VegasHockey

I am looking at finishing my backyard shooting rink. I will be building a small sitting area for storing pucks, hockey sticks, training aids, incorporated with a bench so players can sit when putting on their skates and for storing their person items when using the shooting rink. I will also be installing 5ft tall boards with metal poles and netting , these boards will help keep the pucks from flying into the pool all the time. The last thing I want is to get hit by a puck when hanging out in the pool or having to fish pucks out of the pool all the time. lol As I look at all of the options for synthetic ice I am quickly becoming overwhelmed and other than reading that I want to select oil infused uhmwpe I cannot really find any decent information on who makes good products. I figured I would ask if anyone currently own synthetic ice or if anyone training on synthetic ice and if there are certain brands that are better than others in regards to performance, durability, and price. The surface is roughly 12ft x 38ft.

That's really tough to say, Unless you know the very specifications they have selected it would basically be guessing. I know this much, many of the pros using the Supreme 2S aren't using the blade with the "renew core" technology. Usually pro stock sticks are a hodgepodge of different specifications and the entire stick is made of bits and pieces of various stick technologies. With retail, the manufacturer has assembled what they feel is best for the average player vs the player dictating what they feel works best for themselves.

They decided to go with a more flexible facing to enhance the forward range of motion. Apparently they found the injected eyelets were better at promoting side-to-side movements due to the enhance lateral support. This would obviously be better on a Vapor than a Supreme skate. Agreed.

This is correct. The customer should not have to be doing all of the leg work. The retailer should be talking to TRUE, specifically their rep and the TRUE skate support group, to get this resolved. Who at TRUE have you been talking to?

Most players do not prefer super stiff blades. In fact, with Bauer, the 2N Pro blade , which has a lightweight, stiff foam core with a thick dampening layer is the #1 Bauer blade in the NHL. Apparently they claim its for versatile players that like to handle the puck and be able to shoot in any situation. This makes sense considering how hard NHL players passses are. You wouldn't want a ridiculously stuff blade as it would make it difficult to catch passes and also take one-time shots as well.

Yes, he uses an actual Tacks.

FWIW the 2020 Bauer line of Supreme skates no longer is using injected eyelets....

Get the TRUE girdle or the Warrior QRE girdle. Those have better protection than the others and after having a girdle with a cup pocket I don't think I could ever go back to wearing a cup inside my jock pants.

They only report what the graphic is, not what the actual stick is. For example, they list Kane as using a Flylite and he uses a Supreme.

I really like these helmets but I am in between a small and a medium. Regardless of the padding options the helmet is either too small or too loose for me. I was really bummed about this as I am currently stuck wearing a Re-Akt 95, which fits me decent but is a bit hot. I loved the E700 and when my very last one failed I was quite sad. Soon as I saw these I figured they would be a solid replacement for the E700. The only other helmet that kind of fits me is the Warrior Alpha, but it sits high on my head and feels goofy.

As I am watching all of the highlights from yesterday's games I noticed many forwards, most recognized for getting off quick shots, fast release, are all seemingly using sticks that are not in fact low kick. For example, Barzal and McDavid use Tacks. We all know Kane uses a Supreme wrapped as a Vapor, but many others such as Kucherov, Pasta, Marner, and such all use a medium/variable kick stick. I know Crosby and Mackinnon use a low kick, RIbcor, but it seems many players are moving away from low kick point sticks to either a mid/hybrid kick point (Nexus/Alpha/JetSpeed) or a higher kick point, such as Nylander, Barzal and such. So, that makes me wonder. How many players are using low kick sticks when they really should be using a mid, variable, or stick with a higher kick point?

There are significant upgrades this year. I personally would wait. I wish I could share more info... but can't 😞

They work ok, but it really depends on where you store your gear/skates. If its in a cold garage, nothing is going to really help. I would also suggest not putting your skate any place too hot to dry out at that also can lead to premature breakdown of the skate materials. I personally hang all of my gear in a little locker I built in my garage that has a space heater and a few fans that circulate the air. It is thermostat regulated and keep the locker at 70 degrees. AFter I skate I always take all of my gear out, spray it with a mixed solution of alcohol, water, and tea tree oil. This helps the gear dry out faster while also killing all of the bacteria but its not abrasive enough to damage the plastics and foams. Apply a very small amount as you don't want to saturate your gear. The mix I use is as follows: Add 1 cup of plain water, 1 cup of rubbing alcohol, and 20-30 drops of a powerful essential oil like lavender or tea tree, both have antiviral and antibacterial properties. Put it in a clean spray bottle and shake well before using. I find as long as I immediately take my gear out after skating, hang it, and spray it, I can go months without having to clean any of it aggressively.

Same. Usually 2-3 at most.

Between the Kuch and Pasta, I prefer the Pasta personally. But it has to be the real deal.

Has anyone tried this helmet on? I was seriously disappointed with the lack of comfort and poor fit of this helmet. Warrior really dropped the ball on this one.

I haven't seen Proformance Eax PF Stick Tape tape for sale for a while. Where do you get it?

I have experimented with different lie and even curve pattern, changed flex and such too. The lie seems fine if I look at the wear on the blade.

There are a TON of those individuals around these parts. It amazes me how many people are suckered, they go to some random dude to get their skates sharpened in his garage by a a self proclaimed guru of skate sharpening who has legitimately no clue about the science and art behind it. I take pride in every sharpening I do, no matter if it's for a kid playing in-house club or a AAA player going to nationals. Anyway, enough of my whining and lamenting.....

Ever since I was young I have used a shorter stick than most. Probably to my collar bone when on skates and slightly under my chin when off skates. Obviously, over the last couple decades hockey stick technology has advanced tremendously and I find that a very short stick, while beneficial in some cases, also has limitations when it comes to shooting. Shots with a longer stick are far more powerful as you have more leverage to load the stick. The added length also allows you to change the angle when you are shooting as well which you cant really do properly with a short stick. That being said, I keep trying to lengthen my stick, I tried to lengthen it 1" and struggled with puck handling, shooting was great though. I figured I would give it time and I would be able to adjust but after about 10 hours of ice time I found myself still struggling with puck handling. I always feel like the puck is too far away and I don't have proper control. The added length also makes the stick feel heavier and more unwieldy when compared to the shorter stick. Have any of you changed from a short stick to a longer stick? If so, how long did it take for you to adjust, if you ever did adjust? I find myself getting so frustrated as my playing has been awful as of late and I desperately want to go back to the shorter stick but I don't want to have to restart the "adjustment process" again from scratch. Suggestions, tips, hints, all are welcome. Thanks!

It blows my mind that people think ALL visible/exposed steel needs to be sharpened. This is how people end up with banana blades. lol

1: You don't need to go so high on the toe/heel when you sharpen. You are never skating on those areas of the steel. 2: You can use it to fix an edge in a pinch, but don't over use it as constant use bends the steel edges inward which will then require more passes to repair.

From what I can tell overlaying them on one another, they are the same.

I bought a couple of these, pro stock ones form the ASU D1 team. The kick point seemed the same to me. I did like how light and balanced the stick felt. They definitely took a lot of weight out of the blade.

Correct. They are moving to a 2 year cycle so sticks don't depreciate as fast and it also allows them to cut down on production costs.