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I never took an official stance on this product because I never had the opportunity to operate it; I had talked to a few members about how it performed and it all seemed positive, but then again, those members didn't have my background - they either didn't have manual sharpening experience, or if they did have sharpening experience, it wasn't at a commercial scale. All being said, Steve reached out to me to let me demo the machine, so they sent me a demo unit. Sparx offers a concierge service of sorts for their NHL teams in which they fly out to your location to set up the machine for them. Instead of doing that, I asked them if we could do it at SummerJam in Toronto, so that way he can then also show it off at the event. Steve came in Friday with the machine and I was able to get one of the ballrooms at the hotel and so we set it up in there. It wasn't what I was expecting. The machine is well-thought out, with a simple interface for the end user. As far as the sharpenings are concerned, once again, was pleasantly surprised. The machine was a bit loud - he attributed it to grinding over an existing hollow - but we ended up with sharp, square edges, a smooth finish, no disruption of the profile and minimal heat, which is all you can ask for in a sharpening. If one of those tenets I just listed is not achieved, you simply don't have a good sharpening. We went with 3/4 Fire (I'm typically a 90/50 FBV so I wanted the shallowest they had) and did them on a backup set of steel. I ended up sticking with the sharpening for my entire session at SummerJam. I set up the machine today and will sharpen for some of my staff to see what they think. As stated previously, I think they've proven that their machine has a place in this market - people seem to be satisfied with the end result; they're getting a consistent result. I'd like to thank Steve and Russ for setting this up. I'm willing to answer questions as far as sharpening is concerned, but I think there are more experienced members on the operations side. I've only used it twice!

Skates - Vapor gets the refresh this year, and pushed the skate forward to a July launch to align itself better with the season. Starting with the 1X, the biggest feature of this sate is the actual cut. They've built up the medial side of the quarter - it is now 3 mm offset from the lateral edge. Everyone's ankles are offset and in quite a few cases, the medial ankle bone doesn't hit the padding in the right spot. The liner is new for 2017 - it's HydraMax2 on top, however, Gripliner on the lower portion. Bauer scrapped 37.5 as a moisture-management material in skates because it's supposed to be a 2-way fabric, so it would trap the moisture. New facing in the skate as well - you're getting lock holes in the middle portion. Also, eyelets 2-3 from the bottom are softer, for better wrap. Also, the facing is not painted as it was in the 2015 1X, which should reduce breakage. The tongue is felt, but with a new face. The insert is thermoformable, and serves two purposes - it molded to foot shape, and it also serves as a shot blocker - claiming 30% more protection than previous tongues. The X900 has the Lock-Fit liner, but it's HydraMax2 on top and HydraMax on the bottom portion. It also has an asymmetrical pattern for the quarters, however, it's not as pronounced, due to the standard eyelet facing in the skate. Sticks - Supreme refreshed for 2017 and starts with the 1S. The main changes include an extended transfer zone up on top (the upper mid portion of the shaft is softer to counter with the higher kick point - well, that section has been extended - it's about 8-10". The result is that it is more a more versatile stick in terms of shooting. The blade now features their RenewCore technology; which is a thermogel sheet on the forehand; blade is a PowerSense. It provides cushioning and blade fatigue repair - so as the blade breaks down, the gel seeps into the cracks, acting as a caulk of sorts. The sheet is about 7 x 1.5". The S190 doesn't have RenewCore but does include the extended transfer zone in the shaft. Helmets - Re-Akt 200 is new for 2017, and it features a new VTX foam package and their next-gen Suspend-Tech liner. Also, full coverage on the sides of the helmet, a new injected soft liner foam and localized shell stiffness. The occipital lock has been updated as well - it is using the material from their SpeedPlate - so it has a latch on the top and pockets on the sides, and the lock is heated then inserted in the helmet to hug the back of the user's head. Visors have been updated as well - their True Optics boast improved clarity, as the visors are machine polished. Also, the straight visor's tilt has been updated as well. Quick-Clips has also been updated as well, it is now the Quick-Clips+ (which is not compatible with the first generation) and it is a much simple install. The visors come with two sets of clips - one for Re-Akt 75/100 and one for Re-Akt/Re-Akt 200. Protective - Supreme once again got the refresh this year - the features this year include modular panels and 3d molded caps. Sanitized, which is an anti-microbial treatment, has been added across the line. Their PowerLite package is the commercial version of the results of the OD1N project, which is 3d scanned and machined foam. With the 1s, the shins have a new knee cap, which is flatter than previous versions. In the shoulders, it features an Extended Fit, which are held together by grommets that the user can adjust to their liking, and the elbow pad features an elbow sleeve. The pant is the commercial version of the OD1N pant - it is 1 piece, so no longer a true girdle. FlexOrb in the tailbone and PowerLite hip pads and spine protection.

No - they're not.

As a fellow FX-50 user this is a sad, sad day. Need to stock up now.

Yeah... I'm just not liking where my mindset is at. It's seriously like they score every time they get into our end clean, which is rare thanks to our pretty good D and good backchecking. Which is why the whole time I have it in my head that I hope the D doesn't let them get to the net or its a sure goal.

Everyone goes through a rough stretch every now and then. Just ride it out and stick with it...

Working on a little project this week.

Confidence is gone. At a point where I hope they don’t get any shots because I doubt I’ll make the save.