Why Do Hockey Players Tape Their Stick Blades?

A bare composite blade is smooth and hard. Tape changes both. Most players tape for three reasons, and the rulebook names two of them.

What the rules say tape is for

NHL Rule 10.1 says adhesive tape of any colour may be wrapped around the stick at any place “for the purpose of reinforcement or to improve control of the puck.” USA Hockey’s Rule 301(a) uses the same idea. So the two official reasons are protection and puck control. Neither league requires tape on a skater’s blade.

Reason 1: grip on the puck

Bauer’s stick buying guide says blade tape adds friction to help you grip the puck when you shoot, stickhandle or take a pass. Woven cloth has a slightly rough surface. A smooth composite blade does not.

Some players want even more grip. Renfrew Pro describes its friction tape as tacky on the outside to help with puck control. Others go the other way: Wayne Gretzky dusted his tape with baby powder to take the stickiness off, according to Sports Illustrated in 1982.

Reason 2: a softer surface for passes

HockeyMonkey’s taping guide says tape gives a small cushion when you receive passes. A layer of cloth sits between the puck and the hard blade.

Reason 3: protecting the blade

The same guide says tape helps protect the blade from stick checks, skates and the ice. Renfrew Pro says its cloth tapes resist moisture and abrasion. Lowry’s waxing guide singles out the bottom edge as a spot that wears and gets wet most. Chicago’s Jason Dickinson told Second City Hockey he doubles the tape on his toe because faceoffs wear it down.

Safety note

Tape protects a blade from wear, but it does not repair one. If your blade or shaft is cracked, replace the stick. Taping over a crack can hide damage until the stick breaks in play.

Does tape affect your shot?

There is a little research. In 2019, researchers Martin Plesch, Samuel Ján Plesník and Natália Ružičková compared cloth tape with a stiffer, rougher sticker that covers the blade. Filming 13 players from amateurs to NHL players, they found the sticker gave significantly faster shots with more spin. That tells you the blade surface matters, though it is one small study.

Players who skip tape

Tape is a choice, not a rule, and some pros barely use it.

• Zdeno Chara stopped taping his blade and used Rezztek blade grips exclusively by 2018, NHL.com reported. He was tired of retaping every time the tape was slashed or torn.
• Artemi Panarin tapes only the toe plus one strip across the bottom, teammates told DK Pittsburgh Sports in 2020.
• David Pastrňák uses three separate lines across the blade, according to former teammate Dominik Kahun in the same article.

So should you tape?

Yes, for most players. Tape is cheap, it protects an expensive stick, and it gives you a familiar feel on the puck. Then experiment with how much you use:

• Full blade vs mid-blade
• Heel to toe vs toe to heel
• How much to overlap

The step-by-step method is in the forward, defence (US: defense) and goalie tutorials.