What’s in My Howies Hockey Bag?

Every hockey player has their quirks, routines, and must-haves when it comes to their gear bag. You never know when a small item will save your life—or at least save you from an equipment malfunction mid-game. Over the years, my bag has evolved, but these essentials have stood the test of time.

So, if you ever find yourself digging through my Howies hockey bag, here’s what you’ll find:

🖤🎯 1. Tape – Black, White & Clear

• The holy trinity of hockey tape.
• Black for the classic sniper look.
• White for the crisp and clean aesthetic.
• Clear for securing shin pads (or emergency repairs).
• If you don’t carry extra, you’ll soon learn how many “friends” you suddenly have on game day.

✂️ 2. Hockey Scissors

• Tearing tape with your teeth is a rite of passage, but also a terrible life choice.
• Perfect for snipping tape, frayed laces, or cutting those loose threads on your jersey so you don’t look like a beer leaguer.

🍬 3. Gum – Usually Mint, Never Cinnamon 🤢

• Essential for fresh breath, focus, and avoiding dry mouth between shifts.
• Mint = Yes. Cinnamon = Absolutely not.
• If you offer me a stick of Big Red, our friendship is immediately in question.

🖊️ 4. Black Sharpie Pen

• Need to mark your gear? Sharpie.
• Writing a last-minute system tweak on the gameplan? Sharpie.
• Need to write your number down for that cute girl sitting by the bench? Sharpie.
• A true Swiss Army knife in marker form.

🪙 5. Pennies – For Garter Belt Mishaps

• If you wear a garter belt (old school, I know), you’ll learn that clips break at the worst times.
• A penny fits perfectly in the clip to keep your hockey socks up—hockey MacGyver at its finest.

🎽 6. Extra Laces

• Snapping a lace mid-game is the ultimate disaster.
• Keep an extra pair of waxed laces in your bag unless you want to spend warmups trying to Frankenstein together a temporary fix.

💵 7. Dollar Bills – For Vending Machines & Coffee Money

• Ever been stranded at a rink with nothing but a vending machine and no cash? Not a fun time.
• A few spare bucks means coffee before early practice or a quick energy boost when the team bus stops at a gas station.

🔌 8. Phone Charger Cord – The Ultimate Lifeline

• Whether it's DJ duties in the locker room, checking film, or killing time on the bus, a dead phone is unacceptable.
• If your phone dies when it’s your turn on the aux, you might as well pack up your bag and head home.

🛠️ 9. Multi-Screwdriver

• Because hockey gear always breaks at the worst times.
• Adjust a visor, tighten a cage, or fix a wobbly skate holder—having a screwdriver means you don’t have to hunt down the trainer for every little thing.

🔥 10. Lighter

• Useful for burning frayed laces or quick-fixing tape jobs.
• Even better? When you win the playoffs, and the team owner starts passing around victory cigars.
• Plus, if you’ve ever played with Eastern Europeans, you already know—at least one guy is ducking out for a dart between periods. You might not smoke, but having a lighter handy earns you instant street cred in the locker room.

At the end of the day, what’s in your hockey bag says a lot about you—not just as a player, but as a person. Are you the guy with extra tape and laces, ready to help a teammate in need? Are you the one with the clutch phone charger, saving the aux cord hero from certain disaster? Or maybe you’re the veteran who’s been around long enough to know that a good lighter isn’t just for campfires. Whether it’s keeping your gear dialed in, staying fueled on the road, or preparing for the unexpected, having the right tools in your bag can make all the difference. Because when the game is on the line—or when the team owner is passing out victory cigars—you’ll be glad you packed like a pro. A good Boy Scout is always prepared, but a great hockey player? He’s got a Howies bag full of the essentials.🏒

About the Author

Darrell Hay has spent a lifetime in and around hockey, accumulating an impressive collection of tape rolls, broken laces, and old gum packets along the way. He firmly believes that a well-stocked hockey bag is the key to on-ice success—and that the only thing worse than losing an edge is realizing you forgot your phone charger before a long bus ride. His years of experience have taught him that being prepared isn’t just for Boy Scouts; it’s a survival skill in the hockey world. Because the one time you’re not? You’re rocking borrowed gear and breaking in a brand-new mouthguard five minutes before puck drop.