althoma1

If you're fine with locked thumbs and love the 11K cuff then I'd just stick with 11K/HG12/HG14's. They're very nice gloves.

I agree that the 11k/HG12 gloves are great. The only thing I personally don't love is that a lot of them don't come with a flex thumb (which is why you see a lot of cut thumb loops). If you really don't need the flex cuff, but want to try something new that has a tight fit in the fingers and backhand, but opens up in the cuff and has a flex thumb; I highly recommend Pro STX Surgeon 500 gloves; there are a few available at reasonable prices on SLS. Otherwise, I'd just stick to 11k's, but would personally look for a pair with a flex thumb (there are some pro stock 11k/HG12 that do have the flex thumb).

I enjoyed watching the bubble hockey as well. Some of the results were expected and others were surprises. A friend asked me who I thought would be in the finals and who would win before the tournament started. I said Colorado and Tampa with Tampa winning, but that also assumed that Tampa had Stamkos (and Colorado wasn't down to their third string goalie). I kind of wish I would've put money on that, but the odds probably weren't that astronomical anyway - everyone knows Tampa is superbly talented. Dallas and Tampa are helped by their state tax situation; they can offer players lower salaries than teams in tax heavy states and provinces. Of course, the same is true of the Florida Panthers and they didn't make it out of the play in rounds. I still think some kind of "after tax" cap would be more fair, but it'd also be very complicated.

The heel felt tighter than my 8EE Mako's on both the 7.5W and 8W TF9's I tried on. It was the toe box and forefoot that felt a bit wider/bigger.

If you go through the Mako thread, the majority of people went with the same size Makos as Bauer's. Some people went up a half size and some down a half size and then there were outliers with more variation than that. I haven't owned a Bauer or CCM skate in over a decade. I know I had some 8D Flexlite's coverted for roller that maybe had a hair more length than ideal and I know that when I demoed Supreme's at a Modsquad event (I think it was the TotalOne), 7.5EE seemed to be the right length, but was tight in the toe box and I had a bit of heel lift. So if the Bauer sizing is the same as back then, perhaps I would be the same size Bauer's as True's. All I can confirm for sure is that True retail skates fit a half size larger than Mako's for my feet.

I don't need new skates right now, but I was near a store that carried them and it was early in the morning when it was dead; so I asked to try on a couple sizes. I tried on the TF9 in 7.5W and 8W. I currently wear 8EE Mako II's with my toes feathering the cap and right to the end of the insoles. Well, @Hills, @SkateWorksPNW and everyone else who said they fit a half size larger than most brands are correct IMHO. In the 8W, I couldn't feel the end of the cap at all with my left foot and could barely touch with my big toe on my right foot if I really tried. When I stood on the 8W footbed, there was about 5mm of space after my toes. Despite them being a bit long they still locked my heel in well when walking around and felt pretty comfortable even unbaked, but I knew they were too long. With the 7.5W my toes brushed the cap on both feet and when I took out the footbeds and put my feet on them there was no space at the end of the footbed. Overall, the 7.5W felt like it was a bit wider in the forefoot and toe box than my 8EE Mako II's even unbaked - not sloppy, but not as tight as the Mako II's and the toe box is also a bit taller than the Makos. My first impression was they're similar to Mako's, but I wish they used the Mako toe box and the 7.5W used a 272mm holder instead of 263mm. When it's time for my next roller conversion it's highly likely I'll get a 7.5W True retail if I can't find a new old stock or barely used Mako II, M8 or M7 in 8EE (which at this point is highly unlikely). Unbaked the True's felt better on my feet than any of the Bauer or CCM boots I have tried on.

I use the E700 for ice and roller and actually think the ventilation is pretty good. The pads do soak up quite a bit of sweat; so you definitely have to air it out/put it on a dryer. I feel it breathes better than my old Bauer IMS 7.0; the Bauer didn't retain the sweat in the padding though. Having said that, the new CCM Super Tacks X does look super breathable. The structure of the foam on the Super Tacks X seems like it would be lighter than the average high end helmet and way more breathable, but I doubt it'll approach the weight of the E700. I hope I'm wrong though. I think the companies are more focused on protection than weight. I'm not saying the E700 isn't protective; I think the protection in the E700 is solid if it fits you well as I've been hit in the head hard with a slap shot while wearing an E700 and it cracked the helmet, but I didn't get a concussion or even any bruising. I retired that helmet and replaced it with another E700. I just think the primary focus on new helmet designs is protection and not weight and they're willing to add weight if they believe it will be more protective. It'd be great if another company produced a protective helmet that's as light or lighter than the E700.

For skates that are hopefully going to last you several years it could be worth making a day trip (probably 5+ hours of your time between driving and trying things on at the store) to make sure you have the right size. I know that's a pain, but sometimes spending the time and effort upfront is worthwhile long term.

@SkateWorksPNW confirmed for me that 7.5W TF9 and TF7 skates use 263mm holders. 8EE Mako II skates use 272mm holders. @Hills and others have suggested that True retail skates fit a half size larger than other brands; so the 7.5W Trues and 8EE Makos may fit similar lengthwise, but unfortunately do use different holder sizes. I know Bauer sizes up with their holders in EE half sizes (7.5EE Bauers have 272mm holders), but True doesn't. I will of course attempt to find 7.5W and 8W skates in store to try on before buying or order both sizes from a place with easy free returns. I would be happy if the 8W fits due to the 272mm holders, but like to have my toes feather the cap; so won't go with the 8W if my toes can't touch the cap. My dream scenario would be to attend a Modsquadhockey event where a True rep has demo stock on hand and I could actually bake both sizes and skate in them.

I like to have two pairs of skates as well. One to ref and one to play. Sometimes I play after reffing tournament games all day and it's great to be able to put on dry skates. As mentioned, it also gives you a backup pair in case one pair breaks or needs repair. I definitely like that a skate similar to Makos is available without having to pay custom prices. I do wish the sizing was the same as if I have to drop down from 8EE to 7.5EE that also means getting used to a smaller holder size or paying to get 272mm holders installed on the 7.5EE. My Mako II stockpile should last a few more years; maybe by then a new model will be out that has consistent sizing vs. most other brands. If not, I would still buy one of the current models as the holder size difference is only a minor annoyance. Maybe I will just buy the Trues for future roller conversions and save my remaining Mako II skates for ice.

See the post above. This suggests to me that the TF7 and TF9 boots are the same shape and length, but the TF7 feels smaller due to the thicker tongue.

As Miller55 said, it's personal preference. My preference is to have the bottom of the palm of my hand line up to the bottom of the palm of the glove (so the bottom palm seam would be just under the bottom of the palm of my hand) and to have my fingers just brushing the end of the gussets of the glove. If I can't brush the ends of the gussets and the palm of the gloves is a cm below the palm of my hand then the gloves feel big and sloppy to me. If my fingers are pressing through the gussets or the end of the glove palm is a cm above the palm of my hand then the gloves feel too small. Then there's the issue of where the glove cuffs meet your elbow pads. Fortunately, the 14" Surgeon 500 gloves I use now fit like I prefer and the cuff and my elbow pads just barely brush, but don't interfere with each other. The Hockeymonkey glove sizing page says: If you want to know how to measure hockey gloves precisely, there's a quick two-step process to determine your correct hockey glove size. Start by measuring the distance between the base of your palm and the top of your middle finger. Take that number and double it. This will give you accurate, proper hockey glove sizing. For example, if the measurement is seven inches, you should purchase size 14 hockey gloves. If you measure seven and a half inches, look for size 15 hockey gloves. If I measure from the base of my palm to the end of my middle finger it's about 8 inches. The info above would suggest I should be using 16" gloves (which I've NEVER seen and am sure I'd be swimming in), but almost every glove I've ever used has been 14". I did try a 13.5" glove once, but then sold them as my fingers were bursting through the gussets - one slash on a finger tip confirmed that it wasn't safe to go that small. In 15" gloves my fingers are about a half a cm below the ends of the gussets in most models. That could probably work, but I like to be able to just brush the ends of the gussets with most or all my fingers. Another glove sizing guide, http://newtohockey.com/complete-hockey-gloves-guide/, suggests: Hockey gloves are measured in (usually whole) inches. 13, 14, and 15” are usually considered adult sizes, while anything smaller is junior or youth. This length represents the distance from the bend in your inner elbow to the base of your fingers. Although this may seem like a strange way of measuring, it is a legacy from when hockey gloves were much longer than they are today. When I measure from the bend in my inner elbow to the base of my palms, it measures exactly 14". So that way of measuring does match up with the glove size I prefer to use. That page goes on to say: When trying gloves on, make note of a few things for fit. If possible, spend some time shooting and stickhandling with a stick while doing this. You should have about ¼” of space in the fingertips, and when you curl your hand into a fist, they shouldn’t stretch out the material connecting the palm to the glove at the tips. The breaks in the fingers should be comfortable, and should line up fairly well with your knuckles. This can vary from brand to brand, so try everything on! The wrist break should line up with your wrist on the underside. Note from coach Jeremy (I like mobility in my gloves, my typical test is being able to give the middle finger and a thumbs up) You don't want your fingers going past the end of the gussets as that does pose a safety hazard. At the same time, I generally don't leave 1/4" of space at the end of the fingers, maybe a mm or two at most. The knuckle and wrist breaks do line up well for me on my 14" Surgeons and the palm of the glove aligns with the palm of my hand, but all my fingers with the exception of the pinky are right at the end of the gussets (not bursting through, but just touching the end). Based on the sizing info I've read, the general guides would suggest I should wear 15" gloves, but I prefer 14" gloves. And I'm far from a pro, but I've seen way more 13" and 14" pro stock gloves than 15" gloves; so I don't think I'm the only one who sizes down from the general rules of thumb. While I have discovered you can go too small, I haven't had protection issues with 14" gloves.

Actually, in Toronto, almost all adult ice hockey is run out of private rinks like Canlan and Buckingham Sports. There are smaller leagues run out of community rinks, but the vast majority is run out of private rinks by the companies that own the rinks. The public rinks in the city are used for minor hockey, figure skating, public skating and have some rental times. The roller leagues in the area tend to use public rinks. Mississagua, Halton, Ajax and Thornhill use public rinks in the spring/summer when there's no ice. Halton and Mississauga lay down the Sport Court they own in April and pull it out in July. Ajax and Thornhill (BFHL) just play on cement. Toronto Inline usually plays on cement in the spring summer, but for winter seasons there is a year round city owned Sport Court they use. The draft non-profit league uses the year round city owned Sport Court.

The Mississauga and Halton leagues have youth divisions and those are two of the leagues in the Greater Toronto Area that have steady enrollment numbers and the highest levels of play. That's despite the fact that they're two of the more expensive leagues. The other league with good numbers is the draft non-profit league due to the price (it's way cheaper than anything else in the area, but it's just run at cost and players volunteer to ref and TK games to keep the cost low). Leagues like the BFHL in Thornhill and Toronto Inline have seen declining numbers. They don't have youth leagues and are middle of the pack price wise, but tend to rely on the same group of players returning.

It varies by league: Mississauga- $2800 for 30+ and Silver divisions or $367.25 for individuals with tax. $2290 for Platinum/Gold. I believe it's 12 games for Platinum/Gold and 13 for the other divisions. I have only reffed here in the past. Usually they have a boxing day special where you can save $50 if you register and pay early. It runs from late April till late July or did in the pre-COVID times. They have 2 certified refs, a TK, real time stats, music between stoppages and play on a nice Sport Court with a puck. The top division has Junior and College players and us probably the best roller hockey in the GTA. Toronto Inline- Either uses Sport Court or smooth cement depending on the season. Approximately $250 per player for 12-14 games. They don't have real time stats, sometimes have 2 and sometimes have 1 ref and sometimes the owners or league members TK from the bench. They primarily play with a ball, but have had puck divisions in the past. It's mixed skill, but doesn't hold a candle to Mississauga. East End Saints in Ajax- play on smooth cement with a puck. 2 refs and a TK. $230 for 15 games or $430 for 30 games if a player plays in 2 divisions. I played it one year, but the drive is tough for the early evenings. Mixed skill. Solid league. GTA Inline- invite only mixed skill draft league on Sport Court with a ball. About $12 a game per player. Volunteer refs and TK. Not for profit. I was playing here before Covid. York Inline - RIP. Shut down a few years ago. Played here for years. Was on Sport Court with a puck, 2 refs and a TK, and was approximately $250 per player for around 14 games. BFHL in Thornhill- On cement with a puck. $355 per player for 18 games. 2 refs and a TK. Mixed skill. The floor is slick, but also slow (have only reffed here, but don't love the surface). My preference is Sport Court with a puck, but the draft league struck the right balance of location and price and the teams are usually pretty balanced with the draft. Mississauga is a great league, but I don't want to spend an hour driving there for 1 game. I used to occasionally ref 4 or 5 game shifts, but I stopped even doing that due to the traffic and commute time.

Until I was 13, I primarily played pond hockey, street hockey and roller hockey outdoors in parking lots or behind schools (I played one organized season of ice hockey when I was 7). I played a variety of sports as a kid and although I was probably better at some others; hockey was always my favourite. It was expensive though and I knew my parents didn't have a lot of extra money. I started a paper route at 11 and saved up to buy better skates and then managed to save enough to buy a whole kit of used equipment at 13. Then I started playing organized ice hockey at 13 as well as on the pond in the winter, but still only played street and roller outdoors in the summer. Eventually, when I was 16, I joined an organized inline league. I always enjoyed pond hockey the most, but roller hockey was a close second. No offsides, no icing, no dump and chase and no one was trying to take your head off. I liked that you had more time and space with the puck and didn't have to worry about stopping at a blue line if a teammate wasn't moving the puck. I like the control and glide of ice skates, but the rules of the inline game. 4 on 4 ice hockey with no offsides or icing would be ideal for me (the ASHL is having 4 on 4 ice with COVID, but you still have offsides and icing - it's just a floating line. Once you gain the blue line then the offensive zone expands to the red line...so closer to roller than regular ice hockey, but still not the same rules). With the standard ice and inline rules, I actually prefer inline to ice (even though I like skating on ice better. The Sprung chassis I use for inline helps, but using actual blades on ice is still a better skating experience). The price of inline was definitely appealing when I started. Inline was basically half the price of ice, but over the years I've found the price of the for profit inline leagues has crept up and there really isn't a huge gap in price per game for most leagues in my area anymore (with the exception of one non-profit draft league I play in, but that's not a fair comparison).

I agree that it's a good comparison. Also, in case you didn't realize, that YouTuber "Hockey Reviews" is @Hills on this forum.

The Leaside Sport Chek is one of the two closest to my condo and that's the one I checked. That's where I bought a pair of my Mako II's; so thought they might carry them, but they don't. I didn't see the TF9 and TF7 when I looked at the Pro Hockey Life site the other day. Maybe I didn't search well enough or maybe they added them recently. I do see them now, but don't see any mention of the rebate.

The big box retailers in Toronto don't seem to be carrying them. I checked a local Sport Chek that carries high end equipment and they don't carry them. They aren't on National Sports or Pro Hockey Life's websites. As mentioned earlier in the thread, they're available via HockeySupremacy online and I've seen them advertised via social media at Majer Hockey and Just Hockey, but they don't have mass availability in my area yet; you have to either go to the smaller shops (which tend to be more knowledgeable about fitting anyway; so that's not a bad thing) or order online. Not a big deal for me if I'm going to buy some at some point, however; some people go to places like National, Pro Hockey Life and Sport Chek to buy and might not pop into the smaller shops; so may not even realize that the True retail skates are an option.

There should be new Mission skates coming out in the next 6 months (The FZ was launched Feb 2019; so I am guessing Feb 2021 for the new line). I would check out the long True TF9/TF7 thread here. Those just came out and have a rebate deal until September 4. Also, please let us know how the R1 compares to the Sprung once you've used it a few times.

Yeah, gear nerds like us will watch and read reviews to see if a product actually performs well. Kids want what looks cool and they think will impress their friends.

Bauer did have a flexible tendon guard before the Mako, however; one could argue that the assymetrical toe boxes they're now starting to use are at least reminiscent of, and possibly inspired by, the Mako. I know the toe caps aren't the same, but it's a similar concept.

I dropped by a local Sport Chek yesterday that had some of the new Code V gear. (I was actually there because I wanted to see if they carried the True T9 or T7 skates; they did not). They had the new Code V girdle/shell combo: https://www.sportchek.ca/categories/shop-by-sport/hockey/protective-equipment/hockey-pants/product/sherwood-code-v-pro-girdle-with-shell-senior-hockey-pants-333141853.html#333141853=333141853_01 I didn't try it on as I wasn't planning to buy one and wanted to minimize my contact with the product, but in store they just look like regular pants as they had the shell on. I did feel some of the padding and the front of the thigh felt protective (I used hand sanitizer before and after touching the product), but the side of the thigh didn't feel very protective. They had the Warrior QRE Edge girdle in the same store. This girdle doesn't include the shell and stands out for this reason - it just looks cooler. The same thigh side padding felt more protective on the Warrior girdle. Based on looks and feel alone (without trying either on) I would definitely lean toward the Warrior. The Sherwood was $199.99 with the shell and the Warrior was $159.99 without the shell. I didn't see the elbows in store (although I did see them in Hills Youtube review of the Code V stick and they kind of remind me of my current and favourite pads of all time; the 2012 Warrior Projects), but based on the online US price and the information I've seen, these could be a good value. I saw the shoulders. They looked light and mobile. I didn't look at the price. The top end gloves look solid, but at $199.99 they were close in price to other top end options (and there are of course discontinued top end models from other brands for much less or pro return options). I think $200 on Sherwood gloves is a tough sell if they aren't way better than other options. The second from the top option, on sale, might have better traction. They didn't have any senior shins. They only had the junior shins and they looked nice. They were $80, if the senior versions aren't much more then they could be a good value. So overall I think the elbows, shins and shoulders could do alright and be good value buys. I think the girdle/shell combo, top end gloves and stick are in tough at their price points. I do know that Canadian Tire sends out VIP codes a few times a year (primarily to their credit card holders, but also to other clubs and groups) that allows you to buy things at cost plus X percentage. The discount with those codes usually works out to 30% to 40% off for other brands (and sometimes exclude elite Bauer product ect.), but is steeper for house brands. Those who know that might seek out Sherwood products for this reason. During a sale last year it allowed me to pick up an M90 stick for $130 (regularly $270); so over 50% off. That only effects people with those codes who realize that the house brands get steeper discounts and want to maximize value though. I think the Canadian Tire Corporation tried pushing Hespeler and Winnwell as house brands with very little reach outside of thier stores. It does seem like they're making a bit more of a marketing push this time, but it's a tough battle. I think having more options is good for the consumer; so I do wish them well.

I'm not stating it as fact. That's just my perception based on what I've seen and read. When I see steel coming loose in games on TV it's almost always from Bauer Edge holders. I do concede that part of that is because they're the most used holder in the NHL. I believe they're the most used holder in the NHL because they were the first major brand to release a quick release holder (QuickBlade was out first, but they don't have the following Bauer does) and a lot of NHL players grew up playing on Bauer skates so they trust the brand. Once the equipment managers stocked up on the Edge holders it's easier for them to just get as many players on that system as possible. I've also read about the Edge holders getting some play in them after being used by heavier players who skate aggressively. I have never used them; so my opinion is only based on what I've seen and read. I'm content to keep trucking along with the CXN holders. It takes a few minutes to swap steel with those, but I don't do it often and I've never had the steel pop out during play.

From what I've seen, read and tried on, I'm also partial to True and CCM over Bauer for skates. I'm used to speed skate inspired skates since I use Mako II's now and used to use KOR skates; so the True's seem most similar and their retail prices on the skates are much more palatable. The CCM 90 day guarantee is great and they offer two levels of skates with the one piece boots. I also think both True and CCM have more durable quick release holders than Bauer. Why did you decide to do a full custom Bauer order if you're partial to CCM and True over Bauer for skates? Just to see what they'll be like compared to the retail so you're better informed or do they have features you prefer over True and CCM?