How to tape a goalie stick.

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Drag the stick to turn it 360°.

How to tape a goalie stick, step by step

1. Blade

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   Step 1: Strip and clean the stick

   Peel the old tape off the blade, the paddle and the handle. Clean off the adhesive and dry the stick, so the new tape sticks flat with no lumps under it.

   

2. Blade

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   Step 2: Anchor at the heel

   Start where the blade meets the paddle. Lay the first pass straight around to lock the end down.

   

3. Blade

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   Step 3: Wrap the blade to the toe

   Spiral toward the toe, overlapping each pass by about a third. A goalie blade is longer and taller than a player's, so expect to use a good part of the roll.

   Tip: Wider 3.8 cm tape covers a goalie blade in fewer passes.

   

4. Blade

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   Step 4: Finish and trim the blade

   Run the tape past the toe, tear it, then trim the bottom edge and the toe clean. Press all the edges down.

   

5. Paddle

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   Step 5: Tape the heel and lower paddle

   Start a fresh run at the heel and wrap up the paddle for about 20 cm. This is where low shots, rebounds and the ice wear a goalie stick down. The tape stops chips and deadens rebounds off the paddle.

   Tip: Many goalies match their tape colour to their pads and blocker.

   

6. Paddle

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   Step 6: Wax the blade and paddle

   Rub stick wax over the taped blade and paddle, then buff it in with your hand. It keeps the tape dry and helps the puck settle when you play it.

   

7. Blocker grip

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   Step 7: Wrap the blocker grip

   Your blocker hand holds the stick where the paddle narrows into the shaft. Start just over the top of the paddle and wrap about 15 cm up the shaft, overlapping each pass by half, so your glove has something to grab.

   Tip: Some goalies use grip tape here instead of cloth. Try both in practice.

   

8. Blocker grip

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   Step 8: Build a finger stop

   At the top of the grip, wrap five to eight times over the same spot to build a small ridge. It gives your blocker fingers a stop, so the stick does not slide through your glove when you poke-check or play the puck.

   

9. Knob

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   Step 9: Start at the top of the shaft

   Turn to the top of the stick. Begin the knob right at the end, with the first wrap hanging slightly over the edge.

   

10. Knob

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    Step 10: Build a big white knob

    Wrap over the same spot again and again until the knob is much thicker than the shaft. Goalies go far bigger than skaters, and in the NHL the knob on a goalie stick has to be white tape at least 1.3 cm (half an inch) thick.

    Tip: A big knob lets you scoop the stick off the ice with your blocker, and it will not slide out of your glove.

    

11. Knob

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    Step 11: Wrap down below the knob

    Carry the tape a hand-width down the shaft below the knob, so your hand has grip when you slide it up for a long poke-check.

    

12. Knob

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    Step 12: Seal the end and test it

    Fold the overhang over the butt end and finish on the underside. Then test it with your gear on: drop the stick, scoop it up with your blocker, and make sure your hand sits against the finger stop.