> Since no one else has come forward, I'll take a guess.  The tape has two
> main purposes: to create friction to facilitate stickhandling, and to
> cushion the impact to make it easier to receive a pass.  Black was
> originally the only color of friction tape available, and may serve to
> conceal the puck a bit; white may make the stick harder to follow, or
> maybe it just looks cool.
 
You'll probably find the white tape on the handle of the tape; the dye or tar
in the black tape will stain gloves and, I've heard, actually eat at the
leather in the palms of the gloves.
 
Friction tape (as opposed to the regular cloth tape) is normally not available
in anything but black.  However, some people prefer the cloth tape to the
sticky stuff, so they can choose which color to use where--personal preference.
 
John Perkins
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