FEATURED MERCHANT
I came across Hockey Monkey when I was looking for practice shirts for hockey. I had purchased a couple CCM jerseys at my local Dunham's Sports store for $11.99 each and while they were awesome I soon learned that they weren't going to last all that long. There's nothing wrong with them but if you play with a bunch of hard core hockey fanatics that think penalties are the greatest form of flattery, well, you kind of get the idea why a heavier weight jersey is needed. There are literally hundreds of places online to get jerseys but you really have to be careful about what you are ordering and where it is shipping from. The "officially licensed" items shipping from China or Korea might look authentic and have tags but they are either knock off items or factory left-overs / imperfects. But that's not what Hockey Monkey is all about; they sell authentic goods at reasonable prices and so far they haven't let me down.
Hockey Monkey has one of the lowest prices on the uncrested [no logo] Pittsburgh Penguin practice jerseys. They are heavy, fit perfectly over equipment and wash up well. They have the CCM logo on them and come with authentic tags. I bought one to try out the site and when I was satisfied I turned on some of my fellow hockey nuts about the site. Some of them already knew about it, others were unaware. One of the biggest perks is that they are based in the United States so you won’t have to pay extra to have your items sent to you or wait for large orders to clear US Customs. Some items, depending on size might ship out via ground delivery service and take longer but I have never had to wait more than ten days to get anything that I have ordered. The practice jersey I ordered first is still in use and looks great after about twenty washes.
In addition to the regular hockey items like clothing, protective gear, practice jerseys, goalie related items, on-ice equipment and bags they also have a pretty hefty women's section. Even though I am not a fan of the Bela Hockey line, I can appreciate how it has made the sport a little more female-friendly. If I wore anything with pink in it on the ice no one would say anything to me, the captain would just point to the gate and shake his head. I wouldn't wear pink anyway so its not a big deal. Rinky is another female line, again, it isn’t something that I would ever wear or buy but it is nice to know that there are things just for the chickies. Neither Rinky or Bela are something that I would buy but that does not mean that I am slamming them so please, no hate mail. I stick with the mens line of jerseys and equipment and while some items may need a little modification here and there, it is what fits me best and allows me to feel safest when I am playing.
I would like to thank everyone at Hockey Monkey that helped me when I needed to get new equipment that would be compatible with my prosthetic. They went above and beyond the call of duty to make sure I was getting something that I would be able to use, would fit perfectly and could be adjusted when I had new sockets made. If I could throw bananas all the way to California I would have done so by now.
One thing I didn't think I would be purchasing online was a stick bag. I have needed one for a while, if not for transport purposes then simply for storage. The ones in the local stores were not the least bit attractive or practical but I did find a sweet Reebok O-Tech two stick bag for $11.98. This was a clearance item so if you go looking for it at that price next month chances are it won't be listed or it won't be selling for that price. My second choice was the Nike Bauer bag that carries three sticks but I didn't like the color of it. While I was at it I also ordered a much needed equipment bag; I was surprised at the price of the Mission BSX but again, it was on clearance so I got a killer deal on it.
You can pay for your order with Visa, MasterCard, Discover, American Express, Optima and with a money order. They do not accept checks or COD orders. I have used my credit card and debit card with the site and have never had any problems. Whatever the total showed in my cart was what I was charged. Shipping isn't that bad depending on what you are ordering, the most I have ever paid is $13.98 and that was for several jerseys and a stick bag. Some items that are oversized have an additional fee because they exceed the size limitations of what UPS considers 'normal'. The most you will pay for regular items is $14.98 and that is for orders that are $99.00 and higher. If there is an additional fee to ship the item you will be informed of it when you are placing the order. There is a 30 day return policy on non-customized items but there are some things that they won't accept for return like underwear, jock straps, sharpened skates and special order items. You do need to get an RMA [Return Merchandise Authorization] Number before you can make a return.
So far I have had a good experience with Hockey Monkey and will continue to use them when I need jerseys. Their clearance items can not be beat and it is worth checking the site often to see what they have to offer. They are one of the few United States based websites that sell items for females and have the staff to handle questions you may have about sizing or getting the best fit. I haven’t had to return anything and if I do have the need to do so in the future chances are I won't – I will try to sell it to someone or take a loss on it. The site does charge a restocking fee but they do offer exchanges on items that are new. As I said, so far Hockey Monkey has been a great site and I recommend it to anyone that is looking for quality products without getting raked over the coals.
