The goaltender position is typically treated like a specialized profession on a hockey team, and that includes having specialized gear. Where the other players—the skaters—wear equipment designed to offer protection without compromising skating and shooting speed, goalies have big, thick gear to help block pucks and absorb the force of slapshots. And while the price of goalie gear is comparable to skater gear—around $1,000—for the youngest players, at the highest adult levels the cost of those wider sticks and giant gloves and pads can add up to $7,500 or more before taxes, even as skater gear stays much closer to $1,000 as players advance. This slideshow breaks down the goalie gear and its current retail pricing.
