FORT LAUDERDALE – If it isn’t broken, don’t fix it.
When it comes to hockey equipment, that’s the motto for some Florida Panthers.
Whether it’s superstition, comfort or something else, sometimes you can’t just let go.
Over the past few weeks, I polled a plethora of players to discuss this very topic.
As far as their oldest piece of gear goes, here’s what they had to say.
Aleksander Barkov: Probably shin pads. I used to be more strict with the gear, but now I just like whatever and I’m going to get used to it.
Sam Bennett: My shoulder pads were really old, and I just changed them this year. Maybe my pants. I wear a girdle and it’s very old. Not many guys wear a girdle nowadays, but it’s probably five-plus years old. I don’t like to use new gear, but my stuff was getting so old that I had to switch it. I had my shin pads for like 10 years and I just changed them a couple of years ago because they were broken, but I like to use my stuff.
Adam Boqvist: My game undershirt for seven years or game pants, I think I’ve had those for almost 10 years maybe.
Jesper Boqvist: Elbow pads. I’ve had these guys for eight or nine years maybe.
Jonah Gadjovich: My shin pads. I think they’re from my first year pro, so like seven years.
A.J. Greer: Elbow pads. They might be two or three years old, but I usually turn over pretty much everything, just to keep it pretty settled in because I hit a lot and want to protect myself.
Spencer Knight: Probably my neck guard. I’ve had it for a few years, but other than that, everything else I switch out pretty frequently.
Anton Lundell: My shin pads. I think I’ve been using them for maybe five or six years. I believe (since back in Finland), if I remember right.
Eetu Luostarinen: Probably my chest protector. It’s been a while. I would say like eight years now. I still have a tag on it from the Finnish league that has a tracker on it like the one they use here, too.
Niko Mikkola: Probably my pads. I’ve had these ones probably five years. I had old elbow pads last year, but I switched this year to new ones. That was the oldest ones.
Evan Rodrigues: I’m not a weirdo like that. I wear new stuff all the time, so I have no idea. These practice pads are probably a few years old, maybe. That’s probably it. Other than that, I like to wear new stuff.
Mackie Samoskevich: I just got new skates, but my skates before I’d been using for like a year. I’ve been through a lot of those, so probably that.
Nate Schmidt: My shin pads are from my first year pro, maybe my second. They’re 11 years old. The cap has been replaced already on both of them once, maybe twice.
Carter Verhaeghe: My shoulder pads. I’ve been using them since I was probably 17.
