Erish & Aira — hockey helmet + required gear (26 Oct 2026)

Ages today: Erish 6y 10m (b. 2019-12-23), Aira 5y 1m (b. 2021-09-06).

Rule first — the certification decision is made for you

Hockey Canada Playing Rule 3.6:

Helmet must be CSA-certified, and a CSA-certified facial protector must be securely attached and not altered. Any alteration voids the certification.
HECC stickers are irrelevant in Canada. Hockey Canada's own notice is explicit: the HECC date on a helmet relates only to HECC's certification term, HECC is mandated for USA Hockey, and "the HECC certification sticker does not apply in Canada." There is no expiry on CSA certification — the year on the CSA sticker is the year of manufacture. Consequence: do not pass over a perfectly good CSA helmet because an HECC sticker looks stale, and do not buy an import that is HECC-only.
Face protector type matters by age. "Full facial protector intended for a person 10 years old or younger who is not a goaltender" = Type B2 or 2, orange CSA sticker. Both kids need the orange B2 cage, not a B1/white one and not a visor.
BNQ-certified neck guard is mandatory for players registered in minor and female hockey (Rule 3.6(3)). Separately, since 1 Aug 2024 every player and official under 18 in North America must wear cut-resistant neck protection at every game and practice.
Mouthguard is not required at this age. Hockey Canada does not mandate a mouthpiece in any age classification where a full-face mask is required (it is required only for a junior-age player wearing a visor). Buy one only if the club asks or the kids will tolerate it.

Practical rule: buy a helmet/cage combo, not a helmet and a cage separately. The cage brackets, J-clips and chin cup are matched to the shell, and a combo ships with the right CSA-certified cage already fitted. For both kids the cage must be a B2 / orange full-face protector — the CCM FM 70 cage that comes on the Tacks 70 combo is certified B2 in Youth and Junior sizes.

Sizing — measure, then pick the size band

Brand / model	Size	Head circumference	Age guide
CCM Tacks 70	Youth	49.0 – 53.5 cm (6 1/8 – 6 3/4 hat)	3 – 7 yrs
CCM Tacks 70	Junior	52.5 – 57 cm	~8+
CCM Tacks 310	Junior (one size)	49.5 – 53.5 cm	—
Bauer Prodigy / M10 / TH20	Youth	48 – 52 cm (18.8 – 20.4")	~3 – 6
Bauer IMS 11.0	X-Small	50 – 54 cm	—
Generic junior range	Junior S	50 – 55 cm	8 – 11

Measure around the head 2 cm above the eyebrows, at the widest point, with the tape snug. Do it twice per child. Then: under 52 cm = Youth; 52-53.5 cm = Youth top of band (Tacks 70) or Junior bottom; over 53.5 cm = Junior. Erish at 6y10m sits on that boundary and is the one at real risk of being sold a Youth that is already too small — if he measures 53 cm or more, buy Junior (52.5-57 cm) even though the age label says otherwise. A helmet must not rock forward over the eyebrows or lift off the forehead when the chin strap is fastened.

What to buy, with today's GTA prices

Item	Product	Price	Note
Helmet + cage combo	CCM Tacks 70 Youth Combo (FM70 silver cage)	$89.99	CSA + HECC + CE, 49-53.5 cm, tool-free FlipClip; SportChek / Pro Hockey Life / Houle / TheHockeyShop all at $89.99
Helmet + cage combo (Junior)	CCM Tacks 70 Junior Combo	$89.99	52.5-57 cm if Erish measures 53 cm+
Helmet only (budget)	Bauer Prodigy 2.0 Youth	$59.99 (sale, reg. higher)	CSA/HECC/CE, 48-52 cm — cage sold separately, so only cheaper if a cage is already owned
Neck guard	Bauer NLP7 Core Youth (BNQ/CE)	$13.99	26-35 cm neck; CCM 600 BNQ youth $16.99, CCM 900 jr $29.99 if a longer cut-resistant bib is wanted
Mouthguard (optional at this age)	Shock Doctor Pro Youth / UA Gameday Armour Youth	$11.99 / $19.99	only if the club asks

Per kid, required gear only: $89.99 + $13.99 = $103.98. Both kids: $207.96 before tax, $234.99 with 13% HST. Add two mouthguards and it becomes $231.94 / $262.09.

Not priced here because they depend on what is already in the house or on the team's colour: skates, shin pads, hockey pants, shoulder pads, elbows, gloves, jock/jill, socks, stick, practice jersey, bag. If the club supplies jerseys only, a full starter kit runs roughly $250-$400 per child new — the used market (Play It Again Sports, Marketplace) is where that gets cut in half, but never buy a used helmet (unknown impact history, and the liner is the protection).

Where the money is actually lost

Buying a HECC-only or CE-only helmet online because it says "hockey helmet". Not legal under Hockey Canada.
Buying a Youth helmet for a 53 cm head because it is in stock. Wrong size is the injury risk, not the age band.
Buying a helmet and cage separately — the cage may not index to that shell and the CSA pairing is broken.
Skipping the BNQ neck guard: it is a rule, and officials can report it.

Checklist for the store trip

Tape measure, and both kids.
Confirm the CSA sticker is present on the shell and visible, and the cage has the orange B2 sticker.
Confirm the neck guard says BNQ.
Try on with a thin beanie off — no hair bun, no thick hat.
Write both names inside the helmets (Tacks 70 ships with personalization stickers).

Sources: Hockey Canada Rule Book 3.6 and Hockey Canada's CSA-certification reminder (HECC not applicable in Canada, no CSA expiry); Hockey Canada parent FAQ equipment list; Bauer's under-18 cut-resistant mandate notice (effective 1 Aug 2024); CCM/Houle/TheHockeyShop product data (Tacks 70 combo $89.99, CSA/HECC/CE, 49-53.5 cm); Bauer/Pure Hockey sizing charts; SportsZoneCanada Bauer NLP7 youth neck guard $13.99 BNQ/CE; Pro Hockey Life mouthguard pricing.