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Picked these up a couple months ago.

But those 5 less grams on the FT3 are everything. It’s probably like 20 more goals over the course of a season

Hey guys! Long time lurker, first time poster I work for STX and manage their Ice Hockey division. Hills over here has been an integral part in providing us with feedback on an initial prototype that we sent him. To answer some of your questions... Fit: The Halo glove (pictured), will be tight to hand, similar to the Surgeon line. We can't have these be loose fitting, otherwise the purpose will essentially be defeated. Protection: We would not be pursuing this product if protection wasn't a first thought. As someone pointed, we took inspiration from our RZR lacrosse glove. We beefed it up, and have put the gloves through industry standard protection testing. The gloves have passed with flying colors. We also have prototypes out in the marketing with elite youth and junior players. Release date: TBD... most likely May/June HPR2 Pro gloves: Improved four roll glove based off the HPR2. Releasing this Friday. I like to talk gear. Email me at ericb@stx.com if you'd like to shoot the shit.

This is actually relevant to the points I made with the TF9 comparison I made earlier. One of the most striking comments/observations my son made was, the second time he wore them (1st profile after the initial skate) was in an evaluation camp where he wore the TF9s for two back to back games. This was a risk, but his Makos were hurting his feet so bad we didn't think he could make it through two full games, so, wanted one game to adapt before leaving the final impression in the second game. He had played a game the day before and could barely skate at the end his feet were hurting so bad. As I noted in my comments up the thread, he looked observably faster to me. I could tell he was unsure in them and playing conservative so as not to trip over himself, but still, by the second game was rushing full ice and jumping in the O zone. Anyway, when he came out to the car, aside from the speed comment, he said he felt less tired after two games in the TF9s than one game in the Makos. Again, not sure where the energy losses were coming from, but there certainly were energy losses. The Mako is a pretty darn soft boot.

Not really Trigger 5 Pro 365 grams Jetspeed FT3 Pro 375 grams Halo 380 grams Tacks AS3 Pro 385 grams *advertised weights

Finally got around to stripping and anodizing my R1’s. Damn these look sick! Plan on painting the axles just to complete the murdered out look

Hit it with a heat gun about 2-3" away. That will tighten it up. You can fill the gap in with a paint pen if it bothers you.

I thought this was funny, knowing that we will be zooming the skate.

LOL

I last heard March

Thats the graphics but we all know Kane wont switch away from his standard stick. This is all I can find thats public knowledge: http://www.hockeyworldblog.com/2021/01/20/bauer-vapor-hyperlite-stick/

Thanks for sharing this. I thought the ranking of the FT2 was interesting, so much so that my LHS had them knocked down 40% on clearance and I luckily had a gift card to us so I picked one up (not that I needed a new stick but whatever). After a bit of usage, I concur that the stick is more "forgiving" when it comes to shooting. As was pointed out, you can still get a nice shot off even if your mechanics are off a bit or your balance isn't perfect. I own both Trigger 2s and 3Ds (low-kick) as well as Super Tacks 2.0 and Ultra Tacks (Mid). I find with the low-kick, you really have to grip hard and snap to get the most out of them, while I find with the mid-kick, your mechanics/follow-through need to be sound to really load up the shaft get the most out of those sticks. The FT2 seems to me anyways better able to handle a wider variety of in-game shooting opportunities. Which is sort of how it's marketed.

I agree that this site is the best resource. Chassis: Hi Lo, Flat, Marsblade O1 (more for ice training) and R1 (designed for playing inline) and the Sprung chassis are the main playing options. I have tried Hi Lo, Flat, the old Tuuk Rocker and Sprungs and definitely prefer Sprungs, but you do have to maintain them (and if you want them to last, it's better to use them indoors then outdoors). I haven't tried the Marsblade R1, but would if my Sprungs were shot and I couldn't buy another set of those. The Sprung creator is working on a more durable version called the Fizix, but there's no definitive information on if or when those will be released (just prototypes on FB that have been posted for 2-3 years now). There are more detailed threads here with detailed discussions on the Marsblade O1, R1 and Sprungs. Wheels: This depends on your weight and the surface you're playing on. For outdoors on Asphalt, the Labeda and Revison Asphalts are two that are regularly recommended. For smooth cement, Labeda Gripper yellows are wheels many players I know use for that surface. The best wheel I've used for Sport Court is the Konixx Pure (I use them in +2); the newer version of that is the Konixx Pure X (haven't tried that yet, but they're discussed in a wheel discussion thread). Personally, I spend the money on the good wheels for Sport Court, but just get the cheapest, hardest wheels I can find for outdoor use and if I'm ever on cement indoors I either use cheap wheels or very well used wheels that I've retired for Sport Court use. Bearings: Personally, I don't notice a huge difference in bearings as long as they're clean and spin. I've tried Swiss, Ceramic, Helo Quark, Abec 7, Abec 5 ect. In my opinion, either buy good bearings that have removable dust shields so you can clean and lube them on a regular basis or just buy the cheapest bearings you can find and replace them when they stop spinning smoothly. I notice a huge difference with high end vs. cheap wheels on Sport Court, but really don't notice a big difference with bearings. Some people swear by high end bearings though.

This is pretty much the best website you'll find. Other than that, look through IW and just read the marketing blurbs will give you some ideas of what's out there. The basic rundown is either all 80s, 76/80 hilo, and then Marsblade. Boots just whatever fits you for ice wood give you a good idea. Wheels depends on surface you're going to skate on. It's pretty straight forward honestly

It's all about finding the most shallow hollow that allows you to control your edges and maximize glide. Using too deep a hollow requires more energy to push off, leading to quicker muscle fatigue.

How well do those apx's fit? I mean, the scanner is dropping you down a full size while putting you in a boot with a bit more volume. That sort of sounds like you may have added length to those apx's to compensate for a lack of depth or proper width. Just a thought... Don't look at the scan as a definitive answer. It's a starting point and there is always a secondary fit option. You still need to spend time trying them to be sure.

Not surprised, but it is disheartening to hear regardless. I've helped out and worked the bench, but am by no means "coaching" my son. So this is my take as a parent. A lot of parents these days are CRAZY, Type-A, helicopter, win at all costs, my kid should never struggle or face adversity, aggressive MFers. That has included me a few times over the last 6 years of him playing. The best thing I've seen is coaches who call a parent meeting and lay all this stuff out ahead of the season really getting rolling or if you can't do that, create a code of conduct document everyone needs to sign and return to you that outlines things. A few best practices I've seen that could help are: Wait a minimum of 24 hours after a thought crosses your mind before discussing it. Gives the offended party time to reflect and be calm when discussing. Discussing ice time is off-limits. The coaches philosophy on the subject is... and the desired outcome is equal playing time over the course of the season, not game to game. Or if you are in a more competitive situation... you have to earn your ice time based on the following criteria... I think getting all this stuff out of the way up front can solve a lot of issues that pop up throughout the season. It may not avoid them all, but at least it will give folks food for thought before they pull you aside steamed up about some perceived injustice. The only place I see things needing to be immediately address is if there is a safety concern.

More of a "want to" than "have to" but, I used these for flop's sake. https://www.hockeyvancouver.ca/collections/skate-accessories/products/graf-g735-overload-hockey-skates-replacement-tongue-single?variant=12190196072517

Absolutely love it when you see pro's who are legit gear whores trying to track down stuff they want on Modsquad. Good luck this season @MCornell!

Hey gang. Shot in the dark here but any chance anyone has any/leads on tracking down a new pair of the old Bauer pro shoulders in Medium? Appreciate the help.

Not seeing the "x-ribs" we've seen in previous models.

Ive done this on a pair of TRUE and Bauer skates recently. It works well.

You could use CCM tongues and just drill two holes to accommodate the attachment clips. That would be the easiest and gives you multiple thickness options. You could also (or have it done) Speedy Stitch a set of Nash Super Sniper replacements or a set from a pair of donor skates of your choosing. Another option would be to remove the existing tongues, stitch or epoxy a tab of loop Velcro to the underside of the toe box and use True tongues.

Thats what I do.

I think of it this way, if you are driving straight down through the footbed, transferring force directly through the blade with no torque, stiffness of the sidewalls does’t come into play.

It's not one piece, if you look at it in full res. We've been through that song and dance at length just last year, with the speculations surrounding the mystery Kucherov skate, which ended up being the used McDonald's napkin UltraSonic. Bauer doesn't have to answer True, as they own the IP to the Mako, which is a first cousin of SVH's boots. It appears they simply don't have an interest in pursuing that avenue. Just as with the undressed UltraSonics, this new boot looks so much better than anything Bauer has squeezed out of its pipeline since the one95 that I wonder what is wrong with the world. I love that they went with the [PROTOTYPE] branding, just as STX did with their first sticks. That's the best looking stick since the Busch Balance series.

YES!!!! and people wonder why I preach about laces untied / lace free skating.

In general, roller boots are usually not as good as ice boots. In this case, the zoom air ice and roller boots were identical as far as I know. You would have no issue putting a holder on them. Now, when it comes to stiffness and protection, there's no way that going 25 years back in time is going to compare to today's options. Meaning, if you're looking at Zoom airs for the performance, you're barking up the wrong tree. If you want a cool retro skate for drop in and pond hockey, you'll be fine playing with these as long as they're in good condition

Well, that's a really good question. Based on this, I measured and..... they appear to be the same. I took his word for it about the height, but it looks like the height of the cuff from the base of the outsole is the same on both skates. Then, I measured the eyelets and with it down to the second hole on the TF9s, it appears to be lower by about a half an inch. *caveat: This is measuring with a tape measure assuming the bottom of the outsole on both skates represents where the bottom of his foot is. Still, it doesn't look like there can be much difference in height of the cuff and he probably is lacing them lower than he was on the Makos. He commented on how much stiffer the boot is on the TF than the Makos, so, maybe it's not the height of the cuff, but just the sfiffness of the cuff? So, now the question is,.... would the additional (-2) profile have fixed the issue and the new lacing pattern is just allowing him to adapt to the aggressive pitch? One more relevant point here is, last year he laced the Makos an eyelet lower. He was a freshman on the varsity team the coach told him to lace them one eyelet higher because it would make him faster to keep up with the older kids. So, with the new lacing on the TFs, he's back to where he was on the Makos one year ago, which is really friggin low.. if you've ever worn Makos, but faster in the TFs for whatever reason. Anyway, ..... I guess there is no difference in cuff height between the skates, just stiffness, but lower lacing helps, for whatever reason. Friggin skating........

I would dispute that with my credit card. I am NEVER an advocate of chargebacks being a business owner myself. However, the way they are handling this is bad. A good business will do whatever is needed to make a customer happy. At the very least, they should sell you a correct sized mask for "cost."

He uses the 033 which is the TotalOne construction

I thought Kane uses a One95 still...? Isn't he like the prime example of that guy? Maybe he moved to the 1x at some point? But I don't ever recall him with the elliptical taper on the recent vapors

Welcome to the world of podiatrists, everyone has a viewpoint on pronation and there isn't a lot of consensus / knowledge wrt to feet in hockey skates. At least you recognise that orthotics aren't the only answer so that weeds out 99% of the bs artists that want to sell you an orthotic so they can make money from it. There are NHL players that pronate and skate really heavily on their inside edges, pronation isn't the only limiting factor to you becoming a good player. And your dad is right, there is no miracle or quick fix, orthotics, shims, wedges, holder movement are just band aids on the problem. All of the research that I have been / still am involved in consistently proves that there is a long term viable solution to fixing pronation in skates, learn to skate laces untied / lace free. Yes, you take a hit in your development over the next year or so as you learn the base skills to do it and then over the next year as your body learns to control the skates at high speed and then even another year as you learn to refine all that has come before to a consistent high level but... at the end of that time you will not pronate in skates, ever again. Period. You said you "wanted to keep on working harder" then this is what you have to do, it WILL fix your pronation and at the end of the process you will have the skill base to be the best skater you can possibly be.

That shipping cost for some thin film is ridiculous. They need to find a new shipping company. I can ship a bundle of sticks from AZ to Quebec for less.

Easton e700 are super light and breathable, as are the old stealth s9 and S19 if you can find a new one.

I was just thinking of the boom of composite sticks and shafts I saw during my time in youth and high school hockey. What were some of the random brands breaking into the industry that you tried out? ProKennex - these were either kevlar or carbon fiber shafts but didn't have any consistency as far as flex. I think they were a tennis racket company. I'd bought more than one, some were extremely whippy, some were stiff as could be Quad Force - I'm pretty sure these were some sort of reinforced fiberglass.

I definitely remember Tony Twist skating with a ProKennex....not sure how much use it got though, lol...Always wanted one when I was younger BC of him..

I have been using Hoapa sticks for the last 14 months now, logging a decent amount of time with them in roller and some on ice as well. I really like them mostly because of the customization options (don’t need to cut them when I receive them, just tape and go, and I love “sharkskin” style blades). It’s nice to get a stick that’s already just how I want it. I’ve placed two orders now, the first sticks lasted quite some time (one snapped on my first shot after I got a nasty hack on shaft in a net front battle). Performance wise they have been great for me, particularly inline. Feel like my shots come off really well. Durability seems to be ok, obviously the one that broke wasn’t necessarily all on the stick, but my other one also has a nasty chip from being skated on, but can’t say that wouldn’t happen to another stick as well. Haven’t used the new sticks yet, but they seem slightly different materials, so I’ll see when I get some action in next. May just be a change in the graphics overlays. My plan is to keep using them, at least for inline, once rinks open up and things calm down. For best value I’ll buy two every Cyber Monday as they have great deals then.

I used the full stick and not the 2 pieces. They are decent for the price but don't compete with the top stick companies or Prostockhockeysticks. But if you want the P91 blades I don't see a huge issue with it? Just know they won't compete with the best of the best.

I skate on 7/8" when using standard width steel and 1 5/8" on Flare and have no issues moving people. You just have to use more force to dig your edge into the ice. The depth of the hollow doesn't really change how much leverage/force you can generate, it just requires you to push harder into the ice. If you use a flatter hollow don't push harder into the ice you will sit on top of the ice instead of sinking in.

The older STEP was very short, as you mentioned, the new steel is much taller but not quite the same quality. TRUE will have genuine DLC coming to market soon enough and it will be tall so profiling it won't remove much material. The good news is the holders are taller than other brands so having shorter steel won't matter as much and there is some weight savings as well.

The real issue with this sort of testing is players tend to base their comments of a comparison to their current stick. That's a moving target and offers little to no baseline. What you should try to do is get testers to use a "control" stick before testing, something you know. All comments and opinions should be made in comparison to the control.

indeed is the ft4 stick to go along with the ft4 skates. only a matter of weeks till the ft5 twigs come out

Couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw this for sale on SLS. Blade isn’t in the greatest shape but I really didn’t care

Noticed a brand new size 6D mako ii on eBay for anyone interested. https://www.ebay.com/itm/324435179553 Edit: Sold

I get the business end of this but at the same time screw Bauer. As someone who was a kid when Bilt-Rite/Mission started to seeing it evolve and eventually make its way into the NHL only to be bought up and basically shuttered by Bauer is just depressing. Mission was always a great brand pushing the evolution and functionality with their equipment and they always had an edgy marketing approach & a design aesthetic that defined inline/roller hockey.

Combat OPS.

Does Mylec count? Only brand to this day where you could change your PM9 to a P28 within the same shift with a quick stomp of the sneaker. Still waiting for someone to match that tech.

All aboard! Jumping on the konixx pure train here. I’ve owned a number of other wheels, mostly labeda, and their performance is better then all those. Also very noteable, they do not crack for me anywhere near as easy as other wheels have, so they’ve lasted longer.

I have a really wide head and have really struggled finding a helmet that fits. I currently wear a Reebok 4k which works well, but I just tried on the CCM 3DS which was freaking amazing. I tried all the other cheaper CCM ones and none worked, but the 3DS was THE most comfortable helmet I have ever tried. Downside , one of the most expensive ones out there.