StinkyPinky

Warrior Alpha LX Pro is $179.98 CAD right now on Boxing Week sale at Sportchek (Canada). They are calling it 1/2 off from $359.99. btw $180 CAD is about $135 USD I'm not sure where in BC OP lives, but personally as a former AB resident I would just lurk on a few big hockey shop websites for discount old stock sticks AND given the chance creep over every stick selection in every sport/hockey store I come across. It certainly helps to be near a big urban center like Edmonton, Calgary, or Vancouver.

Personally I was a PP77 player. I loved the curve and the square toe. Typically I play C/RW, but for ~4 seasons switched to RD and did find the P28 a bit difficult. Slap shots and passes can be too high. You have to adapt your play, but the curve can perform. As I've been playing RW this season I fell out of practice on point shots somewhat and, for example, stepped into a tee'd up rebound from up top this season and blew it 2" over the crossbar 🥲...I blame the P28 for not scoring.

The older white Warrior HD Pro are very protective. They have extended forearm protection. Currently I would personally look at the CCM Tacks ASV Pro. If I'm not mistaken they also have a "Pro Long" with extended forearm protection, but likely not retail. I never once had the described elbow thing, so probably can't relate or make a good recommendation. These "jofa style" Warrior & CCM elbows are the most protective imo.

Just skated with a guy using FT4 (not the Pro), seemed actually better for breathability because it's almost like a padded fabric rather than the foam in the Pro.

I tend to agree as I don't see much significant skate innovation in the last decade since something like the Bauer Supreme TotalOne. STEP definitely pushed the Runner tech. Like a well fitting NOS pair of TotalOne with new STEP Blacksteel in them are comparable to any new skate imo. Yes, some new one's will be slightly better or preferred by players, but I don't see significant technical advances to distinguish them. That being said I just ordered Hyperlights due to a pretty good discount 😁. I'd have been happy with 2x Pro if they had my size around the same price point, but I think that ship sailed last year.

Winnwell/Cooper/Bauer SK2000 are the best! I had an old one from my Dad that I wore until the interior padding was so hard/yellow/disgusting it was dangerous and leaving flakes in my hair. SK600 is dusty, but Gretzky wore one in his youth, so gets a pass. A good quality Cooper SK200 helmet &/or the Gretzky bucket. Classic Jofa/RBK Elbows that nearly everyone wants, can't find, and pros still wear (7k Pro?). Totally biased opinion: I'm ok with "updated for modern play", but for something like shoulders I hate the huge bulky midsections/breast-plate, collar, and weigh-adding features. Like instead of super light plastic shoulder caps they wrap the cap in foam and material that is heavier and absorbs heavy moisture on the ice. I would prefer a classic look, and "updated materials for beer league performance". Like Erik Karlsson's frankenstein Eagle shoulders with Bauer Vapor caps: Mobile, light, only protective where they need to be and "classic". Not just slapping a retro name on low-end gear.

I'd go somewhere with plenty of ODR. In my experience that would be Alberta. I was just back in St. Albert, AB for Christmas time. It's a community of ~55k people on the NW edge of Edmonton. 5 indoor NHL ice sheets with regular drop-in/shinny/scrimmage schedules 20 outdoor, 7 with heated shacks > https://stalbert.ca/rec/parks/sports/outdoor-rinks/ City of Edmonton nearby (hockey crazy city with ~50 indoor rinks, countless ODR, 16 divs of men's league, etc.) NHL Games in Edmonton/Calgary nearby Jasper/Banff somewhat nearby (3-5h drive) and offer amazing outdoor skating opportunities Great exchange right now on USD/EUR to CAD (you'll be rich) Lowest sales tax in Canada @ 5% Legal recreational cannabis Nowadays I just bring my skates in my luggage. Keep a stick, some pucks, tape, and gloves at my parents house. I just head out to the ODR generally anytime it's not absolutely freezing or snowing. Ice is so good (most have an attendant working 40h a week at each location). Great for conditioning the legs, practicing shots, and building up your creativity. Costs nothing and is so beautiful to enjoy the winter outdoors until 10:30-11:00 any night (they are all lit). (pic is Lake Louise Alberta)

Warrior Dynasty HD Pro have an extended slash guard protection. They also fit quite large. As such I believe in a 1:1 comparison of a Sr. L these might offer the most forearm protection on the market.

Posting in the skiboot thread now boys.

If I may weigh in: At some point the stick weight follows the rule of diminishing returns. I had guys on the bench holding up my stick and theirs always claiming their new one is lighter... I honestly can't tell the difference of less than 100 grams. No way. There is a point where a stick is "lightweight" for your average adult male and making it lighter is a marketing ploy. I'm in the gym pressing, pulling, and lifting tens and hundreds of kilos... a 30g lighter stick is not gonna matter to me sorry. There is an argument that adding X% strength is going to benefit just as much as reducing X% weight. Point: I can see stick weight mattering more for younger, smaller, and weaker players. (or rather the definition of the "lightweight" range dropping) Looking at running shoes you have sub-200g shoes out there, but folks are winning marathons in 200g+ shoes. The actual tech is more important than the weight once it's down around 200g. Nike Breaking2 project used 200g shoes with special tech although they sell shoes down to 160g.

Yep. Been playing with 2 Nexus N9000 with 112 flex. 1 P28 and 1 P14. In my league I play C or RW. On my other ice times I often play D. I'm 6' 195lbs ~10-14% bf. I'm more of a Sherwood P77 Coffey guy (~100 flex), but have 3 new Sherwood's relaxing in my closet while I stick with these Bauer twigs. Maybe it's the N9000 blade and shaft, but I like the stick including the pattern. You can really get shots up high from in close on the forehand. Hard slapshots rise fast, so I almost have to check my follow thru if I'm too far out. From the slot a half or full clapper goes top shelf :) :) :) btw another player I know loves this P14 pattern in a 77 flex. He's more of an average to undersized D with excellent passing and skating (he has been a ref in DEL). He plays with a relatively short stick. He just got a new Supreme P14, but not in 77 flex because it's super hard to find in Europe.

I would put most of my budget into: skates, gloves, and stick (in that order). The skates have improved a lot. Ideally find a "last years model" higher end skate with a thermoformable boot. Problem with ordering online is to understand which line to go with (CCM and Bauer have 3 "fits" you really should be sized/fitted for and try out). New gloves with a more tapered fit can be hard for old-timers to adjust to, but imho are simply better. A mid-range Bauer Nexus stick, or something with a mid-flex with a common pattern is usually good for someone used to older wood sticks. This is assuming you can shoot. Honestly for the rest of the stuff I'd just pick up whatever's in your budget and get to playing. If you enjoy it you can always upgrade the elbows, shins, pants as you progress. I wear Nexus pants because I"m used to that old/big fit. As discussed consider a girdle or something like Vapor for a different fit.

I never even wear a t-shirt for indoor hockey. Elbows are Warrior Dynasty HD1 with that nice yellow liner. Most new high-end pads look pretty comfortable.

I only rock the Warrior W28 Yakupov sticks for this reason.

Note: OP has the stock CCM SB Black runners that came with the skates (not Step BlackSteel) OP, CCM or Step BlackSteel will not feel as you described (no edge bite and sliding around). They would initially have a basic "feel" like any other pair of new and sharp runners > lots of bite with any decent hollow. Since it's a different holder and new runner you might feel like you're standing a bit high or at a weird angle (coming from a Bauer Tuuk). As per all the other posters you need to take them back for a proper first sharpening. Assuming you bought Super Tacks from a shop you should be able to bring them back to that shop and tell them there's an issue.