What is the difference between more expensive and cheaper ice hockey equipment?

It depends on which part you’re looking at. But the general rule is that you start with the best models and then remove features along the way to reduce the cost.

You can take gloves as a perfect example. The best models have a lot of protection, which can make the gloves feel a bit "immobile." The cheaper the gloves, the more comfortable they are to wear. This is because protection is removed as the price decreases. It’s not exactly the same for everything, but as a rule, it’s generally similar overall.