stick9

Tuesday at 08:10 PM

@xstartxtodayx A tapered CCM sits somewhere between a Vapor and Supreme from the pre fit system era. Vapors were a little snug while Supremes a little roomy, either would work. My tapred CCM's are just right.

November 8

6 hours ago, puckpilot said:

I say this not to denigrate Super-feet, or any insole. I'm sure for some they are the difference between being able to play hockey and not. It's just that my experience makes me think supportive insoles are being overly pushed on the public. With muscles, it's use it or lose it, and if someone who doesn't need insoles starts using them, I suspect it could become a self-fulfilling prophecy. Where too much support weakens the arch. Obviously, sample size of one.

I totally agree. I see so many guys using Superfeet in skates they've never skated on. If I know them well enough I ask and the answer is always the same "the guy recommended them".

I've used Superfeet Yellow, Speed plates & Orthomove insoles along with retail and pro stock insoles. The Superfeet and the Orthomoves were strictly to take up volume. The Speedplates were the only ones to offer an advantage I could feel. They came with the skates and I did not use them in other skates. The best of the bunch or at least my favorite were the insoles that came with a pair of CCM pro stock skates. They were a little thicker than stock with a bit more density....comfy without sacrificing feel.

October 29

On 10/27/2025 at 4:37 PM, malcb33 said:

Is the Big Ben just as open as the CCM P90TM?

My understanding is that the actual Jamie Benn prostock is more open than the CCM P90TM. I tried the Sherwood variant, which was more open than the CCM version, and didn't like it.

It's close enough.

CCM's P90TM has been tweaked over the years so I am not surprised to hear Sherwoods variant is slightly different. From what I gather, Warriors version is an exact clone of the Benn prostock.

October 27

On 10/24/2025 at 10:06 PM, malcb33 said:

Does anyone know how the PRO92TM compares to the CCM P90TM?

7 hours ago, A2rhino said:

Its very similar but has a bit more toe to it. Nice Max height though.

It really is as they describe, a P92 with a toe kink. It's also a 6 lie like the P92. I tried one and did care for it. I found the Big Benn closer to the P90TM. It has a bit more toe but plays very close to the 90. Same 5.5 lie too.

September 15

On 9/13/2025 at 9:11 AM, start_today said:

Ok, again, I’m jaded and don’t like anything.

But, this is just a brand name stamped on a mediocre stick, right? Like the “synergy” sticks that are a low tier Bauer with Easton graphics and a higher price point than they should have. No one under 40 actually cares if some ancient brand makes sticks again.

If this were a new, modern build offering something unique, wouldn’t they use a new name to capture the youth market, who is far and away the biggest selling point? And if it’s the “classic” TPS, why does anyone care about people who have been out of the game for 20 years?

And, outside of the XN10 (which, to be fair, people loved), TPS was never putting out GREAT sticks, right? They were fine, but it’s not like they were pushing boundaries and doing interesting stuff and suddenly stopped.

Nostalgia for the sake of nostalgia.

I’m happy to be proven wrong but, nothing about this strikes me as actually exciting.

Yup, 100% dad market cash grab.

What sort of irks me about these things is trying to make it feel like the original, or hyping it like its some other worldly thing they are bring back for a limited time. Those TPS sticks were great at that point in time. I can't imagine they'd stand up to a modern composite.

I think CCM got it right with the retro Tacks.

August 14

SOLD

August 14

SkateTech

August 1

**LIKE NEW** PRO VF series hockey stick. Stick was purchased a few weeks ago from the prostockhockeystick website. It's been cut to roughly 62.25 inches tip to end when measured against a wall.

Curve details from PROs website:

Exactly like the P92 Sakic but it has a little bit more of a cool factor with the toe kink. The toe kink helps make toe drags, and pull and drag shots just a little bit easier. This is one of the best all around curves that we offer, it plays a lot like the P92 only with the added bonus of a few more style points.

Lie: 6 Blade Length: Medium (30 CM) Blade Shape: Identical to P92

Currently listed on sideline for $139 + Shipping. I will do it here for $139, shipping is on me, continental US only.

July 21

On 6/23/2025 at 10:54 AM, stick9 said:

I went ahead and ordered a stock PRO VS with the McKinnon pattern from their inventory. I'm not a High Kick guy so the VS isn't really my thing but they had the McKinnon in stock so what the hell, right.

The stick arrived less than a week after placing the order. The fit an finish was perfect, not a mark or blemish to be found. The overall feel, weight, balance, shaft dimensions were almost spot on to my beloved FT5 Pros. The build appears to be very close to the FT5 Pro as well...see attached pics. The pattern is definitely not my thing. Passing is crazy good. Nice puck feel though shooting with it, not so much. Different pattern and kick point plays into that. Anyway, I was more interested in how it compared to what I was currently using. I gotta say, I was pleasantly surprised. The VS didn't blow me away like the FT5 did but I was still very impressed with the performance especially given it's price point, $169USD. It's not all unicorns and show ponies for me. PRO only offers the pattern I'd like on customs and the OG lines, not the VS, VF or VX. And, they do not offer the VF, Hybrid kick point, as one of their custom builds. Argh..

Following up

A friend of mine really wanted to try one of these. Since he was ordering anyway, I decided to try a VF with the P92T pattern (closer to what I normally use). Well, I dont really like it. It looks nice and feels light and well balanced but there is just something about it I just don't like. Maybe its the lie...maybe its the hybrid kick point...? I suspect its the blade, not the pattern that I don't like.

Anyway. My buddy skates up to me last night and shows his VF. There is a huge crack in the blade about an inch back from the toe. Looks like you could just snap the end of the blade off. He's used three times, which is about 3-4 hours of play time. Maybe its just one of those things.

June 23

I went ahead and ordered a stock PRO VS with the McKinnon pattern from their inventory. I'm not a High Kick guy so the VS isn't really my thing but they had the McKinnon in stock so what the hell, right.

The stick arrived less than a week after placing the order. The fit an finish was perfect, not a mark or blemish to be found. The overall feel, weight, balance, shaft dimensions were almost spot on to my beloved FT5 Pros. The build appears to be very close to the FT5 Pro as well...see attached pics. The pattern is definitely not my thing. Passing is crazy good. Nice puck feel though shooting with it, not so much. Different pattern and kick point plays into that. Anyway, I was more interested in how it compared to what I was currently using. I gotta say, I was pleasantly surprised. The VS didn't blow me away like the FT5 did but I was still very impressed with the performance especially given it's price point, $169USD. It's not all unicorns and show ponies for me. PRO only offers the pattern I'd like on customs and the OG lines, not the VS, VF or VX. And, they do not offer the VF, Hybrid kick point, as one of their custom builds. Argh..

June 16

23 hours ago, bthompson1286 said:

Hey everyone,
I recently switched from the Edge holder to the XS holder and noticed something strange — I feel slower and less responsive overall. Has anyone else experienced this?

I’m wondering if it’s just in my head or if there's actually a difference in performance or feel between the two holders. Would love to hear your thoughts or experiences.

Thanks in advance!

Since the runners are not interchangeable you are likely experiencing a difference in profiles. Try having the new runners (blades) profiled to something that is close to your old runners and see how that feels.

June 6

anyone using the PRO21 McKinnon pattern? If so, thoughts?

May 30

56 minutes ago, iceman8310 said:

Let’s look at the last few years:

FT5 Pro (2022) – $330

FT6 Pro (2023) – $349.99 (+6.1%)

FT7 Pro (2024) – $359.99 (+2.9%)

FT8 Pro (2025) – $389.99 (+8.3%)

That’s a total increase of 18.2% over 3 years, averaging about 6% per year — completely in line with normal tech product price cycles and inflation, not trade policy.

Meanwhile, tariffs on imported hockey sticks or composite materials haven’t significantly changed since at least 2022. If tariffs were to blame, we’d see sudden price jumps, not this kind of predictable, annual increase.

The real drivers?

R&D and material upgrades (lighter sticks, better kick points)

Branding and pro endorsement value

Standard inflation and cost of business increases

CCM (and Bauer) are using a value-based pricing model — they charge more because people are willing to pay it. It’s more like buying the new iPhone every year than it is about government tariffs.

Good info. However, these new tariffs are a real thing. Companies are not absorbing that cost. They are passing it on to the customer. Companies are also spending time and effort moving production out of high tariff countries like china. Not sure companies would spend the time, effort and capital if the threat wasn't real. I can say for certain there are companies that have already increased pricing due to tariffs.

May 27

On 5/24/2025 at 12:24 PM, Sniper9 said:

I understand we have our own experiences and I even said it's probably different in Canada in one of my first replies. But I would question how much easier it is to find a pro stock stick in a Specific spec you like over a discontinued retail stick. And with pro stock you actually don't even know the exact build sometimes.

You're giving solid advice, the same advice I've given to numerous people over the years. The disconnect is the ease in which you can find sticks on clearance and their pricing.

I fully admit, you gotta have the stomach to mess around with pro-stocks. It's not easy knowing what you are getting or even where to get them.

May 23

10 minutes ago, Sniper9 said:

"Scouring" the globe is really doing a 15 minute Google search.

I've used top end for years and just recently started to use second price point and it's little to no adjustment. Some second price points are better than others so i try to stay under 415 grams and it's been fine. Balance actually feels better when sticks are in the 380-400 range. Conversely, once you start using something in the 400-415 gram range you actually start to realize how pointless it is using a stick sub 380 grams and start to realize there is such thing is too light.

Prices are only gonna go up. It goes up every year and now with the tariffs it's getting worse.

I'll say it again, this time a bit more concise. Why bother searching for a retail stick on close-out when I can easily find a pro-stock version for less money... Before you answer, been there, done that. Its not as simple as you make it out to be.

Your experience is your experience. That experience may or may not translate to others. As I have stated, I have tried lower price points and while they aren't bad they lack something I notice in comparison to top tier sticks.

All of this is irrelevant to actual discussion at hand which is the price of top of the line retail sticks.

May 23

20 hours ago, Sniper9 said:

Maybe in the US. But in Canada, the trigger 7 pro was available up until earlier this year in terms of decent selection of specs. Most recently they've been cleared but that's because prohockey had them on clearance for $165 cdn. You can still find a few trigger 7 non pros. Like I said, might be a difference between Canada and US, but I've never had issues getting older top end or second price point sticks for no more than $220 cdn.

A second price point sticks doesn't feel bad. I've used them and they have the same pop and kick etc. The only difference is they are in the 400-415 gram range vs 380. 400 grams is already pretty damn light. And tbh, I'll gladly accept the added durability of a 400 gram stick... Not to mention the large price difference.

Why scourer the globe for sticks on closeout when I can buy a brand new pro-stock in the specs I want for roughly $200US?? I've done the closeout thing before. The major downfall is once they're gone, they're gone.

I'm not saying those second price points are bad sticks. I'm saying, once you start using the top tier model its hard to drop down. Its not about the weight or durability. Its about the feel and balance.

Back to the original point. It doesn't matter if FT7's are selling for or even pro-stocks for that matter. The current market price right now for the latest and greatest offering from CCM is $389US which I find absurd.

May 22

3 minutes ago, Sniper9 said:

Just get previous models on sale. Or second price point. The ft7 is only 395 grams

As a veteran in the stick trade, that is easier said than done. Even on closeout the 7pro will run you $289US. Selection is limited. Lower price points just down feel the same. Once you've played with a high end stick it's hard to go back.

I usually stick to pro-stocks anyway unless I come across a really good deal on a slightly used 5pro.

May 21

On 5/19/2025 at 8:45 PM, EBondo said:

We got our FT8's on Thursday (Pure Hockey - NJ).

Price at 389.99 USD, yikes.

Tariffs aside, that is utterly absurd.

I hope I dig my PRO stick cuz FT5 Pros in my spec are rare and there is zero chance I shell out $400 for a stick.

May 19

15 hours ago, Westside said:

100% it’s due to tariffs

Yup, definitely tariff based.

May 5

Screenshot from IG, sorry I forgot who posted it. Finally a good look at the new Jetspeed. Looks like they're using the Forc composite, toe caps and tongues from the latest Tacks. I think they look pretty fantastic.

April 24

7 hours ago, flip12 said:

Fedorov also wore his Grafs in at least one game of the conference finals.

If the elite level professionals agreed with you they wouldn't cheat on their sponsors.

Other players who were notoriously picky about their sticks:

Heatley: on podcast recently said that he was very standard in pretty much all of his, except for sticks. With sticks he had the same Easton build with a particular emphasis on balance.

Spezza was way more intense about it though, according to Heatley. He had his sticks catalogued and would request them by city and number.

Kovalchuk was notorious for his scrutiny of his sticks as well.

Mike Green missed CNT Stealth so bad he bought his used ones back from private collectors and hunted down NOS retail years after Easton stopped producing them.

Mogilny (the gear nerd GOAT) obsessed over his sticks and skates and would talk about them so much that it would annoy his teammates and coaches.

I'm sure the list would be huge if we had time and access.

You think the two are the same??? Personal preference is different from increased or enhanced performance...which is what you were eluding to earlier.

BTW, I know all about those examples and could probably add a few more.

April 23

4 hours ago, flip12 said:

I disagree actually. He made the switch around the same time his scoring drought ended last year. He looks like he's excited to shoot the puck again, as though he wants to see what happens every time he lets one go now. I didn't see that spark in him in the stretch before his switch. Confidence in your gear is a thing for pros too; like the Hot Hand Theory that was written off as a fallacy that turned out to hold up after a closer look at the data.

I'm not saying this as a Geppetto fanboy. While I have to admit that the Praux value offer is hard to resist (especially in the current economy), I'm quite critical of Geppetty overall. Makes me wonder what builds some of these pros have been using. Having said that, it's a huge accomplishment for Geppetty to go in there and dethrone the major players in the industry to supply one of the game's all-time greats in what will probably go down as the most salient chapter of his career.

Meh, I'm not buying it...well not fully. I have said here many times, some things work for players some things don't. While I truly believe in that I don't think it has all that much of an impact on elite level professionals. They've put in too much work for me to buy that.

We're talking the new all time leading goal scorer, not some plug who put up 40 out of nowhere.

April 22

Not to be Danny Downer here but I think we all would agree that its not the stick scoring the goals, it's the player.

April 21

On 4/20/2025 at 8:36 AM, start_today said:

Maybe I’m cynical, but, don’t all signs point to the store received the package, employee Colin signed for it, and then somehow the package got lost, so now the store is lying and denying to cover their mistake? Simply marked delivered has some potential tracking error issues, but signed for by employee doesn’t leave many options.

In my experience with American UPS, (we ship a lot of packages to customers through UPS for my job) once something is signed for, or confirmed delivered, they won’t do much of an investigation, because they did their part. If it’s lost or stolen, they mostly say “sucks brah.”

So you think the store is covering up employee theft, wouldn't that be bad for their business? Or am I misreading it?

April 18

Could they be stuck in Customs?

I'm surprised UPS or the store weren't more helpful. If the store has an account they should have a higher level of support than the average joe.

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