A hockey player is covered in equipment from head to toe. When looking at men and women you can see obvious physical differences. Some hockey equipment suppliers offer gear to address these variations.

A major difference in male and female body types is the shape of the hips. Women, generally, have wider hips and shorter torsos. As a result, female-specific hockey pants tend to have more room in the hips and shorter hip guards -- the top of the pant -- than a standard man's hockey pants.

Another obvious difference in male and female anatomy is the chest area, which can affect the fit of shoulder pads. Women's shoulder pads are equipped with molded cups to accommodate larger chests, whereas men's shoulder pads are fitted with a flat front.

The most popular piece of female specific equipment is the pelvic protector. It is the most commonly used because the men's version, the protective cup, is the only piece of hockey equipment that cannot be comfortably worn by women.

One piece of equipment, the skate, has seen a few attempts at a female-specific line. This is not a popular offering. Hockey skates made for women are lighter and have a shorter boot to accommodate a woman's smaller calf. However, relatively few female hockey players see a women's specific skate as a better option than a junior skate, which is also lighter than a man's skate.

Source: http://www.livestrong.com/article/447840-what-is-the-difference-between-mens-womens-hockey-equipment/#ixzz22Qd7IYWU