Wood in the NHL?

[Neo5370 132]

Been a few years since I asked this so it's time for an update; besides, Ryan Smyth, does anyone in the NHL use wood sticks or blades anymore?

[Chadd 916]

Smyth has been using composite

[Neo5370 132]

Oh wow. So is wood officially extinct at the NHL level?

[Tyler Roy 86]

If you look throught the most recent game he has played vs the kings you can see he is still using a shaft and wood blade.

Smyth has been using composite

[Cavs019 702]

It's a composite blade painted to look like wood...

[JR Boucicaut 3759]

He and Marleau were the holdouts, and I believe Marleau switched out too.

Yes, Smyth is using a composite blade with a wood look.

[Tyler Roy 86]

*facepalm

[Amiroo39 121]

not the ryan smith blade discussion again.....its composite! One of the last players I remember using a wood stick was Naslund with the canucks..

[AIREAYE 248]

Was there a time when Spezza used wooden sticks by Reebok painted like a 10K? I saw some for sale at PHL last year.

[icewalker_bg 126]

I saw a Ben Lovejoy Reebok stick, composite shaft with a fused wood blade.

[Cavs019 702]

Was there a time when Spezza used wooden sticks by Reebok painted like a 10K? I saw some for sale at PHL last year.

Yup, I believe he switched over to composites via the SE16 and S19 Pure.

Re: JR: My roomate has a few Marleau pro stock two-pieces lying around, AK27 shaft, Reebok pro composite blade. Not entirely sure he used these in game though.

[isnipepipe 0]

Brad Boyes uses a APX shaft with a wood blade. They have a bunch at the arena for 10$ I think. I don't know if he still does.

[mack 44]

Odd, I've a few Warrior and Bauer blades of his and they're all composite. And ugly.

[steelnation248 101]

A guy has been selling a bunch of them on eBay for awhile now:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/PRO-RETURN-Brad-Boyes-Bauer-Supreme-TotalOne-NXG-Senior-RH-Replacement-Blade-/281089593321

[isnipepipe 0]

He must have switched over, because they have a bin of wood blades marked Boyes at the Sabres arena.

[AIREAYE 248]

Caught the (excusable) mistake on Hockey Night in Canada in reference to Smyth's wood blade, thought that was amusing. There's a Ben Lovejoy pro stock Reebok with what I'm pretty sure is a wood blade as well.

[Stanello 4]

Do goalies count? Noticed Luongo still uses a wood stick tonight.

[jimmy 194]

Do goalies count? Noticed Luongo still uses a wood stick tonight.

Almost all nhl goalies use a wood shaft stick with foam core fiberglass or composite paddle/blade. I don't think Luongo has a true wood stick of old.

I have a Recchi prostock from his 2011 yr with the Bruins, composite shaft/wood blade fused and painted to look like a OPS.

[avery16 5]

im curious if the nhl would ever consider going full wood? goalies wouldnt have much to say about protection when they make their pads even smaller.. although composite sticks are quite the market now, i wonder if that would hold up if the nhl went to wood.

[Stewie 721]

im curious if the nhl would ever consider going full wood? goalies wouldnt have much to say about protection when they make their pads even smaller.. although composite sticks are quite the market now, i wonder if that would hold up if the nhl went to wood.

no.

[bunnyman666 445]

im curious if the nhl would ever consider going full wood? goalies wouldnt have much to say about protection when they make their pads even smaller.. although composite sticks are quite the market now, i wonder if that would hold up if the nhl went to wood.

Gretzky thinks the league needs to go to wood blades. I'd like to see aluminium shafts with wood blades, myself. I see these composite sticks turning up in shreds and all I can see is potential for injury. I think if the league keeps with their hard on for composites, they should so a couple of layers of Kevlar on the outside; at least the sticks could stay in closer to one piece when they break...

[Stewie 721]

Gretzky thinks the league needs to go to wood blades. I'd like to see aluminium shafts with wood blades, myself. I see these composite sticks turning up in shreds and all I can see is potential for injury. I think if the league keeps with their hard on for composites, they should so a couple of layers of Kevlar on the outside; at least the sticks could stay in closer to one piece when they break...

how is a broken composite stick any more dangerous than a broken wood one?

[bunnyman666 445]

how is a broken composite stick any more dangerous than a broken wood one?

Composite shatters and just digs in. Wood can splinter, but one can easily remove a wood splinter; carbon fibre splinters require medical attention. A layer of kevlar prevents a LOT of problems.

[start_today 757]

They've been playing with composite shafts for a pretty long time, and I can't think if any injuries related specifically to the construction material of the sticks. If they were that dangerous, wouldn't we have seen something by now?

[TeamHonda401 54]

A layer of kevlar also increases weight and changes performance characteristics as well.