VegasHockey

FT3 Team is very nice for the price. I think he ran into some ordering/inventory issues due to COVID. Saw something he posted on Instagram about finally get in new stock.

This dude does exactly that and his stuff is amazing. https://prostockhockeysticks.com/ Not like these other "black label" brands. His stuff is atually legit.

I dont think ill be wearing that.

I think the most revolutionary release we will see is the new one-piece Ribcor that is rumored to be released next year. Having a boot thats known to be flexible adapted to a one-piece design will be very interesting. I also want to point out, not all "one-piece" skates are created equal. The design of the Mako vs Ultrasonic vs TRUE vs CCM are all significantly different. I think each of them has their pros and cons.

I think the injected lacing system will likely remain on the Vapors to help differentiate that model from the Supreme, same with the asymmetrical ankle as well. The only thing I think that will likely be introduced on the newer Vapor that will be shared with the Supreme would be the new outsole design. Though deep down I hope they incorporate more of the Mako into the Vapor and release a one-piece boot type of design.

There were other few sticks that made their way into the testing but aren't released yet and therefore I am not allowed to share much about them without the manufacturers coming for blood. I can say if we included feedback from two of those uncounted sticks that were tested releasing later this year, the testing data results would have changed considerably. Many of the players who participated also use custom sticks, which is totally normal considering the level they play at, so we omitted that data from the testing as well. We wanted to use sticks that are general release that anyone could get their hands on, not just professionals and wanted to stay away from special or limited edition sticks.

Like these? https://www.hockeyworld.com/CCM-Pro-Tacks-Hockey-Skates-04-model-Senior

Find a local dealer that has them in stock? I imagine you could also order them online and then return them if you dont like them. Just dont sharpen them.

I like to test all of the gear so I have an idea of what we are carrying and selling. It's impossible to talk about product X vs Y vs Z if you have never tested it. As it stands, I prefer the skate that first me best over everything else. Currently, that is TRUE skates.

I collected a lot of data from the session. Player age, height, weight, position, shooting hand, flex, curve pattern, personal preferences (quick release, power, etc) among other information. That was just a summary. Plus, I am at the bar watching the game so I havent had a chance to dig through it all yet.

Agreed.

I wish we would've made a video for this..... Maybe next time I'll ask someone to record something. We had a bunch of high-level players together on the ice today for a few hours and decided after the end of our scrimmage we would do shooting drills. Compared sticks were the Bauer Vapor Flylite, Bauer Ultrasonic, and Bauer Nexus 2N Pro vs the CCM FT3 Pro, CCM Trigger 4 Pro, and CCM AS2 Pro. The FT3 Pro was absolutely the crowd favorite and took the number one spot for 90% of the players. The second was a tie for the Bauer Flylite and Nexus. Coming in next was the Trigger 4 Pro, then the AS2 Pro followed by the Ultrasonic in the last place. What was shocking was just how much players disliked the Ultrasonic. They felt the release was slow, shots didn't have the same power, and overall it required more work and effort than other sticks that were much more forgiving. I can't disagree with them. I personally didn't like the stick as it felt much stiffer than the flex rating due to the new change in the kick point. The blade also didn't feel very lively compared to others. I always disliked the more recent Supreme sticks blade and weight balance. I figured this new update would maybe redeem the Supreme line back to its old glory. Unfortunately, the data says otherwise. Anyway. Sitting at the bar having a drink waiting for the games to start so I figured I would not this all down while it's still fresh in my mind.

CCM/Bauer/TRUE do not provide smaller stores with ovens or even smaller items like skate fitting brannocks unless you do a very large volume os sales. They offer these fitting tools to dealers at a reduced cost but they are still quite costly. Most manufacturers do have a type of dealer program where a dealer, based on previous years booking numbers, can get points to use for retail displays and other items such as skate display walls. When I say smaller dealers I am specifically referencing dealers doing under 200k in sales annually of a specific brand. For example, book 120k worth of ccm which has a sellable value of 200k. While this number might sound small imagine the fact that many dealers carry multiple brands.

LOL. RIght!?

Its not the responsibility of TRUE to provide stores saran wrap and such for fitting skates. Stores should buy that themselves. My store does and I dont mind. Its cheap. Same with clamps as well.

The scanner and the new FIT system are NOT on the same page at all. You can view my scans here and tell me how any of it makes sense. I had to go full custom becuase the scanner was so wrong. Old scan: https://my.volumental.com/en/bauer_custom/b60530fa-ad71-4223-a6c9-b5f20e8b71ae/?utm_medium=myvemail New scan: https://my.volumental.com/en/bauer_custom_beta/78d525c9-78cb-497d-a3cc-f441f6c97e28/?utm_medium=myvemail

There is a few companies offering decals for skates.

Very excited for those shoulders. I ordered a pair today!

I have a full custom order coming in later this month so can provide more long term feedback as well. I kept having fitment issues with the retail FIT2 so I had no choice but to bite the bullet and go 100% full custom.

https://www.modsquadhockey.com/patterndb/ and this thread:

I wouldn't worry too much. With the 90-day satisfaction guarantee you can buy them and if they dont work for you just return them and get your money back

There are players that I know personally who will actually cut the end off a wooden plug and then insert that into the end of the shaft to stiffen it or to adjust the weight balance. One of them actually inserts two wooden end plugs into his stick to add more counterweight and stiffen it. I cannot confirm or deny that it affects the stiffness but its obvious that adding weight will affect the balance point.

The 2020 XC9 glove is absolutely amazing and will release soon. I wish they would have not postponed the 2020 release date for protective so people could have gotten those the current TRUE rebate program to save some cash. https://www.true-hockey.com/media/2020_TRUE_Catalog.pdf Page 39. Here are some pics of the pre-production pair they gave me to demo that I sold. The only reason for selling them is I have way too many pairs and didn't need another set. My SO has really been cracking down on me and how much gear I have. She says she can't even go in a single room in the house and not find at least one piece of hockey gear. lol https://sidelineswap.com/gear/hockey/gloves/1274873-true-2020-xc9-gloves-gloves-black-senior-13 You would likely need a 14" in the 2020 model if you wait for their release. They fit quite snug. I wear a 14" in Vapor and Jetspeed. On a more traditional glove like the Nexus and such I can usually drop down to a 13" Also, I forgot to reply to your actual question. Are the 2019 Pro Stock XC9 gloves nice? They are good, not great. I would personally not get them if it was my money. There is better options.

It would cost them less to mass produce one product and fewer options (stainless and PVD/DLC) as opposed to multiple products and multiple options. Streamlining manufacturing and offering a better product, compared to competitors would allow them to lower manufacturing costs while providing a better product to consumers. It's also a huge selling point regardless of the model of skate and age category.

Move manufacturing for STEP overseas.