So don't come to the rink if you're feeling sick and wash your hands often, especially after hockey. Don't share water bottles with teammates and keep your equipment dry and clean.
'There's a good chance the gloves your son or daughter wore all season are the smelliest pieces of equipment in the hockey bag this spring...'
The last two weeks of April is the perfect time of year to take care of all those little equipment problems that slowly develop over the course of the winter season.
Thanks to some great timing and some terrific volunteer spirit, the hockey jerseys that used to sit on the backs of the McGuire kids in Oakville, Ontario are now on the backs of soccer kids in Uganda.
Kuiper's responds to a reader's question of if there is a rule for a helmet that is no longer CSA certified or has expired.
If you have any doubts about the integrity of your helmet after this inspection, toss it in the garbage and get a new one.
Looking for that perfect New Year's resolution? How about creating your own used hockey equipment drive.
Forget about spreading the equipment all over the house. Simply insert a hose into the end of the bag and press the 'On' button.
If you're superstitious, go with the black tape. A lot of players think it's tougher for the goalie to see the black puck against the black tape.
There's no doubt these are tough economic times for hockey families and it doesn't look like it's going to get better in the near future. So, is there anything we can do to make our favourite winter pastime more affordable? There's really only one place we have total control over and that's our kids' equipment.
Tips and advice on looking after your gear.
Ron is called our equipment guy because he's often trying to figure out how to deal with his young daughter's needs as a goaltender and his son's needs as a left winger. He's a writer in Oakville who has been coaching and tying up kids' skates for more than eight years.
