Black or White Hockey Tape: Does It Matter?

Black versus white is the oldest tape argument in hockey. The facts are simpler than the debate.

What is the same

• The cloth. North American Tapes, which makes Comp-o-stik, says its black and white tapes start as the same base cloth. Black is dyed, which makes it a tiny bit thinner. That is the only material difference the maker describes.
• The rules. NHL Rule 10.1 lets you wrap adhesive tape of any colour anywhere on the stick for reinforcement or puck control. Hockey Canada Rule 3.3(e) says the stick may be wound with any colour tape. USA Hockey Rule 301(a) says the same as the NHL. For skaters, colour is your call.

The one colour rule that does exist is for goalies. In the NHL the knob on a goalie stick must be white tape or another approved material. See goalie stick knob rules.

The reasons players give

None of these has been proven by a study we could find. They are what players and makers say.

For white tape

• You can see your blade. Chicago forward MacKenzie Entwistle told Second City Hockey in 2023 that he puts heavy white tape on so teammates can see his blade.
• Teammates can find you. Howies, a tape maker, says some players believe white tape helps teammates see who has the puck.
• It shows wear. Howies notes that white shows puck marks, so you can see where you are hitting the puck.

For black tape

• Looks. Former Chicago player Troy Murray told Second City Hockey he used black because he liked the look. He also said he felt white helped his shot and black helped his stickhandling.
• It hides puck marks. Howies says black blends with the blade and hides marks.
• It may hide the puck. Some players believe black tape makes the puck harder for a goalie to pick up. Howies points out that some goalies say the opposite: that white tape blends into the ice. See tape colour and what goalies see.

The middle path: white tape, made black

Some players start with white and darken it.

• RMNB reported in 2022 that Alex Ovechkin usually rubs a puck over his white tape until the blade is entirely black.
• NHL.com reported in 2024 that goalie Carter Hart rubs black marks onto the white tape on his blade with a puck, and Linus Ullmark marks his blade so it is easier to see against white ice.

How to decide

1. Pick the one that feels right in practice. Tape one stick black and one white and swap between them.
2. Think about visibility for you. If you like to glance at your blade, white stands out against black composite. If your stick is white, black does.
3. Match your knob to your league’s rules if you are a goalie.
4. Do not overthink it. The same pros who argue about colour also change it on a hunch. Chicago’s Lukas Reichel told Second City Hockey he once switched to black during a scoring slump.

“I just put as much tape on it as I can so that someone can see my blade.” (MacKenzie Entwistle, Second City Hockey, 2023)

Want to see both before you buy? Try them on a stick in the Tape Lab.