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“agree to disagree” equals that I just don’t have the energy to support my opinion and have stopped caring enough to defend it and ACCEPT that my opinion is not shared. I don’t HAVE to be RIGHT nor do I really need people to agree with me; it’s a big world and there are conflicting opinions. Defending my opinion on an internet forum is not important to me; in the end, I have walked into a crowd that clearly does not agree with me and frankly don’t care enough to “support” my opinion. Besides- I do have better things to do than defend my opinion. My health matters more to me than defending an apparently unpopular opinion; after what I have gone through in the last year plus, defending why I think Bettman is a slime ball and should not be in the Hall of Fame is MUCH less important these days. So yes- onto the next topic for me. There are more important topics to discuss.

I feel the same way a lot of the time. You get to a point where the effort isn’t worth the time and decide you’d rather just walk away from the discussion.

Here we go a huge day for UFA's https://www.tsn.ca/nhl/free-agency

To the OP. In some regards yes, CCM is giving the customer more for less. The Ribcor 68k and Tacks 9090 are fantastic skates at an extremely reasonable price. Does that translate into to higher sales, maybe, maybe not. Someone like CCM who has very little share of the skate market can gain some of that back by offering skates like that. Only problem is skates have fit characteristics. So while the 68k may give you more skate for the money, the Bauer with less features may fit better.

Are Bauers with Speedblades unheard of? The reason why I ask is I'm going to FINALLY be getting a new pair of Nexus when they release. Even though I've been skating on Ribcor 68ks for the last 2 years, and they are great, they still have an odd fit. I've skated with Edge holder before, and I absolutely hated them. But these SB 4s, I definitely do like. Has anyone ever seen Bauers out in the wild with SBs on them?

I've seen it -- it's rare, but hey. Do what works for you. The rivet holes line up, but the size labels are slightly different. My Tuuks are 296, but the SB4.0s are stamped as 295.

8x11 sounds right for a perennial Norris candidate. The last 2-3 might be painful but it is what it is ( I for one would like to see 5 year contract limits in the next CBA)

At what point can we start referring to them as the AARP Kings. No doubt Doughty was a necessary signing but you have to admit you are starting to feel some of those veteran signings.

If Bettman shouldn't be blamed for the bad stuff since he's only carrying out the owners' wishes, then why should we give him credit for the good stuff... after all, he's only carrying out the owners' wishes on that end, too?

Bauer can charge a higher premium because their brand is stronger. CCM has definitely improved in this regard, but Bauer still has a large chunk of the market share in the skate market. I have seen many a person buy Bauer skates just because of the name, regardless of whether the skate was a correct fit or good value to them. There is cost in the brand, just like in other industries (i.e. Apple)

Thank you for the suggestion Vet! I went ahead and found a virtual mailbox in Montreal through Anytime Mailbox (CAD$20 with a small $2/package forwarding fee) who will forward the package to the US. The store I'm buying from is in BC so the Montreal address allowed the sales tax to be cut in half.

From my experience, I always shoot better off ice and every stick feels pretty good. I find it's because, everyone is more balanced off skates, and can shift their weight more easily to get more power. In addition, there's more friction, so getting the stick to flex properly is easier, and because there's no snow on the blade, it's easier to generate spin on the puck, so shot comes off hotter. As for shooting with a bare blade. I've only done this a few times at stick and puck while contemplating only covering the toe of my blade with tape. Yeah, it'll feel different. I find tape acts as a dampener. Without it, the puck feels more lively. When the blade gets wet, it doesn't have anywhere near the grip that tape has. But for me, it didn't didn't drastically change anything enough to make me want to not have tape over all of my blade.

If they wont ship direct or you can't find a MSH member to help, use a virtual address from someone like reship.com or shop&ship (I know the courier company behind this company). Google "shop in canada ship to US", check the shipping cost for each one, google for reviews then sign up and use it.

While I think that Bettman certainly has his place in the HHOF I find it strange that the board has elected to put him in while he's still commissioner of the NHL. I feel like he should also have to be held to the same criteria as players, where as he should have to be retired for some amount of time. I fully understand that Builders don't actually need to be retired to be elected, but idk something just doesn't sit right about Bettman being the active commissioner and being elected to the Hall. On the other hand I think its been far too long, and I'm glad the Willie O'Ree will finally get his rightful place in the HHOF.

I purchased the CCM JetSpeed FT1 shin pads to possibly replace my Ultra Tacks shins. The primary purpose was to lighten up my gear; I love my ultra tacks, but they are a tad on the heavy side. So here are my initial thoughts... Aesthetics: 8.5/10 These are very nice looking shins; the black and red go together very well. Unfortunately it doesn't really matter since they are under your socks, but a good looking shin nonetheless. Design: 5 The overall design of the shin was decent, but they definitely felt like cheap plastics to me. That may not be the case, but as soon as I felt them I noticed a HUGE difference in quality between these and my Ultra Tacks. As for the shape, they are a more narrow-fitting pad, almost built like a triangle (the top of the triangle being in front of your shin). Straps: 6 The bottom strap was well-designed with the ability to adjust the length of the strap via a dual-end Velcro system. This is definitely nice as people's calves come in all different sizes. Where the strapping falls apart, is the behind-the-knee strap. In order to show the JetSpeed logo, CCM opted to reduce the width of the Velcro strip that runs along the front side of the shin. This is problematic because, unlike the bottom strap, the top strap is not adjustable. Not only that, but it is extremely long. When I wrapped the strap behind my knee and around the front of the pad, I was already well-beyond the Velcro strip! I basically had to settle for a loose-fit - this was very poor. Weight: 9 The weight of the shins was exactly what I was looking for; they felt great wearing them and I definitely felt a weight difference between these and my Ultra Tacks. Mission accomplished right? Protection: 2 The shins felt OK during normal stick and board work, but the first shot of the game that I blocked definitely didn't feel the way I am used to. I am used to feeling a pressure that is distributed throughout my entire shin pad, but this was more of an acute pain. I would classify the shot as average, maybe 50mph. After the game I took of my shin pad and viola: Overall: 3 Unfortunately, shin pads HAVE to be protective against at least average shots, otherwise what's the point? The lightness of the pads was a plus, but obviously it came at the expense of protection.