It's no surprise that Stevens Padded Referee Pants are one of our bestsellers.  I mean they are worn by virtually every NHL referee and linesman.  There's probably no better endorsement that they are the best hockey referee pants available!

Walk into any AHL, ECHL, NCAA or Major Junior hockey rink, and on any given night you're bound to see a couple sets of Stevens Pants out on the ice.  So many high-level hockey referees choose Stevens Referee Pants for a reason.

Out-of-the-box Stevens Padded Referee Pants are handmade with the highest quality materials to ensure durability that can stand up to the rigours of a hockey season.  They provide referees with padding in all the right areas, while still allowing for a free range of motion when skating.  They are one of the highest quality pieces of hockey referee gear available anywhere.

Even though they are the best hockey referee pants on the market, we still get a ton of requests to order Custom Stevens Padded Referee Pants.  Pro and Major Junior hockey referees take pride in looking the part on the ice, and good fitting pair of referee pants goes a long way.

With all the questions we get about ordering a custom pair, we thought we'd list some of the ways you can customize your own pair.  Here you go!

3 Most Common Ways to Customize Stevens Padded Referee Pants

1.  Removing the Stevens Sportswear Logo

The AHL, ECHL, QMJHL, OHL, and WHL all have equipment deals with sponsors that are worth millions of dollars.  Although referee equipment is a small part of those larger sponsorship deals, referees in those leagues are still required to wear equipment provided by their respective leagues.

Because Stevens Referee Pants are well-known as the best hockey referee pants available, officials in those leagues are allowed to wear them with one condition... The Stevens Sportswear logo must be removed.

You could use a knife to remove the logo yourself, or you could just tell us to have the logo removed when you buy a made-to-order custom pair!

2. Removing the Calf Padding

Stevens Padded Referee Pants include a rectangular piece of padding that covers the length of the calf.

While this padding would certainly be welcomed if you were to take a puck to the calf, some officials complain that it can ride up on the back of their skates.

As a linesman myself, I've been hit with my fair share of slapshots over the years.  One place I can't ever remember getting hit is in the back of the calf.  Personally I have a custom pair without the calf padding, that provides even more range of motion when skating.

Some referees have taken their pants to a local tailor to have the calf padding removed.  While this may work, you run the risk of having your new pants ruined by poor worksmanship.  You would also have to factor in the added tailoring costs when doing it yourself.

3. Removal of Hip Belt

Removing the hip belt on Stevens Padded Referee Pants seems to be a favourite move of the referees.

Many referees are looking for a lighter pant that allows them to move freely on the ice.  Removing the hip belt allows them to achieve this, while still having the leg and tailbone protection they need.

While this may be okay for referees, I would recommend linesman keep the hip belt in place on their custom pants.

The hip belt padding is a hard padding that wraps around the lower back, rib cage, and stomach areas.  As a linesman working along the boards, and in the line of fire, the hip belt can be a lifesaver if getting hit by a hard slapshot!

Final Thoughts

Stevens Padded Referee Pants are the #1 choice for hockey referees right out-of-the-box, but many high-level officials order a custom pair for a more tailored fit.

What you choose to customize on your Stevens Pants is completely up to you, but this should give you an idea of the more common customizations.

You can order Custom Stevens Padded Referee Pants directly from The Ref's Room, without having to email us.  Simply select the custom sizing options, and then enter your custom requests at checkout!

Feel free to email us at info@refsroom.ca or DM us on Instagram if you have more questions!