VegasHockey

Those look interesting. Not sure how much actual function you will get from those vents. CCM introduced AER-TEC in their current pants, and I don't think it does much of anything.

Apologies, I read your post too quickly, and after having too many drinks, assumed you meant the HZRDUS skate compared with the Catalyst. The TF fit bigger than the HZRDUS and the Catalyst.

The new toe cap piece makes it feel smaller

The boot last is almost the same with the Catalyst and the TF9. I would order the same size and width as your TF9 if you are going to try the Catalyst.

FT6 skates come in tapered, regular and wide. The new boot design had added more width and volume to the boots, which also increased the heel width. The current regular width fits more like an E, while the tapered fits more like a D.

About 4 minutes.

Bingo.

These would be good for that. https://shotblockers.com/products/xt-pro-new

Durability has been very good with the Proto so far. Not nearly the same amount of breakage as the AGENT and Hyperlite2.

Ouch. You just cut a significant amount of life out of those skates. 😞 A blow-dryer does not get hot enough. You need either a skate oven or a heat gun.

I always recommend a "fast bake" when changing foot beds.

This is the best finishing stone money can buy: https://amzn.to/3G0W0d1 This is a great stone for removing damage to the blade, and then doing a final pass: https://amzn.to/3SE36fb Both of those stones will not damage coated steel, assuming you use the ceramic side. The diamond side is going for removing significant damage on steel.

A lot of players, myself included, find the Bauer Speedplate (or similar) offers the most connection to the ice. However, they are not heavily cushioned. I personally do not like super thick insoles or anything with significant foam, as it dulls the feel. Bauer Speedplate: https://www.bauer.com/products/speed-plate-2-0 Many players use Lake Cycling insoles too. They are heat moldable and also provide good feel. https://www.lakecycling.com/products/custom-insole

Head injuries and concussions don't always require high level hockey or full contact. You can catch an edge anytime and fall hard on the ice or into the boards. One guy I often skate with played NCAA D1 and got tripped on a breakaway by a player on the opposing team. He was going full speed and the trip occurred about four feet in front of the goal. He went hard into the boards head first. Unable to slow himself, other than tucking his head into his hands, he couldn't protect himself from the boards. The end result was a broken clavicle and a significant concussion.

Yeah, it got off topic. It happens. But one thing that has been pointed out is that most of the neck protection on the market today is actually lacking in genuine protection. Wearing a cut proof mock neck isn't going to prevent you from getting a crushed trachea if you take a slapshot to the throat. This is mostly due to manufacturers not focusing on these products, they usually go to where the money is; reactive not proactive. I would imagine we will see lots of new companies "pop up" too. If it become a standard globally at all levels we will likely see some new and updated products released. Hopefully these will provide better protection and also be significantly more comfortable.