Hockey shin guards have a simple yet vital purpose. Of all the body parts, your shins are probably the most likely target of sticks, pucks and skates. Without shin pads, you wouldn't last very long in a hockey game. It would only take one shot or chop with a stick across the knees to convince you that proper leg protection is pretty important.

There are varying level of protection offered with the many models and brands of hockey shin guards that we carry. It's safe to assume that you'll get more all-around protection from higher-priced shin guards. As the price increases, you get more calf protection, a greater number of straps to secure the pads to your legs, higher quality materials in the shell and interior, more breathability and flexibility, greater durability and a more comfortable fit. Look at a single line of shin guards from any given manufacturer and compare each model from bottom to top and you'll be able to see the differences in coverage and quality.

Measuring for shin guards is pretty simple. Take a tape measure from the center of your knee cap down to the crease where your ankle and shin meet at the top of your foot. If you plan to wear your shin guards tucked into the tongues of your skates, subtract an inch. If you're going to wear the shin guards on the outside of your tongues, you can pretty safely use the measurement that you just took from knee cap to ankle.

It's important to make sure that your shin guards are neither too long nor too short. If they're too long, your skates will push them up and your knee caps will not be centered in the knee cap cup of the shin guards, which is uncomfortable and likely to cause your pads to shift around leaving the sides of your knees exposed. If your shin guards are too short, the bottom of your shins and top of your ankles will be left exposed to errant hockey pucks, hockey sticks and skates.

Make sure to grab a few rolls of hockey shin tape before you check out and browse through the rest of our hockey protective gear.