Regardless of whatever hype you hear about what the best gifts are, when it comes to gifts for hockey players, you can’t go wrong with synthetic ice. The only way it doesn’t make a good gift is if they already have it. Giving a hockey player the ability to build their own ice skating rink at home is probably one of the best things you could do for them. They will be able to skate any time, right in the comfort of their home. How cool is that? If they already have a synthetic ice rink set up, don’t worry. There are plenty more great gifts that you could give them that will enable them to sharpen their game and hone in their skills.
Here are some of the better selling ideas:
- Hockey shooting tarp
- Hockey rebounder
- Slick tiles dryland flooring
- Shooting pad
- Stickhandling balls
Synthetic Ice Flooring
One of the greatest things about synthetic ice flooring is that it can be installed and put to good use just about anywhere. The panels are made to be lightweight with convenient dovetail tabs that easily connect together and leave a virtually seamless surface that ice skates can glide over the top of without an excessive amount of drag.
Since the panels are so lightweight and durable, they can be put into place just about anywhere that there is a flat, level surface. For example, if you wish to build a skating rink in your backyard on the grass, all you have to do is put down a plywood sub flooring area to build the panels on to. You can try to build the panels straight on the grass, however it is recommended that you lay down a more solid flooring first so that you do not cause the panels to bend as you skate on them.
The Sniper’s Edge synthetic ice panels are made to last an exceptionally long time. You can install an ice skating flooring area and use it regularly for 10 years or until it wears out…then you can flip the panels over on the other side and get another 10 years out of them.
- Long lasting
- Durable
- Easy to install
- Ice skate at home
The best part about giving synthetic ice as a gift to a hockey player is that you give them an opportunity to build their skills and enhance their game so that they can have a powerful edge over their opponents and become champions.
Hockey Shooting Tarp
A high quality hockey shooting tarp is one of the best gifts you could give a hockey player. For one thing, they are built durably and to last. They are designed to both protect the walls and appliances from getting damaged by flying pucks, and also to give the player a strong training aid that will help them to sharpen their shooting skills on a daily basis.
The front side of the shooting tarp is endowed with a goalie area that has 5 shooting target holes for the pucks to enter upon impact. All the player has to do is pile up a good stack of pucks and shoot them one after the other towards the areas of the goaltender that are most challenging for them to make clean shots. After a while, the repetition will turn into muscle memory and the shots will be like second nature to the player.
With the use of other hockey training aids, a shooting tarp can become instrumental in the process of building up core strengths and skills so that your player will be able to dominate in the games and bring heat to the table.
- Protects walls and appliances
- Allows for repetitive training
- Pinpoint impossible shots
- Long lasting and durable
It is easy to see that if your hockey player does not already have one of these much-needed training aids, it is time to get them one.
Hockey Rebounder and Passer
Another phenomenal hockey training aid that would make an exceptional gift is a high-quality hockey rebounder. With one of these, a hockey player can learn to pass, receive and shoot off of the cuff without having to even leave home. Although teamwork is always best, when there is nobody else around to help train, the hockey passer gives an extra boost of passing and receiving training practice that can seriously bring skill, strength, and speed into the player’s game.
What makes a triple sided passing aid so special is that the player can shoot pucks at it from any angle, and adjust the way that the puck will fly off of the passer.
For example, the player can place the rebounder at a 45 degree angle paralell from them and cause the rebound to shoot towards the goal…or they can shoot the puck straight to the rebounder and catch the rebound full force so that they can come back with a backhand shot to the goal.
The player can also steadily shoot and receive shots from the passer back and forth for as long as the player allows, or can continue to pass. The shooter can shoot fast or slow, and can control the amount of heat that will come back to them after they shoot a pass.
- Lightweight
- Compact
- Durable
- Works on most surfaces
- Championship training purposes
Implementing regular practice with a hockey rebounder can help to increase the speed and agility that a player will need to have in order to be a formidable oponent.
Slick Tiles Dryland Flooring
The biggest difference between synthetic ice and dryland flooring is that synthetic ice is made for ice skating with ice skates, and dryland flooring is not. In fact, if you were to try to ice skate on dryland flooring panels you would end up having a really difficult time. Imagine trying to ice skate on a rubber matt…or something similar to a linoleum floor. Slick tiles may be slick for pucks and sticks, but not in any way for the use of ice skates.
So, as a gift for your hockey player, slick tiles are amazing because they can build a hockey flooring area just about anywhere. Slick tiles are 12 inch by 12 inch squares that can conveniently fit in small areas. The great part about this is that your player will be able to practice stickhandling moves just about anywhere without having to worry about ruining their sticks.
Although the tiles are not made for ice hockey, many players play well on inline skates. Non-ice hockey is just as competitive and rough as ice hockey. It takes a substantial amount of skill and strength to play on dryland flooring.
Dryland tiles are:
- Durable and lightweight
- Small and compact
- Easy to install
- Easy to keep clean
- A great gift
Dryland hockey slick tile flooring is a perfect gift for the hockey player that prefers to play on inline skates, or sneakers. The flooring makes a great place to practice shooting and passing as well.
Hockey Shooting Pad
A hockey shooting pad is a phenomenal gift idea for hockey players because it is a lightweight and compact solution that can be taken and used just about anywhere. You can choose different sizes of the pads in order to best accommodate your needs, or the needs of your hockey player.
The pad itself is made out of a durable polymer that is built to last and be used over and over again. All you have to do is lay the pad flat on the ground and you can practice stickhandling moves, passing, or shooting. The surface of the pad will not damage or chip hockey sticks, and is slick enough to allow pucks to slide across them much like they would on ice, or dryland flooring.
Conclusion
If your hockey player is serious about their sport, you can never go wrong when buying anything hockey for them. However, if they do not have synthetic ice panels installed so that they can practice ice skating whenever they want to, it is time to take that step and get them some. Give them a gift that keeps on giving long after they get it.