Beer League Basics: Bauer Classic Shoulder Pads

Hello hockey world,

This week is the first instalment of beer league basics, basically this is going to be very cheap and very light equipment Ideal for playing beer league or pick up hockey. This equipment is not something you would want to wear during a full contact game as it is not going to protect you that well its basically just there so that the stripes (referees for our rookie readers) don’t hassle about not wearing your shoulder pads out on the rink. The pads being reviewed this week are the Bauer Classic shoulder pads, these shoulder pads are about as basic as you can get and used by yours truly. What makes these shoulder pads great for pick up hockey is the following: Very small shoulder caps, the shoulder caps on these pads are incredibly small making shoulder movement very easy. The real luxury of these beauties is the chest protection; these bad boys have the sturdiness of a wet noodle and they fold easier then an origami rectangle, thus making them fantastic too play with. The Bauer Classic shoulder pads are the closest things to not wearing shoulder pads you will be bale to find on the market. These puppies have become harder and harder to come by though since most all leagues are cracking down on safety regulations Bauer has began putting out shoulder pads with more and more protection, which is a good thing I guess, safety can be pretty cool, but sometimes its good to go back to the type of gear so many greats have worn in the past and say “screw it… drop the puck and lets play this beautiful game that we Canadians have come to love and treat like a religion”. The Bauer Classic shoulder pads are a true testament to old school hockey and if you can find a pair I suggest grabbing them and strapping them up.