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These beauty's came today.

Heard a story from my area manager about Evgeny Kuznetsov going into the Rockville Pure Hockey and buying a pair of 3XPro skates because he "doesn't like the stiffness of the Hyperlites." Didn't believe they would actually see game action, and then I see this from today. 3XPro, Carbonlite steel. This guy really is one of us. Apparently he also buys 40-50 rolls of Renfrew tape at a time because he likes "the green core tape" lmao

Those are sweet!!!

Nice find. I guess he can afford to pay retail.

You'll gain a few mm after baking and break in with the 7 Fit 2 Supremes, but if you need more than a few mm then I understand not going that route. It sounds like the 7 wide were too roomy, but that also suggests they're the right length, but too wide. So, it kind of confirms that 7 is the right length for CCM and Bauer. The True skates open up quite a bit after baking and several hours of skating. For me, 7.5W felt perfect before baking (and I scan as a 7.5 Fit 3 for Bauer and also use 8EE Easton Makos) with my toes just brushing. The 7W felt way too tight with my toes very hard against the cap, but not bent. After baking they were still a bit tight, but after about 10 hours of use my toes just lightly brush. If you go through the TF7/TF9 thread, you'll see others had similar experiences with the True retail skates. The hockeyreviews.ca YouTube video on the TF9 sizing by our own @Hills is also very helpful. With the True retail models, if you go with the size that feels perfect pre-bake they'll likely end up being too big after baking and breaking them in. Most people end up going down a half size in True retails from Bauer or CCM and some even had to go down a full size. I know you aren't a fan of their appearance anyway, so they'd probably be your last choice if the other options don't work out. If the X2.9s don't work out, trying 7D SuperTacks seems reasonable due to the 90 day guarantee.

Thanks alt. The 7 Fit 2, x2.9 do feel great, and I’m guessing for the reasons you laid out. I do have a 7 “wide” CCM FT485 due to arrive today. So I’ll throw those on and see how they feel. I have a feeling they’ll be too wide all around though. I did try on a Supreme 3s in a 7, Fit 2 and my toes were pushed against the ends of the caps more than what I was comfortable with. I’m still curious to see how the Supreme 7.5 3s feels (they didn’t have it). I also tried on a True TF7 in a 7.5 and a 7, the 7 seemed to be the ticket, toes brushing but felt a bit too roomy in the forefoot area. Had an odd hotspot on top of my foot that I hadn’t felt in a CCM or Bauer. 6.5 would have felt too cramped lengthwise for me. I don’t like my toes against the ends of the caps at all. But out of everything I’ve tried on thus far, the x2.9 just feels like an all around natural fit, no if’s ands or buts about it. Snug, yet not cramped. No hot spots and not pushing against the end of the toe caps. The size 7-D 9380 SuperTacks feel similar but had hot spots in the arch area and more of a cramped than snug feeling all around…which I’d expect to settle in nicely once broken in. Toe area felt great in them, on par with the x2.9s. Thanks again for your input and I’ll keep you guys posted on what I decide on.

Tydan is very good. High quality steel. Just as good as STEP. If you want a high quality traditional style of steel, this is a good option. Massive is bad, the steel has too high of a tensile strength and tends to break/snap. Stay away. RamonEdge is very good. High quality steel. Just as good as STEP. Its slightly thicker than Tydan and STEP, roughly 3.1xmm vs 2.9xmm which can make it difficult to fit in holders. Bladetech is good steel. Sharpens nicely. Holds a good edge. Overall a high quality steel. It comes with a triple radius profile out of the box which some like. I personally didn't not feel the "flex force" spring effect. None of the customers that I have sold Bladetech to said they felt the "flex force" spring effect. Bauer Pulse and Pulse TI steel are also very good. Not as good as some of these other options but significantly better than the LS5. Have you considered Flare or XC Blade?

Hello, After a decade hiatus from hockey (and hockey gear nerding, I still remember doing the Easton toy drive and getting that yellow synergy grip!), I moved back to Minnesota and picked up the sport again this winter and have been hitting outdoor rinks most evenings. Connected with some old friends to do a spring league and am pumped! I had some trouble buying gear and felt a little out of my element, but just bought some basic stuff so I could start playing. I had a few questions regarding advancements to the gear that I was confused by when purchasing. 1) Stick curves - I played most of my life (kid, high school and club college) using a heel curve, Easton Drury. I picked up a Bauer stick in P28 and am struggling to adjust. What's the reason behind the huge migration towards toe curves? Finding my shots frequently sail and it's difficult to elevate on the backhand. Are toe curves objectively better in some way? 2) Skate Stiffness/Models - I went to my LHS and tried on a bunch of skates and ended up in Supreme 3S for the time being. Is the difference between the whole Bauer Supreme line esssentially stiffness in the high-end models? I found that sort of odd, but he was adament the only difference between S37, 3S, 3S Pro, Ultrasonic was the boot stifness and potentially some weight. 3) Sparx/Skate Sharpening - This seems like a cool device, is this pretty much the standard nowadays rather than a human? I had my skates sharpened to 5/8 and boy did they feel closer to 1/2 or more. Thank you! Formerly MN D Game way back on the old forums (and maybe this one). Also, if you bought some Jofa shin pads and 2 pairs of custom Sandy nylon gloves in 2012 at a garage sale in Minneapolis, there is reward for returning those

It is. I need to size down. Sucks. Bauer and warrior I find have gotten bigger vs years past. Ccm I'm still a 14 though. For now. The ft1 is nice and fitted. But it does loosen up over time like all.gloves as the padding packs in a bit. You can find ft1s on clearance/sale online too. Especially in Canada

You probably need a 13 with fingers extended in that case. If you have long fingers but want a tight fitting glove then I think ft1 pro stock is the way to go as the fingers are extended 1/4"I believe

I had the retail 2s Pro gloves, not the pro stock version. While it's a difficult place to get hit. I was a bit disappointed by the coverage in that area. To be fair, it wasn't the sole reason why I started looking at other gloves. Gloves tend to feel bulky once they break in. It doesn't help that I need a 14 or my fingers are busting out of the ends.

2S Pro retail protection is okay but not top notch anymore since they removed the plastic inserts and Poron backhand padding. There is a reason the NHL gloves still have the plastic inserts.

I'm with you in missing the heel curves. I'd check out pro stock options (Sideline Swap, Prostockhockey, etc.) or try Prostockhockeysticks.com, which (last I recall) was selling both a Drury and a Lidstrom clone (and also allows for custom orders). As others have noted, I think the turn to toe curves is a product of shifts in shooting styles, and - as time goes by - perhaps also a shift in what people grew up using or what they see the pros using. To me, it's not dissimilar to what's happened with stick flexes, where shops used to stock 85, 100, and 105/110, and now those numbers have gone down markedly, with sticks in the 70s all over the place. I'd say try out the toe curves, whippy sticks, etc. and see if you like them. If not, it's gotten a lot easier to find pro stock options online that offer specs less common at retail. (With the important caveat that more options online also means more sellers who might not be trustworthy.)

With respect to curves, either get used to a new one or fight the trends via custom, pro-stock, two-pieces, etc. It just got to annoying for me to find PM9s so I transitioned to an 88. As far as why the push to toe curves, the old man in me will shake my fist on the porch and drone on about kids these days just wanting to toe drag and then go bar down in tight to the net. The pragmatist in me will just adjust to a new curve and then be sure to duck if I'm behind the net and a young gun is winding up in the slot.

http://www.ushsho.com/forums/viewforum.php?f=40 If you don't make the school team, Junior Gold is the main alternative as far as I know. Nothing really to be worried about, there's plenty of teams/leagues out there.

Try a P92 (Bauer) curve, the elevation thru the mid blade and toe might be closer to the Drury you used to use. My reasoning for toe curves is you provide a flatter surface for your passing but the shot slings off the toe for elevation in close. For boots it's not just the stiffness, they are made of different material (the stiffer the boot the more carbon fiber it has in it) and have other upgrades such as the tongue and a comfort edge and the steel. There are pluses and minuses to a Sparx but as long as the operator knows what they are doing, it removes the risk of uneven edges and uneven pressure from the operator (which leads to a ruined profile over time).

Ah... 49 year old me has no idea who Twin Peaks Laura Palmer is. 16 year old me definitely knows who the other Laura Palmer is.

I had to Google that name...I don't...uh... My name is a reference to a TV show called Twin Peaks.

Where is your tongue positioned? The further down the less volume you’ll have. You can gain more volume by moving it higher or using a thinner tongue. I have one pair with the retail TF9 tongue and move it slightly lower. Another pair has the old custom felt tongue and I move it higher.

Yes and no. It has some weak points like the side of your hand and pinky finger. I took a puck there and felt every bit of it. Could be me being a little overly cautious seeing how I've broken that bone in the past. It's not a common place to get hit either.

Good to know about the Trues! I’m actually warming up to them as I’ve looked more into them. I’ll have to see if Hockey Monkey has a 6.5 in either the TF7 or TF9. I have been looking in that thread here this past week, and also watched Hills’ video on them (I sub to his channel). Luckily Pure Hockey and Hockey Monkey are only 30 minutes away from me respectively. PH doesn’t have any True skates in stock, but HM does. Since True has the 30 day guarantee in place, might as well try them. I am playing twice a week so that should give me some time to try a few skates out.

Well, as I thought the 7 Wide FT485’s were too wide all over. I could wiggle my forefoot side-to-side a bit. Back to IceWarehouse they go. I’ll be skating in the x2.9’s tomorrow for a game of pickup. Not sure if I should even bother trying the SuperTacks in the 7D as well as the Supreme 3S in a 7.5 Fit 2. At least with the SuperTacks I have the 90 day trial period. (Pure Hockey does offer 30 days though on Bauer) Such a mission, lol.

From the information you've provided in various posts, I think the Vapor X2.9 in a 7 Fit 2 may work well for you. You said your current 7EE Vapors fit well, but are a little shallow near the 4th and 5th eyelet. Well, Fit 2 is supposed to be a similar width to a Vapor EE or Supreme D, with a depth more like the Supreme D (which is a bit deeper than a Vapor EE). So, on paper a 7 Fit 2 would be better for you. The CCM skates sizing was realigned around 2017 to fit the same as Bauer lengthwise. If you're a 7 Bauer, then you're more than likely a 7 in a CCM made after 2017. In the D/EE CCM sizing, the Jetspeed was a narrow skate and would be closer to a D Vapor than a EE. So, a 7.5D Jetspeed FT485 would be a width too narrow and a half size too long if your EE Vapors fit well besides the depth. They may not feel like they're too long because a skate that's too narrow will compress and elongate your foot. So, if you wanted to try the Jetspeed FT485, you'd likely be better off with a 7EE in that skate and not a 7.5EE. It's true that the scanner is just a starting point, but the fact that you were 7 Fit 1 and then 6.5 Fit 1 and you currently wear a 7 makes it likely that a 7.5 is too long. It's generally not a good idea to go longer to deal with width or depth issues. The good news is, the Vapor X2.9 size 7 Fit 2 you already have may really work well for you. If they don't, then trying a 7EE Jetspeed FT485 or a 6.5R True TF7/TF9 would likely be the next best options in my opinion. A 7.5 in Bauer or CCM or a 7 in True would likely be too long after baking and break in (they might feel like the right length before that, especially if they're too narrow).

I scored some FT1 pro stocks last night. Hopefully they fit how I want and offer a bit more protection than 2S Pro's.

I find the FT1 gloves are really narrow. I use QL and they fit smaller I feel. The new covert seem more boxy than the previous line or maybe it’s just me.

https://www.aliexpress.com/ Search hockey sticks.....quite interesting what one can get and then re-sell as pro stock or other.

Close lol. I wanna know for 2 reasons but one of them is I’ve seen hockey stick phone cases and wanna try to make one bc I think $35 is a little too much

I was able to pick up a Jetspeed FT3 Team stick at retail for <$80 CAD before tax, (and I got a warranty). I can't think of a single good reason to buy "team build" sticks off some shady dude on SLS. If you're going to insist on buying prostock sticks, buy them from a reputable seller.

Just sold some FT1 pro stock...too narrow and tight for me. You might like them.

Sometimes pro stock sticks are heavier (or lighter) as per that particular player's spec (as was mentioned). I always ask for a weight. Have also found flex to feel different on some pro stocks (if so...usually stiffer). There's a fantastic variety of gear available, but...you have to be a lot more knowledgeable. Cost/benefit...as with everything. SidelineSwap is AWESOME with support...at least in my experience.

Bit of a side tangent from the original poster's Q, but if someone was looking to pick up a pair of pro stock HP45s with all the "XTRA" padding that can be found on some models - Just weighed my Jets Mediums and they are a whopping 2.04 Kg (~4.5 lbs) dry and take on a lot of sweat during play. Make sure you know what protection package the pants you're picking up have.

I think there’s a huge shortage in __________. And you can put whatever product you want into that space.

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