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A few years ago we went to the worlds IIHF tournament in Germany and they dropped the "new" Bauer pucks on us (the IIHF tournament I was at before this they used IDS). It was a nightmare, every team hated them but Bauer had paid bucks for them to be used so we had to suck it up. We brought back 2 boxes of pucks and still have them sitting in the office, no one wants to use them lol.

I totally agree with those first 2 statements. As far as the verbero puck I’m really wanting to give it a try and review now despite being discontinued. I don’t remember enough about the puck to have a solid opinion. From what I heard verbero is also under new ownership. Maybe we could see a comeback of the verbero puck?

That Bauer Puck has been around forever under a few different names, surprised its still around and being used with how bad it is compared to an IDS or Rocket Puck. I think the IDS actually plays a little faster and doesn't bobble as much as the Rocket but in terms of weight and feel you can't beat the Rocket puck. That Verbero puck was the real deal. Unfortunately I stopped playing roller when that thing came out but I remember playing with one and everyone couldn't believe how good it was it.

Love the ids pucks, Im not big on the rocket puck, it seems to be way more jumpy to me. but maybe that’s just me being more of an ice guy

Amazon, heck it's pennies on the dollar but better in your pocket than others.... Check your dm, I sent you more info...

Add links to the products you review so you can get a % of the sales.

To be fair - gear has stagnated completely and either innovation is at an all time low, or we’ve reached a point of diminishing returns on currently available materials. I have a hard time getting excited about CCM moving their logo from the bottom of the Ribcore shaft to the top, or Bauer adding different pops of chrome every year and calling it a new stick. Protective hasn’t really gone anywhere in about 8 years since the CL line released and skates, aside from steel/holder enhancements haven’t really gone anywhere aside from perhaps better baking results. We’ve also seen a decline in unique products. We’ve been P92/P28/P88’ed to death and quirky stuff like custom Franchise gloves have completely disappeared. Did I also mention that all of this stuff has been increasing in price at an absurd rate? It’s hard to generate buzz when there is nothing to buzz about. /rant.

Back in my day we had to use the Sonic Mach 1 puck for College Roller!

Just bought that one on Amazon, I’m also planning on getting a hoplite puck to review. Thanks!

Verbero was bought by the same guy that owns Tron. They cleared out a lot of the old Verbero products, including the pucks, on both the Tron and Verbero sites. There appears to be one available on Amazon.com right now: https://www.amazon.com/Verbero-70000-b-gr-Aero-Puck/dp/B018LFXXDG and the Canadian shop Coast to Coast Inline seems to have some (I do think they ship most products internationally though): https://coasthockeyshop.com/products/verbero-aero-puck?variant=12452384644 There's also this California based site that shows some in stock: https://usaskates.com/verbero-aero-inline-hockey-puck/ I wish they'd come back and be used in leagues and tournaments as they're the best inline puck I've ever tried, but I'm not holding my breath. Maybe the Hoplite can compare. I didn't realize that the Bauer pucks were used for NCRHA games. After some googling, it seems they made the switch around 2016. No wonder those pucks are still around; I wondered how it was surviving on individual sales alone. They do feel weird compared to IDS or Rocket pucks since they're noticeably heavier and don't seem to slide as easily. On the other hand, they do tend to stay flat a little better than the Rocket or IDS based on my limited experience with them. I definitely didn't love them like the Verbero Aero puck though and am more comfortable with a Rocket or IDS vs. the Bauer. At least the Bauer isn't as bad as the Mach 1/Tron puck.

Wow. That’s pretty disappointing. I wonder how the NCRHA teams feel about having to use the puck 😂.

My personal favourite for indoor use on Sport Court was the Verbero Aero puck. http://www.hockeyworldblog.com/2011/07/06/verbero-sports-aero-puck-review/ The Aero puck slid better than the rocket, bauer and IDS. It also stayed flat better than the Rocket and IDS. The Bauer stays pretty flat and has more weight like an ice puck, but doesn't move as well as the Aero. The Rocket puck is the default puck for most of the leagues with tournament players simply because it's used for tournaments like NARCh. The Rocket puck was founded in 1999 by Daryn Goodwin who also owns and runs the NARCh Tournaments. So even though pucks like the Aero came out that were better, league owners continue to use the rocket puck because they know that's the only puck that will ever be used at NARCh due to Mr. Goodwin's financial interest in both companies. The IDS puck is the official puck of AAU USA & USA Roller Sports. Since the Aero puck wasn't the official puck of any major tournaments or leagues, it died out even though it was a good product. The Bauer puck has better distribution in my area than the other pucks around here since you can actually buy it in store instead of online only, but since it's not used in any of the leagues, I don't know how long it will be around. Another puck that's interesting is the new Hoplite puck. It uses an internal gyroscope distributes momentum to keep the puck flat. I haven't used one yet, but it sounds good in theory: https://www.hoplitepuck.com/ It'd be cool to have an updated comparison that includes the Aero puck and Hoplite, but I know the Aero is in short supply now. Coast to Coast does seem to have some Aero pucks in stock: https://coasthockeyshop.com/collections/inline-roller-indoor-oudoor-hockey-pucks-balls-biscuits/products/verbero-aero-puck?variant=12452384644

Brands will still use those distinctions for marketing tools... but it is personal preference and Bauer really doesn't have a soft pad anymore. Vapors are stiffer than every brand's retail paid out there BUT CCM Axis which is basically the same stiffness. It is kind of the problem with Bauer atm, they are totally ignoring the "soft" pad crowd that tended to go with the hybrid and reactive style of goalies.

It was kinda nuts. I almost dumped late, due to our recent numbers. Everyone on bench kinda stayed 2-3’ away, But you just know, someone is asymptotic, we’re all kinda F’d. On ice, it was just ice. It’s all kinda nuts... Wouldn’t be so worrisome, if 34%, weren’t asymptotic. Great drop in, years with these cats, so nobody is coming questionable, but I could have it as I type and not know? It was awesome though....

Reviving this from the dead since I'm sure a lot of us have converted ice skates to inlines during quarantine.

Those distinctions aren’t really a thing anymore. They tried so hard to market them that way but it’s pretty much died out. It mostly just depends on preferences now.

Chirping is a hockey players default.... c'mon! A little good natured debate never hurt anyone.

I also think a major factor is how “main stream” access to gear has become. PSH is a prime example of someone that absolutely pillaged the pro stock gear market, which in the early 2000’s was one of the best parts of this site, finding out when gear sales were asking someone to try to grab you something etc etc since everyone has pretty much the same access to gear available online now, it’s really made acquiring it less exciting, at least for me. still love this community though and have been lucky enough to demo gear in the past and give reviews. It’s still a great place.

I use old threads here for a resource all of the time but I almost never say anything here because the vibe is super negative. Im excited about new gear. I love talking about it. But every thread here turns into inane off topic bickering. It's such a bummer. The old stuff is great though. I wasn't here for it but I see why you would miss how it used to be here.

I heard the new Bauer roll out is entirely Street Fighter 2 themed. Look for the Spinning Bird Kick (save) goalie skates and 100 Hand Slap gloves. —- I imagine you’ll see a lot of sticks with new graphics, but same tech as player previously used. I can’t imagine not playing for 2 months then trying to come back into playoff form and trying to break in new stuff.

Hear hear!

I have to be honest, I find the topic you chose for this thread to be offensive - or at least overly provocative. There is a man behind the site that works incredibly hard for this community and that should always, in ,my opinion, be remembered. You could have just as easily asked the question, "why isn't more information about products being posted on MSH" This would have been valid and far nicer. As many have said the market has changed considerably. The way manufacturers deal with online information outlets has changed as well. I also think the way people consume news and information has changed and many prefer to listen to a video rather than write and discuss. I could get into what that says about us as people (not a good thing) but I will pass on it. Low hanging fruit as it were.... The good thing is we can do things to help.... post good topics. Share your experiences and reviews. Tell your friends about the site and, when the pandemic is over, come to events. In the end this site is what WE make of it.

Can I get my new Bauer skates with a P91 Curve on the Tendon Guard instead of the P28 curve pictured?

This, for me, is a really big part of it. I realize inflation has a hand in it to some extent, but I remember 15 years ago when gloves like the Vapor XXX were selling at around $129.99 I think? Fast forward to the present day when the 1X Lite retails for $219.99 (not counting the recent markdown on account the 2X line set to hit the market soon). Have gloves really come that far so quickly that they're worth nearly double the price? Not in my eyes, at least. As for things like sticks, they're expensive in general for what they are. I don't mind paying a high price for something that feels good, performs well, and lasts me for a reasonable period of time, but when I shell out top dollar on something like the 1X Lite I bought a few years ago that dies after just a few months playing once or twice a week, I don't feel like I got good value for my money. I normally always shoot for top-of-the-line gear because I like the idea of a product being made as good as it can be, but I haven't felt comfortable paying more than $200 for a stick since. This is to say nothing for those who pay top dollar only to have the stick snap on them and be SOL because the warranty expired just a week beforehand. It's hardly a wonder people load up on pro stock sticks at $100. I'm sure sticks aren't cheap to make and the profit margins are slim even on the higher-end, but I also don't like the idea of pointing the blame at consumers just trying to get their money's worth and people selling pro gear on eBay just hoping to make a little pocket change on the side. I feel bad for retail stores who end up being punished as a result of all this, but maybe it's not a great business model in general? I don't know. Someone feel free to step in and correct me on any of that. Anyway, to get back on topic, rinks are closed, people aren't working, the economy is screwed, a virus is running rampant, and the streets of major US cities are filled with a whole lot of anger and hate. I wish I could say I was spending a lot more time worrying about hockey (among many other things) right now, but the world is a very different place than it was three months ago.

Watch a vintage game from 20 years ago or more on NHL Network now and just look at all the brands that are gone. Each brand drove the others to innovate and punch through the envelope back then. Now ? Not so much. The access to Pro Stock is also another pipeline that has effected everyone in the chain.

My thoughts as someone who is in product development and plays and has a young son playing. -The “innovation” is so incremental in many areas as to be meaningless. -They still haven't nailed the skate fit problem. It is confusing to consumers and the weak link is the value chain, store employees often don’t know what they are talking about. At the same store my son got fit by someone who knew what he was doing while I got the dunce. -Too few brands honestly, it makes things less interesting to me. You get similar design language from the big players in all their stuff. I remember when there were still a lot of other players listed in the Great Skate, Ocean, Kemps, etc catalogs.