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All we're missing now is a Virginia Tech Stick Flex study using incomplete half assed methods 🤣

Why would it? It's the same materials, same stick line, same brand, same height, same flex rating. Why would one stick be different than than the other? If instead of hockey sticks, what if I was talking about lengths of bamboo? If I cut one length of bamboo to be exactly the same length as another, all things being equal other than starting length, would you be asking that question? True isn't changing the meaning of flex. The meaning has always been this. In trying to "help" people figure out what flex they should use, someone back in the day (my bet is someone in the marketing department) tried to dumb things down in a way that made flex rating and stiffness became interchangeable when they're not. Generally, this wouldn't be a problem if every stick came stock at the same height, but they don't. Hence why the example I gave can be confusing to some. Remember, according to that video, the flex rating is calculated at a distance of 1m. Stiffness takes into account the whole length of the object. Unfortunately, each stick doesn't come with a stiffness rating.

That's exactly what I wear. It was made by Cooper and called a Protec (or Pro Tec) cage. They actually came with a trapezoidal chin pad about the size of a credit card that clipped onto the bottom with snap buttons. Most guys removed them and just put enough tape on the bottom bar right under the chin and a little bit up on the bottom of the center vertical bar to make them about 1/4" thick. There's also at least 1 guy in Cooperalls in that clip.

I think it all depends on the league and what rules they follow. Our league here is a modified USA Hockey rules, so we don't follow all of their rules, as far as helmets and cages you just have to have a helmet with face protection of some sort, could he a half shield tilted up, or a full cage, just as long as whatever straps are present are snapped in. I've never seen anyone check a helmet certification in my 43 years of life, pretty sure as long as it's a name brand from the past 30 years no one will think twice (I see a few old HT2's still but I'm sure if anyone tried using a Gretzky Jofa one they would stop them).

Ok. Sure thing bud.

Yeah. That's interesting. I played my last college game over 23 years ago. If I had to guesstimate, I'd say I've played around 4000 beer league games/tourneys amongst those helmets (I've probably averaged 4 skates a week on average during that time, and factoring in not playing during the pandemic.) Never had a ref say a single thing about any of them. None have stickers. Only one of the 4500's is currently within certification dates. I'm not condoning or promoting any of it. Just anecdotally giving my experience.

We had this guy. No chin cup or anything. It always looked weird to me, but with how used to a cat eye cage I already am it wouldn't hurt to try... if I ever skated out again (unlikely).

The flex rating doesn't change, but as the engineer said, the "bend" does. When people talk about flex, they are really talking about bend. So yeah, cutting it down doesn't change the flex rating, but it does change how it functions. Too much semantic debate when we all know what people mean.