HockeySize Leg pads are the most expensive piece a goalie buys, and the size is decided by one measurement: floor to the middle of the kneecap. Height is only a rough guide.
Measure
Stand barefoot with the knee slightly bent and measure from the floor to the centre of the kneecap. CCM and Warrior give pad sizes by this measurement directly; Bauer’s chart is in inches. Skate height adds about 2.5 cm in play, which the charts already allow for.
Thigh rise
The pad above the knee is the thigh rise. Most pads come in the size plus a rise of +1 to +2 inches; some allow more. More rise closes the five-hole in the butterfly but can restrict movement and catch on the pants. Younger and more mobile goalies usually prefer less rise; butterfly goalies prefer more. This is a preference, not a size.
How they should fit
- Kneeling in the butterfly, the knee sits centred in the knee cradle, not above or below it.
- The pad’s boot sits on the skate with the toe tie or bungee holding it without pulling the knee off the cradle.
- Standing, the top of the pad reaches somewhere between mid-thigh and the top of the thigh depending on the rise chosen.
Why height misleads
Two goalies of the same height can have leg lengths that differ by a pad size. Always measure; use the height column only as a check.
Common mistakes
- Buying larger pads to “cover more net”. Oversized pads slow the goalie down and expose the knee.
- Ignoring the knee cradle position because the overall length seemed right.