When players choose equipment, they look at the weight, protection, and comfort that the piece of equipment may offer. Skates are a major piece of equipment. With the help of modern materials such as kevlar and carbon fiber, skates today are much lighter than their earlier counterparts. It is important to find a skate that fits your foot well. Each company that produces skates has its own distinctive feel. Most other equipment is made of hard plastic, Styrofoam, and regular foam arranged in various ways to absorb large amounts of force upon impact during the course of play. Pockets of air or gel can be found in many new products to further help absorb the energy of an impact.

The condition of the ice at a hockey arena is very important to the game. Chemists have recently discovered that ice is slippery because of molecules that vibrate vertically, but not horizontally, in the ice. These vibrating molecules create a slippery surface that is not liquid, though it may share some of the same characteristics. The best ice to play on is the coldest ice, which is hard, and allows players and pucks to move easily across the surface. If the ice is too warm, it will be softer and "slower" than usual. Deeper divots from skaters and increased friction from the snow and unfrozen water produce more friction, making the ice "slow." Between periods of a hockey game, a zamboni "resurfaces" the ice be taking off a top thin layer with a sharp blade, and the spraying hot water onto the ice. This hot water temporarily melts the very surface of the ice and fills in deeper divots, creating a glassy new finish when it freezes.

Before games, pucks are often stored in freezers or other abnormally cold places. This is because a colder puck has less energy than a warm puck because the molocules that make it up do not move as much as the ones in the warm puck. With less energy, the puck will bounce less on the ice, making it easier to play with and control.