Perron pro pattern

[MrData 93]

I've seen a few David Perron pro stock sticks floating around the web, and I'm intrigued by the curve. I've never tried a toe curve, so it seems interesting. However, I haven't been able to find the lie of Perron's pro pattern. Does anyone know the lie or at least what lie it plays like? I know the blade is supposed to be extra long with a big rocker and a moderate open curve that starts right at the toe. I'm using a P106 and a PM9 right now, so I'm guessing I'm in for a very different experience if I decide to try it.

Any thoughts on the curve in general, or the lie more specifically?

[Harv 86]

I may be wrong, but isn't it his curve a mirrored Kovalev pro? But his lie might be different.

Here's the code if you want to go that way..

[flip12 699]

I may be wrong, but isn't it his curve a mirrored Kovalev pro? But his lie might be different.

I think you're right Harv. I'm a lefty so I haven't used Perrons but I have been playing with a Leino Kovalev clone lately. The thing I really love about it is the lie and rocker--the curve is a bit open for me so an earlier closed Kovalev might suit me better. I end up with ridiculously short sticks with lies above 5, but this works great for me. I think its average lie is around 5, with the heel being lower and the toe being higher. It just feels like no matter how far away from my body I reach for the puck, I get enough blade on the ice. I think Perron's got a similar Kovalev rocker on his blade still (though it sounds like he's been changing the curve and length), so maybe my experience with the Leino can help.

[steelnation248 101]

That second pic looks familiar Harv

I've owned a few Perron stick in the past and they've all been the same curve: Almost straight throughout with a small amount of toe at the end. However, I have seen his other curves which are giant toe curves. It's just a luck of the draw on which one you get if you can't see the stick in person.

Here's an old picture I took of it compared to a Sakic curve.

Here's the curve I have always owned, and not liked. I wish it had more toe/curve.

And the profile.

[flip12 699]

That looks a lot like the Leino pattern I have, but there's a lot of heel twist added as well--more like a Drury with that toe added to it.

[Harv 86]

That second pic looks familiar Harv

Blame Google.

[MrData 93]

Thanks for the useful replies! Any comments on how it handles when shooting, passing, or stickhandling? How are slapshots with it? Does the toe curve mess with passing or pass reception?

[flip12 699]

I haven't taken any normal slap shots because I'm playing in a age-36+ league; did do some one-timers at the end of one of our practices and the pattern was fine--could go low, could go high, got nice tight spin. It's such a stiff shaft though (110, maybe?) that it just laughed at me until I really started leaning into them.

Puckhandling has been great, but really because it's such a good lie for me. Not as many people seem to like to play at lie 5 or lower.

Passing is taking a while to get used to. I'm actually really comfortable passing with a toe curve (just point the toe while turning your bottom wrist over), but this pattern's so open that any wrist snapping feels like it gets amplified. If you just sweep the puck away from you, it launches a saucer.

I haven't gotten any meaningful shooting off the heel/mid of the blade, but in the toe pocket everything launches extremely tight, and even my first few attempts at a snap shot off the toe were surprisingly comfortable and accurate.

The toe doesn't affect catching passes for me, but the height of the blade at the heel is so low that if the puck skips off a rough spot in the ice it can easily hop right over you. Had that happen to me in the defensive zone--pretty embarrassing.

[MrData 93]

I haven't taken any normal slap shots because I'm playing in a age-36+ league; did do some one-timers at the end of one of our practices and the pattern was fine--could go low, could go high, got nice tight spin. It's such a stiff shaft though (110, maybe?) that it just laughed at me until I really started leaning into them.

Puckhandling has been great, but really because it's such a good lie for me. Not as many people seem to like to play at lie 5 or lower.

Passing is taking a while to get used to. I'm actually really comfortable passing with a toe curve (just point the toe while turning your bottom wrist over), but this pattern's so open that any wrist snapping feels like it gets amplified. If you just sweep the puck away from you, it launches a saucer.

I haven't gotten any meaningful shooting off the heel/mid of the blade, but in the toe pocket everything launches extremely tight, and even my first few attempts at a snap shot off the toe were surprisingly comfortable and accurate.

The toe doesn't affect catching passes for me, but the height of the blade at the heel is so low that if the puck skips off a rough spot in the ice it can easily hop right over you. Had that happen to me in the defensive zone--pretty embarrassing.

Thanks for the info!

[flip12 699]

Thanks for the info!

With pleasure :)

[ruffage 6]

You may have come across an old thread I posted - I had some custom blades made in March 2012 from a Perron pro stock code (1387G). Just before I received my blades I came across a Reebok 20K Perron pro stock OPS and couldn't resist picking it up. It was code 1387F I believe (have since sold it to a friend). My blades have a very faint heel kink and then the usual toe curve, whereas the OPS was fairly straight in the heel/mid portion of the blade with a larger toe curve. The rocker/shape are pretty much identical, but the OPS blade seems a hair shorter. Here are some pics I took when I still had the stick:

As has been mentioned, you can't really classify the lie like a normal/retail blade because it's so long and the rocker is so deep. Around the heel it's very flat (3.5-4?) and the toe area is pretty upright. The blade is so long that there's still a big chunk of straight-ish area making puck control a breeze. It did take a bit of getting used to, but I'll never go back now. It's very unique in many ways for sure. All the usual retail patterns seem very pedestrian compared to it.

I also have a Kovalev pro stock blade even though I can't use it (why not eh?). The length/rocker/shape seems to be the same as the Perron, but the curve is slightly different. The heel/mid section is a slight gradual curve, with a pretty pronounced toe curve, slightly open. If I could figure out how to get a right mirror of it made it's the one I'd want, but the ones I have are close enough. There are dozens of flavours of these things - it would be cool to see them all lined up together. I recall reading that Kovalev had over 20 variations while he was with Warrior.

[flip12 699]

I recall reading that Kovalev had over 20 variations while he was with Warrior.

Indeed, 20 or so--here's a video from @warriorstickguy with them on display. I like the looks of the older, more closed Kovalev curves, but just like you Ruffage, as golden as the lie is for me, I'd rather get some custom woodies (from Eleven maybe?) than try to work with some retail pattern. That 4/4.5-ish heel is perfect for me. Shooting is a bit off still, but I think going back a bit shorter in shaft length might straighten that out.

I can see why no one would want to offer this at retail though. I don't think that lie would work for many people, so it would probably be hard to sell.

[ruffage 6]

Indeed, 20 or so--here's a video from @warriorstickguy with them on display. I like the looks of the older, more closed Kovalev curves, but just like you Ruffage, as golden as the lie is for me, I'd rather get some custom woodies (from Eleven maybe?) than try to work with some retail pattern. That 4/4.5-ish heel is perfect for me. Shooting is a bit off still, but I think going back a bit shorter in shaft length might straighten that out.

I can see why no one would want to offer this at retail though. I don't think that lie would work for many people, so it would probably be hard to sell.

Amazing video, I guess all those molds are probably just collecting dust these days. You should get in touch with BASE Hockey, they make Kovalev's sticks these days. Since you're a lefty maybe they can make you a few.

Regarding shaft length, I have always used a pretty short stick, but in particular with this pattern it seems to cater to a really short length. You obviously sacrifice reach and some shot power but the puck control with this pattern on a really short stick is off the charts! I have to wonder if it will vanish once Kovalev/Perron/Leino retire.

[Buzz_LightBeer 962]

Probably reading too much into this, but do the "520" and "620" markings perhaps indicate standard AND tapered Kovalev blades?

[flip12 699]

Probably reading too much into this, but do the "520" and "620" markings perhaps indicate standard AND tapered Kovalev blades?

Maybe. All of the Kovalevs in the video look like 620's, though.

Amazing video, I guess all those molds are probably just collecting dust these days. You should get in touch with BASE Hockey, they make Kovalev's sticks these days. Since you're a lefty maybe they can make you a few.

Regarding shaft length, I have always used a pretty short stick, but in particular with this pattern it seems to cater to a really short length. You obviously sacrifice reach and some shot power but the puck control with this pattern on a really short stick is off the charts! I have to wonder if it will vanish once Kovalev/Perron/Leino retire.

I did write Base about a Kovalev pattern at retail (and I'm pretty sure I'm not the only one who has) but I didn't get a reply. I'm also not sure they make his blades. It's possible that they do, but those Reebok Kovalev pro blades that were on eBay a month or two ago made me question just where his blades were coming from at any point. As much variation as he liked in his blade pattern, it wouldn't surprise me if he also switched around manufacturers for blades, and if so, who knows how often. Although I would be happy using his (I think later-career) more open patterns, I'd like a slightly more closed face blade with the same rocker. I know he has variations like that too, but now that I know I like the rocker a lot, I'm thinking of just combining it with my old preferred E4+slight toe kink.

I've always used shorter sticks and low lies too. My stick is still short--just below my chin when standing barefoot--but the length it came was about 4" shorter than that, so almost already clavicle height without skates. With that low lie, I could see it working for someone with a longer stick, but it just happens to work really well for you and me as a shorter one I think.