The most important thing to check before taping your stick is what colours you can use. Both the IIHF and EIHA have rules governing the use of stick tape and what colours are permitted. Stick tape comes in a variety of different colours and styles and normally for the younger age groups the rules are a bit more relaxed.

As a rule, stick tape should be either BLACK or WHITE. Most use Black on the Blade and White on the Handle. There are two reasons for this.

1. A Black Puck being released from a Black Blade is harder to see for the keeper than a Puck being released from a White Blade.
2. Black tape has a dye in it that gradually releases from the tape when it's wet and stains the palms of the wearer's gloves. The dye also has a chemical in it that eats away at the stick lacquer over a period of time.

Taping the Blade
Now there are differing opinions on this. Some people say you tape from heel to toe, others say the opposite and some even say they only tape a certain section of the Blade. The main reason for taping the Blade is to create some friction to control the Puck. It is also there to protect the Blade from wear.

If you decide to tape the entire Blade then which is better Heel to Toe or Toe to Heel. Well this can be attributed to your position on the ice. Some say that Toe to Heel should be used for players playing forward as they predominantly skate forward and the tape wraps flow with the direction of skating causing less drag and likelihood of the tape causing the stick to bounce or turn unexpectedly. Heel to Toe is normally chosen by defensive players as the tape wraps flow with backwards skating.

So how should I start taping?
We are going to use the Heel to Toe method as an example of taping.

Firstly let's look at your stick. If the Blade is wooden then you will need an extra piece of tape to run from the Heel to the Toe of the Blade along the bottom spine of the Blade. Why? Your stick should be always on the ice when skating and playing. As such the blade drags and wear occurs on the stick. Wood and water do not mix very well and when they do the wood tends to expand causing the Blade to split. By applying this tape to the spine of the Blade it prevents unnecessary wear and prolongs the life of the stick. If your stick is not wooden then you don't have to use this additional piece of tape but it doesn't hurt your stick if you do.

OK, so you have now applied the piece of tape and fixed it in place. Starting at the Heel and on the reverse of the stick start to apply the tape ensuring that it is kept taught and the wrap over the front of the Heel just before the Blade. Wrap the tape back round the stick so the one edge overlaps half of the fresh tape strip you have just done. Repeat this all the way along the Blade ensuring that the tape is kept tight. At the tip of the Toe you have two choices:

1. Carry on taping until the tape is bigger than the Toe cut around Toe and press tape together.
2. About half an inch before the Toe stop and cut the tape so it stops on the back of the Blade.

IMPORTANT
Always ensure that you have sufficient tape as it is not good practice to run out and join a new roll to the existing.

Once you have taped your Blade, run a Puck over the front of the Blade from Heel to Toe to smooth out as many of the air bubbles and creases you might have. This also ensures that the tape adheres to the Blade correctly.

Your last step is to use either Stick Wax or a Candle rubbed over the tape to give better water protection both front and back of the Blade.

Your Blade is now ready for the ice.

Taping the Handle
This is pretty simple to tape. Start at the top and tape down approximately 6 inches or about 2 inches just below where your glove finishes. When you do this do not cut the tape as you need to work back up the stick to the top. Pull about 4 inches of tape and twist the tape so it forms a rope type finish and the start working back up the stick pulling more tape off to make the rope until you have enough to reach the top of the stick handle. Once back at the top, work back down wrapping the tape over the corded tape to form a grip. Once you reach the bottom you can either cut or work back to the top once more. The last bit of taping you do is to form a stop end at the top of the handle. This is achieved by wrapping the tape around the very end of the handle several times in order to form a stop end.

(Pictures to be added)