helmet91

Not to be that guy... but why not just grab an extra set of blades? - No surprises for your kid between Sparx sharpened blades from home and the shop while you're on the road - No waiting at the shop on a business tournament weekend -No possibility of the shop being closed for _______ reason

I picked up some Bauer Supreme Matrix shins for my U15 defensive pair (my twin sons)... They love blocking shots and have said they don't feel a thing with these. The coverage is pretty extensive but they don't seem extra bulky. Pretty sure the price can't be beat either.

My 2010s have been in a Matrix for just over a year now... they've said this is their favorite skate ever. They had the 2S Pro before, but it seems the Fit1 in 5.5 (intermediate) has been perfect for them. We threw in some Curex soles because their arch is VERY high.

I've been over here four years... granted I'm not in an ice hockey hotbed, but the only time I've seen Graf skates was the rental skate selection at an outdoor rink in the Duesseldorf Christmas Market. The vast majority of skates/gear I see in this area (BeNeLux) would be Bauer with CCM bringing up the rear. I see German kids with Warrior here and there (thanks Draisaitl?) but not very often. Even all the old beer league guys are wearing newer offerings from Bauer and a few CCM... I never see Graf. Pretty disappointing. We were even down in Zuerich a few summers ago at a camp (Ivanov... LOL) and none of the kids were wearing Graf. /anecdotal evidence

I always wanted a pair of Grafs back in the 90s - Brian Leetch (my favorite player) wore them. LOL I don't skate/play nearly as much these days (too busy running my kids around all over the place for their practices/games/tournaments/camps), but my CCM Ultra Tacks (2018?) are killing me whenever I'm out on the ice. Maybe I need to take a road trip down to Switzerland...

The shape reminds me of the old Mylec (or was it Franklin?) butt caps for their street hockey sticks back in the 90s! Just need to find some new-old-stock at a Play It Again somewhere!

After a season or two in some really bad, uncomfortable and ill-fitting Bauer cut resistant socks (NG Elite Performance), my oldest boys made the switch to the Elite Hockey Pro-Cut socks. The difference in comfort is night and day. Not sure if I can post a link or not: https://hockey.elitesportsgroup.com/en/pro-cut-protection/

The Miami-Ohio camp is great... My 2010s have gone the last two summers and have had a blast.

Neck guards are mandated here in the Netherlands and I'm pretty sure the league (CBHL in VA/MD/DC) my boys played in prior to our move required them as well. They were wearing the Shock Doctor velcro thing. A lot more comfortable than the padded Kevlar Itech thing I wore thirty years ago. After the incident in CT a year or so ago, I grabbed the Bauer undershirt/neck guard combo for my oldest boys (U13 at the time) and I picked up the Shock Doctor combo this past summer. They rotate between the two as things get washed during the week. They also wear Kevlar socks from Elite which they really like over the Bauer Kevlar socks. Reading all this, it sounds like overkill but they haven't complained about anything, so I guess it's not too bad. Risk management I guess...

What do they do with all of these skates that people return??

Was there a Rupp's hockey shop back in the 90s? I remember checking out a huge shop in Pittsburgh while visiting 30 years ago. I could be completely making it up... LOL

I can't help with your questions... That said, I'm rather jealous of you - and if my wife wins out I might follow your footsteps in a few years. We're not exactly in an ice hockey hotbed over here and corona has wrecked the last two seasons (for my kids); and I haven't been able to play at all (after finally getting back into the game when we were in the DC area). I think I've been on the ice (to include the fluke cold snap outdoor ice last winter) maybe eight or nine times over the last 24 months. 😞 Things will definitely change if we go back to MN. Speaking of, can anyone direct me to a forum dealing with youth/JV/high school hockey in MN? My oldest boys will probably be in 10th or 11th grade by the time we get back and I'm worried about their hockey opportunities trying to get on a team with kids that have been together since they were 5. What happens if you don't make your school team?? /end thread highjack

Alan Walsh has a flair for the dramatic but I don't think he's wrong in this case.

How about... where in the world do I find anything in stock? Trying to track down Shock Doctor tops and bottoms for my two peewees is next to impossible. I can't find Youth XL or Adult XS at the normal suspects - and we don't have any local shops with any sort of stock/selection even without supply shortages. Pretty frustrating...

It definitely wouldn't be a regular thing. I'd bet the 1-1/4 ring would last me a very, very long time. I can't imagine I'd have to go this route more than once or twice a season, and that's across the board for all the skaters in the house.