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https://sprunghockey.com/shop/ Thom bought the rights to the website, so he actually sells through here now. You save on the fees and tax and he does as well. He doesn't have a7s I don't think. But he does have the rights to production, so maybe reach out and see if he's trying to manufacture some. He told me in the summer that when he sells out he will consider making a new run

@xstartxtodayx 👀👀 that license plate

Can't speak to Bauer but for CCM I saw this awesome chart with all of their shaft shape options and specs, it's in the link below. The "I" is the intermediate so you can see how much smaller it is (not much honestly)... T and R are the ones I've seen most often: http://www.sports2k.com/forum/index.php?/topic/43479-custom-ccm-stick-spec-question/

Nice to see that you're willing and able to move up the ranks. It will make you both a better official and player. It has for me haha.

Nice Golf

Picked up a couple of these same sticks on SS also, likely from the same seller, as my codes are the same.

Awe man, I used to love H2O back in the day. Good memories

Well, I talked to the local CCM pro rep. The RY construction is the "Team" model, used by some AHL guys for practice due to its durability. About half the price of the real FT4 Pro. I guess that's why the guy didn't show the label in his listing.

The digital weaving factories are pretty much centered in China and for the most part assembly lines are shared unless you are massive (Under Armour) so it's affecting everyone.

Howdy, Interesting to look back on this post from three years ago. Things have definitely changed... 🙂 Looking back at my log sheet for this year and I ended up doing almost exactly the same number of "IRS games" as I did in 2019... 115 this year to 116 the year I started. Of course, due to the virus I ended up doing those games from May to now vs. across the whole year so in actuality I was reffing a lot more often. I don't track the one-off cash games, but I would guess that I did quite a few more of those this year vs. in 2019 as well. Its pretty crazy the difference between the gross income vs. actual net income... This year I grossed ~$5700 across those 115 games, but netted less than half that at ~$2200. Mileage and tolls were by far the biggest expense at ~$2500 (not helped that I ref a lot at a rink ~45 miles away), but a skate purchase, ref seminar, jerseys/pants, etc. etc. too... It all adds up. Occasionally I talk to another ref that doesn't bother to track that stuff for whatever reason, but doing a Schedule C is pretty darned easy and keeping a log is not at all hard... Saving $1k+ or whatever tax wise is a good thing. That's all just focusing on the financial side, of course. Which certainly has an impact in why I ref, but I don't actually 'need' that money. Still, its really nice to be able to pay for my beer league hockey (and glove, jersey, and sock) addiction and get paid to exercise. But there's non-financial incentives as well... I've seen some REALLY good hockey, both with adults in beer league and kids. Its just impressive being on the ice with the A level beer league guys that used to play 'real' hockey and marvel at how they basically never have to look at the puck, fly around the ice, seem to already know where everyone is, and that any time the puck comes to withing 4' of them they control it regardless of whether its on the ice or not. And then there's the elite kids... Nothing like reffing a 10U game with the 2nd and 3rd ranked teams in the country. Its like seeing a half-sized NHL game. The less skilled stuff is often fun for other reasons... The kid stuff is great, seeing all different levels out there trying hard and having fun from ADM "cluster of kids all chasing the puck" on half ice (I don't do many of these though, since they're good games for young refs) to non-elite older players. Those kids will probably never be superstars or whatever, but they're still out there doing a good job and having fun playing a game with their team. Most of the coaches and parents, the overwhelming majority, seem to get it as well. The less skilled adult games I ref are often people I know from playing, or just from reffing a lot. Even if the hockey doesn't blow me away, its still fun to be out there skating, catching up with friends, etc. Those slower games are also a great chance to work on some edgework. 🙂 The other refs have been good to get to know as well. What a cross section of folks! All income / professional levels, people that have been involved in hockey since they were 5, people that started just a few years ago, etc. Its a little bit of a bummer that its literally all white guys, but it is what it is. At least at the reffing seminars you see some diversity and its great to see women getting publicity reffing at some higher levels so I'm sure this will improve. Still, that doesn't take away from me liking the folks I'm out there reffing with. I didn't really start this out to be the long rambling thing its become, so I'll cut it off. Reffing has been a real net positive for me. It can be easy to listen to the problems and watch the youtube videos and forget that nearly everyone in the rink is there for the right reasons. Not that its all been roses... This season I had to wash blood out of my jersey from a fight, I've been told in pretty explicit ways just how horrible I am as a ref and a person, I've made some really horrible calls / non-calls, etc. etc. That stuff happens. But its (by far) the minority. Mostly people at the hockey rink are there to have fun playing hockey. I like that. I like being part of that. Mark