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FlyChicaga

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Everything posted by FlyChicaga

  1. In our C league, we play "physical" but not checking. Just simply bumping into guys while playing for the puck along the boards, or trying to move guys out from in front of the net. I play D and I'm not a big guy at all (5'9" and 155 lbs), and when guys trying to dangle and do their toe drags I simply step up and bump into them. I don't hit, I just step up and get in their way. I find the only guys that usually bitch and moan about this stuff are smaller guys in the 20-25 age range who try to dangle the whole time. When you start playing physical with them and they can't dangle, it ruins their whole game. Last game I played, there were two pretty skilled guys on the other team. I was playing hard on both. They played hard back. One whined like no other and had a tantrum on the bench. The other shook my hand at the end of the game and we joked how it was a good hard-fought game and left on good terms. Guess which one of these two guys tried to toe drag about 50-75% of the time he came into the zone? FWIW, I haven't taken a penalty in about 15 games...
  2. There is absolutely no reason for him to throw the elbow out like that. Enjoy your five games in the press box.
  3. As Asian Tomatoe said, I had to order Powerfeet because as the skates break in I feel like there is too much room in the toe box. However I still have good heel lock. These still are the most comfortable skates I've ever owned.
  4. Yeah, I was 8.5D in both.
  5. I went to 70k from 1X (2015 and 2017). I was using the 66k for a couple months until I could find the 70k a bit cheaper. I love these skates. My feet and toes do not hurt after games now. Very good heel lock and I get no issues with pressure or lace bite anywhere on the skate. I have thin ankles and heel with a wider forefoot and large toes. These skates have done wonders for me. I play D, and I have great balance and maneuverability skating backward, and feel more balanced in front of the net. If you can fit into these I highly recommend them. Caveat is I'm 36 years old now and my tolerance for foot pain skating is low, so I really dig the comfort level of these skates.
  6. Agree, that's what I was getting at, just wasn't clear with my post.
  7. Houston is a growing city. It is much different now from when I used to work there in the early 2000's. I definitely think they could support an NHL team. However, I don't think expansion is the answer. I agree with the posters above, move a current [failing] team into that city. I'd suggest Arizona, but it still dumbfounds me how that organization can't get their act together. Phoenix is a large city with plenty of transplants from up north who are hockey fans. They need to add some flashy stars (a la McDavid, Kane, Crosby, etc.) and a do-over on their brand.
  8. After a lot of tweaking, buying and reselling gear, here is what I've settled upon: Helmet: CCM Tacks 310 (blue home, white away with Leafs decals) Shoulders: CCM Super Tacks Pants: CCM HP45X in Leafs old style colors royal Elbow: CCM Super Tacks Shins: CCM Ultra Tacks Pro Gloves: CCM 852s Leafs (also have Leafs Centennial) Skates: CCM Ribcor 66K with Nash Pro Stock blockers Stick: CCM Ribcor PMT Pro, Trigger2 PMT, RBZ 380 CCM LS undergear shirt with the little grippys on it for my elbows, CCM Pro jock, Bauer performance shorts Reebok 3.0 Leafs jersey in black with black Edge socks, or Adidas royal Leafs praccy with CCM Edge socks
  9. I have the RBZ380, and I personally really like it. I'm anxious to see the specs on the new Jetspeed line. I have not used the FT1, but here's to hoping they'll start popping up for cheap online...
  10. Where have people seen the practice jerseys at retail?
  11. I have to wonder if they have actual data on what stick a player is using, or are just looking at pictures and going by whatever the stick is dressed as.
  12. I figured I would give a small review on this helmet, since I just played my first game with it tonight. I went to my LHS and tried on a few different sizes of both the 710 and 310, and was able to find the right one for me. In the store, this thing felt great. I decided to order the 310 (LHS didn't have the color I wanted), mainly due to the price. I knew either one would be an upgrade over my 4500 or V08. In the last year or so, I've had the following helmets: CCM Resistance, CCM Res 300, CCM Res 100, and Bauer 4500. I've tried on the Re-Akt, but it just didn't "wow" me enough to drop over $200 on it. When I tried the Tacks 310 on, I couldn't believe the helmet only cost $120. It's light, and extremely comfortable. As in, I wore it the entire game tonight and never felt pressure once on my head, and I have it cranked down tight to keep it from shifting. With the 4500 or V08, neither one fit perfectly, and after a game I always had pressure marks either on my forehead or temples. I had NOTHING after wearing this helmet. In terms of protection, I'm not Virginia Tech. However, I put on my 4500 and whacked myself pretty hard in the front and sides of the helmet with my open palm. I then did the same with the 310. I'll just say there was a very, very noticeable difference. Most importantly of all, it passes the mirror test. It looks basically the same as the Resistance but feels a bit smaller. If you go try on this helmet and it fits your head shape, I highly, highly recommend it. For years I was a Bauer guy, but in the past year or two I've slowly gone to almost all CCM gear, because they have done some amazing stuff with their gloves and protective gear. I still wear Bauer skates, and my 4500 was my other Bauer holdout. No longer.
  13. Personal opinion, but I wasn't a fan of the speed plates. I felt like they were uncomfortable. I went with SF Carbon and my skates feel much better. I've been using SF for years now, so if it ain't broke, don't fix it I guess. But seeing how many people are having their SPs crack, I'm happy I got the SF again. This is in 1X skates.
  14. Play the body, play the body, play the body. I play D and D only now. When I get someone who is doing toe drags and all that jazz in men's league, I play them hard and engage them physically (without taking a penalty, unless I've really had enough and catch them with a good hit). 85% of the time, the toe-dangler gets extremely pissed off, because now they can't play their show-off game. So it throws them off their game. I had a guy who was a really good skater and had good hands throw a literal temper tantrum because I bumped into him a few times. He lost his mind because he couldn't dangle around everyone like orange cones. It was such a pleasure to see.
  15. I did a ton of research on elbows and shins before I purchased, and went with shins first. I ended up getting CCM Tacks Ultra Pro shins on eBay for $60 new, which I couldn't pass up. They are flat out amazing. I stand in shooting lanes on D and I take shots off my shins all the time. So when it came time to get elbows, I started looking hard at some pro stock Ultra Pro Tacks, and ended up grabbing them new off eBay for $140. I couldn't find new CCM 19Ks for under $175 new. I'm extremely happy with that decision, because I keep hearing stories about durability like you're sharing now. Personally, if I was you, I'd consider parting with the 19Ks while you still can (before they're totally trashed), and look at some high-end retail elbows. Especially the Ultra Tacks. The ones I have are the long version, which go all the way to my cuff on my gloves. Extremely protective and comfortable. They took a full game to break in a bit, since they were stiff.
  16. I have Bauer Apx2 skates and went to my LHS to get the Superfeet Yellows. They weren't in stock, so I got the Carbon's instead. I'm very pleased. First game in them, I had much better balance and edge control. The biggest thing for me was my backward skating... I had a noticeable improvement in my balance and ability to move laterally while going backwards, which is something that had suffered when I got my new Apx2s (just bought them 6 months ago). Very happy with these insoles.
  17. How about a DON'T: Don't start taking cheap shots (butt-end to the ribs, cross-checking, trying to trip someone, going knee-to-knee) and not expect the person you are going after to retaliate. This is overly true if you are the head coach of a PROFESSIONAL HOCKEY TEAM. I understand you'd like to get out and play some rat hockey, but don't come out hacking and not expect someone to call you out on it because you're a coach in the AHL. I have never felt the need to drop the gloves in a pick-up game, but I certainly did today. All of it started because I was tying him up in front of our goalie.
  18. Go watch the All-Star game, and try to emulate that. No hitting, lots of passing, no slappers in traffic. Just talent and fun.
  19. Yes, got them from e-bay. They do say "Chicago Blackhawks." They were $150, which I was told by my LHS is about what it would cost to order them custom. Might have been a bad deal but I love these things... it's like wearing slippers on your hands.
  20. Here is my gear... Nike Bauer 4500 Helmet, Nike Bauer 4-Roll Pro gloves, Vapor XXXX skates, Easton Synergy S17 Iginla 85, Easton ST Iginla 85, game-worn RBK EDGE Blackhawks socks, authentic RBK EDGE personalized Blackhawks jersey.
  21. If you don't mind me asking, how much do you guys bring home working at a LHS? I'm looking for a "backup career" of sorts in case I end up getting laid off at my job come the end of this year. I work in the airline industry, this is something we are always worried about. I've been thinking about going back to school for Sports Medicine to try and work as a hockey trainer somewhere, or trying to work as an Equipment Manager, or just working at a large LHS like some of the places here.
  22. I don't buy into that lie detector stuff much. When I went to the store, I brought my skates. Call me crazy, but I shelled out $200 for a stick and wanted it to be just right. So I put on my skates, and would take the sticks I was interested in off the shelf and stand perfectly erect, measure the length (I have my stick lengths between the chin and collarbone), and hold the stick at this point. Then I would rest my hands at my sides, and see if the stick blade was laying on the floor properly. If it wasn't, I would go with a different lie. Going through this, and adjusting my blade to my play style (I was using a Gaborik Easton, now a Weight Warrior McD), I have noticed a MAJOR improvement in my game. Less missed passes, better shot control post on the wrist and slapshot, and easier stickhandling. Helped to have the proper lie, plus the proper stick height. I think too many people have wild low lies because their sticks are too long for them, which is going to really hurt your stickhandling, passing and shooting.
  23. How are you finding the Synergy shorts? Are they the 500s? (can't quite tell from the pic) I've gotta get some new ones and was thinking of getting em It took me a skate or two to get used to them, because I used to have Supras which were much thinner pads, not to mention less pads. These are Synergy 900 pants, and I love them. Very comfortable, stay put on my skinny ass, and I unzipped the legs to get more freedom of movement. Definitely A+ pants.
  24. Here is my stuff My stick is an Easton Synergy ST Grip Gaborik 85 Flex, with a Coffey pattern Sherwood 5030 as my backup stick. Thinking about getting a CCM Vector 120 or another non-grip Synergy ST Gaborik stick in the near future.
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