White Tape vs Black Tape

This argument is a tale as old as time. Is white or black tape better on your hockey stick, which has more benefits or helps give you the dirtiest dangles? Trust me, this conversation occurs often enough at Howies HQ to drive us all insane. So, is there a benefit that outperforms the other between the colors? Let’s have them faceoff and see which color takes the title. 

Let's first start with white tape. It’s timeless, the OG, preferred by many and loved by most, but is it better? White tape brings puck visibility during possession, the puck marks on the TJ are something to be proud of, and a TJ that is pure white makes you reminisce to when you started taping your twig for the first time all by yourself. However, there is an argument for the other side, some believe that having white tape means the goalie is able to see the puck better and gives them an advantage when it comes to blocking your shot.

Next is black tape. It blends into the color of the blade, it’s sharp, it’s full on beast mode and it's a high contender for the best color to tape your twig. Players who choose black tape often mention that they like how the puck marks don’t show and it has a cleaner look to them as well as believing that it makes it harder for the goalie to see when they are shooting the puck, but is that necessarily true?

When it comes to playing defense against someone on the ice, there are several considerations taken with the color their tape. For a goalie specifically, they want to have a good visual on the puck at all times and that can be altered with the color of tape the player is using. Many believe that using black tape is what hides the puck from the goalie, but many goalies actually mentioned that white makes it harder to see when they are shooting the puck because the tape blends into the color of the ice. For your teammates, you want them to be able to have visibility when you have the puck and your pass direction for clean movement between players. Most believe that white tape helps the most here for knowing who has possession, but they also run into the issue of their tape blending into the color of the ice. While these are issues that most high level players don’t really experience, it is always something to consider.

For the creation process for the tape, each roll, whether White or Black, are stitched the same, contain 68 strands per inch for maximum durability, and have stamped adhesive for water resistance. Meaning that every roll of tape we produce is created with quality, durability and performance in mind!

So what color wins? Is there really a better option between the two, or is it all personal choice? We know that’s an answer no one really wants to hear, but depending on who you ask, the top choice is going to be different every time. One thing we can all agree on is that as long as you are using Howies, you are doing it right.