27 Best Hockey Gifts for Players, Parents and Fans

The single best gift for a player who wants to shoot more pucks. Laid in the driveway or garage, this slick mat lets them rip wristers and snapshots daily without grinding their blade down on concrete, and it needs no silicone spray to stay fast. Put it in front of a goal and you have built them a home practice station.

One-timers are hard to practice without a teammate feeding passes. This rebounder sends the puck straight back, so a player can work on receiving cleanly and getting the shot off in one motion. It is light enough to bring to open ice sessions as well.

Quick hands are what separate players at tryouts, and this five-rib snake drills exactly that. Adjust the ribs and the puck has to go over, around and between them at speed. A good fit for apartment players because it works on any smooth floor or a shooting pad.

Cheap plastic goals tip over or crack under a real slapshot. This one uses steel tubing, a pro-style top shelf and heavyweight netting at full regulation width, so teenagers and adults can shoot as hard as they like. It anchors the whole driveway setup.

Strap this goalie silhouette across a 54-inch net and the only openings left are the corners and the five-hole. It turns aimless shooting into target practice, which is how players learn to pick top shelf. Pair it with the steel goal for a great combo gift.

Pucks vanish into snowbanks, under fences and into neighbors' yards. A bulk pack of regulation six-ounce rubber pucks keeps a shooting session going without chasing. Wrap a bucket of them with a shooting pad and it feels like a big gift.

Edges dull long before the next scheduled sharpening, and a dull skate slides out on tight turns. This diamond-stone hand sharpener touches up a 1/2-inch hollow in the locker room in a couple of minutes. Check that their usual hollow matches before buying, since most players stick to one.

The famous hockey bag smell comes from gear that never dries. This hanging strap spreads helmet, gloves, shin pads and jersey across six hooks so air can reach everything, then rolls up for weekend tournaments. It is the gift the whole household benefits from, which is why it is one of our top picks.

Febreze only covers hockey stink for an hour. This enzyme formula actually breaks down the bacteria living in pads and glove palms, so the smell does not come roaring back. A hockey parent will use the whole bottle by midseason.

Hockey gloves soak up more sweat than any other piece of gear, and the palms rot out fastest. Sliding these scented inserts into the cuffs after each skate pulls out moisture overnight and helps an expensive pair of gloves last another season.

Blades left wet in a bag rust, and rust ruins a fresh sharpening. These absorbent soakers wick water off the steel on the drive home and keep the edge from banging against other gear. Order by skate size: junior, senior large or senior XL.

Players retape their blades every few skates and are fussy about the brand. Howies is a locker-room favorite for its sticky adhesive and tight weave that grips the puck. Five rolls is enough to last most players through a full season.

Waxed laces lock tension in, so skates stay snug through the third period instead of loosening between shifts. Many players swear by them and go through several pairs a year. At under $10 it is our budget top pick, and it doubles as a perfect stocking stuffer.

Anyone who has cranked a child's skate laces tight in a cold rink knows the pain. These T-handle hooks pull each crossing snug with leverage instead of fingertips. Two come in a pack, so one can live in each bag.

The long angled straw is the point: players can squeeze water through a full cage without unbuckling their helmet. These are the bottles you see lined up on every bench. A two-pack means one is always clean and ready.

Mouthguards get chewed, lost and left in the bag, so a spare is always useful. This boil-and-bite gel guard has a reinforced frame for real impacts, and the Kool-Aid flavor means younger players will actually keep it in.

Skate blades near the neck are every hockey parent's nightmare. This pre-curved, cut-resistant gaiter is light enough that players forget it is there, and many youth leagues require one. A thoughtful gift for a player stepping up to a faster level.

Young kids want to play hockey every day, not just on ice nights. This set gives them knee hockey for the basement in winter and street hockey for the driveway in summer, with goals that snap together in seconds. A great first hockey gift for ages five and up.

Every family game of knee hockey needs a goalie, and this kit makes it the best job in the house. Soft foam pads, a blocker, a catch glove and an adjustable mask let a young fan copy their favorite netminder. It pairs naturally with the 2-in-1 set.

Tennis balls bounce all over the driveway; these PVC balls are built to stay low and roll like a puck, even on hot days. Six bright colors in a mesh bag are easy to find in the grass. A cheap add-on that makes summer hockey far more playable.

Game pucks, autographed pucks and first-goal pucks deserve better than a junk drawer. These snap-shut cubes protect each one and stack into a tidy wall on a shelf. Twelve per pack leaves room for a collection to grow.

A signed jersey or a player's final-season sweater is meant to be seen. This large shadow box with UV-blocking acrylic keeps colors from fading and offers two hanger styles. It is a meaningful gift for a graduating senior or a fan with a prized autograph.

Three framed action prints give a kid's bedroom or a basement rec room an instant hockey theme. They arrive ready to hang with no framing needed. A good choice when you want a hockey gift for the space they hang out in rather than the bag.

Hand-blown by a long-running ornament maker, this glittered glass puck becomes part of the tree year after year. Gift it for a child's first season, a championship run or a lifelong fan. It comes in a keepsake box, so it travels well.

Volunteer coaches draw up breakouts and power plays on whatever scrap of paper is around. This double-sided rink whiteboard is the proper tool, small enough to hold behind the bench. A useful end-of-season thank you from the team.

Ten puck-shaped steel openers cover an entire beer-league roster for the price of a round. Hand them out at the end-of-season party or tuck one into each teammate's bag. They clip onto keychains, so they will actually get used.

Hockey romance is a booming book genre, and this embroidered 'Meet Me in the Penalty Box' pillow is a wink to its readers. It suits the friend who loves the sport through novels as much as through games. Light, funny and sure to get a laugh.