handle (butt end) of their hockey stick to make it into a knob shape for their top hand to grip. This helps provide better control of the stick as the taped knob makes it less likely to lose control of the stick or drop it during play.
What are the Different Ways to Tape a Hockey Stick Knob?
There are numerous ways to tape the butt end of a stick and the thickness of the knob is purely personal preference. You simply wrap the tape around the end of the stick several times until you get the right amount of thickness.
Many players will twist or twirl a foot or two of tape first so it becomes a thin string of tape which is wrapped around the butt end to act as a base for the rest of the tape to be taped over top of. Some players prefer thicker knobs to hold onto while others may prefer thinner options.
Also, some players will use a thin layer of tape lower down the shaft of the stick where their lower hand grips it. Grip tape can also be used on the knob as the stretchy material provides extra grip due to its soft and spongy feel and is designed to help prolong the life of your gloves.
Can You Tape the Shaft of a Hockey Stick?
Some players also tape the shaft of their sticks in a thin layer as it provides them with a better grip for their lower hand. This can also help protect the stick from nicks, chips and cuts.
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NHL player Phil Kessel is well known for taping his stick all the way down the shaft from just below the knob to several inches above the blade. A single layer of tape is wound around the shaft with about a half-inch gap between each strip of tape, which makes it resemble a candy cane when it’s finished.
You can see Phil and his wrapped stick in his Instagram photo above!
Are There Different Types of Stick Hockey Tape?
In general, all hockey stick tape is designed for the same thing but of course some brands may be better than others due to the overall quality of the tape. Some brands are tackier or stickier than others and last longer on the stick while some types of tape may provide a more cushioned feel.
You can also find stick tape in a variety of widths, colors and/or designs with simple black or white still being the most common and popular. In previous eras, sticky black friction tape was often used by players to tape the knobs and blades of their sticks but it’s not as common anymore.
The most popular brand of cloth hockey stick tape at the moment is Howies due to the quality of the products and customer service and the company also sells grip tape and clear shin-pad tape.
Read our related post: Black vs White Hockey Tape | Is One Better than the Other?
What are Some Alternatives for Hockey Stick Tape?
There are some alternatives to taping the butt end, shaft and/or blade of your hockey stick and these products below may be of interest to hockey players of all ages and skill levels.
Buttendz Hockey Knob Grips
These are pre-made rubberized and elasticized knob grips that fit over the butt end of your stick. They can easily be replaced when they become worn down or you need to take if off of a broken stick. The seven-inch long grip is applied by coating the inside of it with a special spray as well as spraying the outside of the stick where the grip fits over.
See Buttends latest price here on Amazon.
Rezztek Blade Grips
These grips are made to be applied to the blade of the stick and are water resistant and repellent. They’re made of a durable fibre-mesh material which is designed to provide better a grip surface for optimal puck control. They come in different sizes, are lighter and thinner than hockey tape and stay in place on the blade thanks to the powerful adhesive.
See Rezztek Blade Grips latest price here on Amazon.
Wraparound Hockey Stick Protector for Off Ice Training
This product is designed to protect the blade of a carbon-fibre stick for outdoor and off-ice training purposes. It’s a lightweight, flexible and durable wrap-around protector made out of a formulated plastic material.
It allows you to practice your stickhandling, passing and shooting skills away from the rink as it’s ideal for any type of surface. It can simply be taped onto the blade of your stick to help secure it in place.
See Wraparound Hockey Stick Protectors latest price here on Amazon.
Pow’r Tac Spray-on Tackifier
Some hockey players spray this clear, scented water-resistant product on the shaft of their sticks for a better grip. It’s a non-transferable tacky substance which doesn’t get on your gloves and it can be removed with a soft cloth and isopropyl alcohol.
See Pow’r Tac Sprays latest price here on Amazon.
The History of Hockey Stick Tape (Has it Changed?)
The first known tape used for wooden hockey sticks in the early 1900’s was a type of black friction tape which was designed as an electrical insulating tape. This type of tape as a cohesive rubber coating on both sides of it and is often referred to as ‘Gordie Howe tape.’
The sticky tape would often transfer itself to the puck however and this would often leave black marks on the boards and on player’s gloves. In the late 1960’s a self-adhesive, cloth-based type of tape was created which is made of non-elastic synthetic fibres or cotton cloth.
This tape is lighter than friction tape, is adhesive on just one side and is the most common type of hockey stick tape in use today. Grip tape is also common and it’s a cloth-backed type of tape with a cohesive coating.
This means the tape sticks to itself but won’t stick to other surfaces. You can find non-elastic and elastic grip tapes with the non-elastic type being quite abrasive. The tape conforms to the shape of your hand due to its sponge-like substance and is often used on the knobs of hockey sticks.
Final Thoughts
Using tape to protect your stick’s blade and gaining better puck control and feel has been a hockey tradition or habit for many decades. Some players tape their entire blades while others such as Bobby Orr may have used just a single strip or two or perhaps none at all.
It all comes down to personal preference when taping the blade but you’ll find that just about every player tapes a knob on the butt end of the stick or uses some type of grip to make sure the stick doesn’t slip in their hands.
Stick tape will always be an option for hockey players but don’t be surprised if it becomes a thing of the past down the road as new advancements in technology are always on the horizon.
In the future we could see sticks that are manufactured with blades that don’t need taping and knob grips that already come on the butt end.
Jamie is the founder of Hockey Response and he is the chief writer/ lead editor. Jamie has been playing hockey for over 20 years. He was the defenseman of the year in NL and has played Jr A level hockey. Jamie has coached several kids hockey camps and he was the assistant coach of the Western Kings.
