…how do you lace up hockey skates? I’m looking for the best way, preferably something that would make tightening them easier. I’ve heard of something called the “classic Montreal Canadien” laceup, but google has turned up nothing of value. C’mon, someone here has to play hockey; help! Detailed instructions and/or webpages (if there are any I haven’t found) would be really helpful.
Thanks!
Everyone, no matter what skill level or position, likes their equipment a certain way… and as far as skates go, I say, “Whatever feels comfortable”.
Purists say that lace hooks are the way to go. Lace Hooks look like miniature meat hooks without the curve; lace the skate manually, then use the hook on each side of the boot by the laceholes to pull the laces tighter. Repeat for every set of holes up the skate to the ankle. Some reccomend (sp?) using the Hook after every lace hole.
I’m a goalie, and I’m quite satisfied with lacing my skates in the old “Converse Chuck Taylor” style and pulling the laces tight with my fingers.
This would fall into the category of “However you like them”. Use skate hooks to tighten your laces, use your fingers, whatever. My experience has shown that it’s all a matter of personal preference… as long as you don’t trip over the red line.
Having played hockey for many years, the easiest way to tighten skates is as follows:
Cut a four-inch piece of wood from a broken hockey stick, drive a large nail through it, then bend the nail into an L-shape with a pair of pliers. Use the L to pull the lace tight. Easy and works like a charm.
I have tos ay I’m the same way. I also like them extremely tight… almost cutting off the circulation… if they are tied but I “feel” like they are loose, I get all discombobulated in net. I’ve never been taught a certain way… I just pull them till I can’t pull any more… than I have somebody else do it, just to make sure.
I’ve been a goalie for about eleven years, and I’ve always used the same way, learned from my dad. I always tighten them manually; I haven’t tried the skate hooks. I figure it’s just one more thing to keep track of when I can probably do just as well by myself.
I used lace hooks a lot when I played. There’s several varieties included homemade types. Here’s a pic of a basic one.
http://winningsports.com/laceti.jpg
I used them because of speed. I got them just as tight with my fingers, but the hooks helped speed it up, especially if I found my laces had loosened slighty after skating a bit and my laces iced up some (played a lot of outdoor games). I didn’t have that problem too often though once I switched skate types to resin (Bauer turbos).
I’ve been a goalkeeper for 10 years, and I use a lace hook. I affectionately call it Hajji. I like my skates very tight.
Sweet Lord, where did all these goalies come from?!?
I lace mine up just like a pair of regular shoes and tighten them with my fingers instead of a lace tightener. I usually have enough left over to make a circle around my ankle and tie the laces off in front to get rid of some of the excess. I do have a friend who gets pretty bad blisters from tightening his skates using his fingers, so if that happens you may want to try a tightener (duh). It’s never been a problem for me but YMMV.
Novus
(who plays RW)
I wish all you goalies lived down here, we always have a shortage of goaltenders for our pick-up games 
I, too, just use my fingers. Usually, I have to loosen the laces quite a bit to just get my foot in the skate and once it’s in I start pulling the laces about mid way up the boot. I go from lace to lace until I get the lowest one, then I tighten each one up until I get to the ankle. I hate when my skates are so tight that my feet hurt. A couple years ago I spent a little more than I wanted to($300) for a pair of CCM 752 Pumps. These skates are almost as comfortable as sneakers and the guy at the store had me try on at least 4 or 5 different brands and models until I was sure which on one fit best. He claimed that “some people have CCM feet and some people have Bauer feet”. I guess I’m a CCM kinda guy.
I’ve also found a couple other tricks that seemed to work for me as far getting the “right feeling” when I first put them on. First off, I’m the type who usually just keeps my equipment in the trunk of my car all winter and the cold really stiffens the skate. So I always remove my skates from my bag and put them under the heater on the floor of the passenger seat on my way to the rink. This warms and softens the boot so I can get my feet in much easier. Also, I dont notice anyone else doing this but I always lace my skates standing up and try to put all my weight on the heel. It seems that when I do this my skates dont loosen up as much during warm-ups and I never have to re-lace them during the game.
I’m a goalie too, but I must say that I like mine relitivly loose. I don’t really bother with tightening them up at the bottem, just concentrate on the top 4 or 5 laces. Then when I got to do the knot, I loop it twice and then pull, the way it stays tight when I let go.
I played center - i used skatehooks up til high school, then strayed from the path.
I prefer to use my hands - i like them a certain way:
-very tight near the bottom, up to around the instep
-very loose up around the high ankle
-moderate in between
Once my ankles got really strong (about age 14 or 15), i started doing this; it made me feel more ‘forward’ on my skates, and i felt it gave me better mobility and balance. Then again, this is the kid that put on his equipment in the same order for every game during high school hockey, so maybe i’m not the best one to ask.