I don't know about the rest of you, but I love getting new hockey equipment, and wish I had a magic pass that would let me try pretty much everything available...but that's not going to happen.  Next best thing is to find out what everyone else uses, has used, or wants to use.  

Fill out as much as you want (or add on here and there), or just add your random two cents about hockey equipment, playing techniques, tips and tricks, or anything about the game you play.  

If you don't play, do you want to?  Tell us about the gear you've seen your favourite pro players use, your thoughts on the on-ice game, or ask about anything you want to know.

Position:  defense (try to be OD; used to play net too)
Age Group/Competition Level: 20s, Recreational.  
Current Twig: Kynetyk Reflex RH 100-flex, K-01 curve (usually prefer more like an 85-flex, but this has been better than I thought it'd be)
Current Skates: CCM 352 Tacks (few years old; my newer skates don't fit as well)
Current Bucket: Bauer 4000
Current Gloves: Sher-Wood Rhythm

Background
Past Sticks (best & worst): in no particular order, Sher-Wood, CCM (incl Vector), Montreal, Koho (this was my least favourite...not fond of the blade), Easton, Titan, Warrior, probably others I'm forgetting.
Past Skates (best & worst): They've all been CCM or Bauer
Past Helmet (best & worst): Same thing, all been CCM or Bauer models
Past Gloves (best & worst):
Accessories and Training: (tape, plugs, fake ice, passers, weighted blades, etc)
Anything Else: (protective gear, custom work, jury-rigging, etc)

Ideal Hockey Kit: (all the bits you want)
Things I want to try: pretty much everything.  Still haven't tried the One95 series and wouldn't mind a go.
Tongues In or Tongues Out? out
What kind of player are you? Not much of a skater (am smoother in indoor hockey) but will do anything I can to cover a check; love the slapshot but am better at wristers.  Prefer hard-working checking hockey, and love the team game.  Work for a combo of smart fore-thinking play and reflexes (especially in net).  I'm certainly not the best player, but I do love the game.  My pet peeves are lazy plays, sloppy passes, and lack of effort.  It sucks to get beat, but it's way worse if you beat yourself (add joke here)

Of all the gear you've ever used, what did you like, what didn't you like, and why?  What's the most important aspect of your choices (weight, durability, price, reputation, etc)?

Like I said, if you want to add on you don't have to fill it all out at once...I haven't yet.

When it comes to twigs, I like to have or try as many as possible, even though I usually only use one or two regularly.  I've recently used the CCM U+ stick...super light, slightly different design and construction, but I've heard they can be pretty fragile (mine's still fine, but the decals peeled pretty easily).  I've been really impressed with the Reflex, nice feel and good price, has often been compared to the Synergy series.

If you hear about (or try) a really awesome piece of gear or training equipment drop a note and maybe we'll look at doing a review.

Position: defense OD, sometimes also winger because of my speed
Age Group/Competition Level: 17, Recreational.
Current Twig: Easton synergy 200 flex is 95.
Current Skates: nikebauer, XI a few years old but they still skate really nice but after another season I will probally need a new set.
Current Gloves: nikebauer vapor xv

Background
Past Sticks (best & worst): nikebauer one30 wood(twice) and a ccm vector 4.0 also wood.
Past Skates (best & worst): first pair of skates..( I started quite late...)
Past Helmet (best & worst): same
Past Gloves (best & worst): a pair of ccm would have to dug them up to find out what exactly
Accessories and Training: (tape, plugs, fake ice, passers, weighted blades, etc) uhm stick tape and that is about it although i would love to have some fake ice...


Ideal Hockey Kit: (all the bits you want)
Things I want to try: probally one 95 series. and for the stick a reebok 9kO or a 10k
Tongues In or Tongues Out? out
What kind of player are you? Well I dont have the smooth skating skill some people have... I go in and I go in hard.. so I prefer checking and dont mind getting hit I can take quite a few. also I love the slapshot but since almost nobody plays the puck back to the defence in my team... i can only defend... I might have 1 shot on goal a game. but I love to give everything I got in a shift. if that happens and i am sitting at the bench I am happy

ok wel i will have a look

Just type in "fake ice" (or how to make fake ice)...there are a few of them, not sure which is best or I'd send a link.

Anybody have any thoughts about yellow skate laces (especially when they don't match the uniform or anything)?  Ovechkin and others have rocked that look, but I'm not sure I get it...just a fashion statement?  I'm also not sure where it came from exactly (who started doing it first) and if that's the reason folks are going neon again (weren't the 80s bad enough the first time?).

A friend of mine uses yellow and blue... yellow in the left one and blue in the right one... his little brother uses red and purple... that is quite ugly not sure about only yellow if you have the skates that match it would look quite awesome I guess..! like for example yellow and black(so nikebauer surpreme series

Yeah, matching up is cool, and I've thrown coloured laces now and then, but I don't get the uggo combos, especially by players who seem to be doing it for a purpose or who are style-conscious gearhounds.