JR Boucicaut

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Product: Hespeler Alpha Nemesis / Smyth pattern / 260 Flex / left-handed Aesthetics - The stick's pretty! It has a very glossy look to it, and the graphics are beneath the paint. The foil look is very nice, and the stick isn't a loud color but still stands out. 10/10 Blade - The blade is very well-made. Very stiff coming out of the box. However, after a few uses, I was able to bend the blade slightly and hear a crackling sound (which I've heard with other sticks, so I wasn't overly concerned with it). It never got worse from the initial time I heard it, which is pretty reassuring. 8/10 Flex - It's an 260, which is equivalent to a 90 in Easton ratings. I thought the 260 would be too stiff for me coming from a 90 Mission, and when I flexed it in the store, I was like "No way can I use this." I was reassured that the stick will flex more on the ice, and it did. It was weird, but it works. 9/10 Stickhandling/receiving passes - As you probably know, I'm not a big fan of composite blades. I really could never get used to the feel of them as I prefer wood. I usually get a lot of vibration in my elbow and forearm from using graphite blades. However, this is where the best features of the Alpha shine. I would have guys basically shoot passes at me and I'd receive them on the Vybe insert, and it would totally cushion it. Totally what I was looking for. 10/10 Shooting - The stick shot really well - I honestly was expecting the insert to rob some of the power/accuracy, but it didn't. The only problem I had was the curve. It had a little bit of toe at the end, which I wasn't used to. I think an Alpha in a Boucicaut pattern should be in the works. 8.5/10 Weight and balance - Very good balance. Not heavy - just a good weight to it. 9.5/10 Durability - Everyone is different with sticks. Some people bust them regularly and then you have guys like me who rarely break any. This one lasted for me, and I'll be donating it to another user so they can put up a review. 9.5/10 Intangibles - Keep in mind this stick was a demo. I experienced some paint chipping off the shaft whenever it was slashed on, leaving a grey primer look under it. However, according to Hespeler, the problem has been rectified. 8/10 In conclusion, this is the product that the Si-Core tried to become. Sure, it sounds gimmicky, but it works. It was the only OPS that I ever used that I was comfortable with right off the bat. A better curve and a tad bit flexier, and I'd call it perfect. 72.5/80 = 91% Thanks goes out to the guys at Hespeler for providing me the opportunity to test out their product. I hope this review will be a valuable tool for future research and development of Hespeler products.

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YOUR NUMBER? I was wearing that number before you were born, pa'tna... No...he's flicking off the camera in a subtle way. As far as his sharpening skills are concerned, yeah, he sucks.

Mission Carbster XL helmet paired with Oakley straight small half-shield Fit- I have a 7 5/8 size head and the XL fit me perfectly. One thing I like about it is that it comes down further on the back of my head than the 5000 (which I skated in since it came out) does. I will cover the liner in intangibles. 10/10 Protection- I do not play check anymore, but the helmet has dual density foams in it - the only helmet which has this feature. Plus, it is made of carbon fiber, much more protective than plastic. 10/10 Weight - I haven't weighed it, and it has more material to it than most helmets, so it's kinda unfair to compare it to another helmet. n/a Durability - You don't have to worry about foam falling out of this bad boy! One thing that I do not like is that the side screw anchors are inside the side padding. You do not see the anchor - it just feels like you are screwing it into the padding itself. I'm kinda wary on that, especially if I strip it - because the helmet is not being made anymore. Other than that, nothing major has happened to it...but then again, I don't play check. 9/10 (point deducted for screw anchors) Intangibles- The ventilation is great. It has top, side and back vents. As far as the look goes...I believe it grows on you. When I first saw it, I thought it was ugly, but I've grown to like it. Here are the two problems I have with the helmet. I shave my head and the removable liner inside the Carbster is made of mesh. Whenever I put it on, it would scratch the back of my head, so I decided to remove it. The helmet was too big, so now my solution is to wear an Under Armour skull cap on my head, then put the helmet on, and tug the back of the skull cap down almost by my neck. Also, putting a half-shield on the helmet is a 20-minute job. 7/10 Conclusion - A great helmet, at a great price if you can find it. In my case, I just had to work out the kinks. 8.5/10

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Product: Mission Pure S500 Carbon 12 EE Reviewer specs: 6', 230, flat arch, wide forefoot, regular heel Intro Coming from the Pure Fly, Mission took the skate and improved on it. The skate is stiffer, with an improved liner, tongue and traditional tendon guard. They spruced up the cosmetics as well. Fit The SuppleFit means that it is stiffer in the foot, while making the ankles a little softer. What this does is put all the support in the foot, where it is needed, meanwhile giving the ankles more freedom, especially during cornering. Coming from Bauer and Graf skates, I was skeptical at first, but it works. My feet do not feel like they're in a cast. The toebox is wide in the EEs, a problem I had with Graf as they put regular width toecaps on their skates. However, the heel is a tad bit wide for me. The new WickDry Pro liner is absolutely lovely, as is the new tongue material. There's nothing on the market which is comparable. 9.5/10 Blade/Holder The PITCH system is their new holder. It allows the skater to adjust their pitch from a fwd/neutral/def radius. It is very easy to adjust. The holder is very similar to Tuuk, however, with a 11" radius. Steel is hard, different steel from the old Formula/FPro steel of years past. The PITCH bolts had problems at first but Rob McLean (the PITCH designer) and I figured it out and fixed it. 10/10 Protection I haven't taken a shot in the S500 b/c I never play defense. :P However, I took one in the Pure Fly and it hurt. 5/10 Weight Not as light as Vapor XX/Vector Pro but not a complete brick either. Lighter than most skates. Wait until next year if you're into the really light skates...9/10 Durability I've had them for almost 4 months, and nothing major. My Pure Fly got soft after a year, however, I had done at least 6 holder removals to change out steel. The S500 boasts a NHL-spec stiffener package (lasting a NHL season), and I know I don't skate like those guys. 9/10 Conclusion Selling this type is very hard, because you have to convince the customer that skates do not have to be stiff as a rock for them to perform well. It's hard to coax the customer into even trying them on...but once I do, they're hooked. Mission even backs this with a 60-day fit guarantee. I have skated in every brand out there, and I have not had a better performing skate than the SuppleFit series. I am able to get down on my turns more due to the ankle freedom that I never had in other skates. 9.8/10 Shout-outs Big ups to Justin Hoffman, Rob McLean and all of the hard-working guys and gals over at Mission Hockey for the opportunity to test this skate. I just hope that my feedback was adequate.

Product: Mission M-1 / Gaborik pattern (= Easton Modano) / 85 Flex / left-handed First off since we're talking about a grip stick, I should start there. It's a really nice urethane grip. The only other grip I've used was a 02 Synergy Grip shaft and this one was a little tackier. I did find that I was able to slide my hand down and not get stuck. The good thing is whenever you feel the tackiness has worn off, just wipe it down with some alcohol and you're set. 10/10 Blade - I had a M1 (first batch) and the blade went to hell immediately. This one, the blade did get softer but is still intact...it hasn't gone horribly soft like the first one. I believe the M1's blade is made a little bit softer than most other OPS. I did have some little chips on the inside part of the toe but nothing major. 7/10 Flex - It's an 85. I thought the 85 would be flexy enough for me coming from a 90 Metamorphic (thin shaft flexes easier) but I think I would need a 75 to be fully satisfied. 8/10 (personal preference) Stickhandling/receiving passes - As you probably know, I'm not a big fan of composite blades. I really could never get used to the feel of them as I prefer wood. However, I did well with this one. I could feel the puck well with it; couldn't with a Synergy. I didn't get that artificial feeling I did with the other OPS. 9/10 Shooting - This is where the M1 shines. I lean into my shots and often find that the shaft opens up when it kicks, especially on slapshots. The Mission/Aldila shafts are the only ones that have reduced this for me. One of the reasons why I got rid of my Innovative Fused was because a lot of my shots were coming off strange when the shaft kicked. My Vector did that too. It doesn't happen with Mission sticks. The release is lightning-quick with it too, especially on wrist/snapshots. 10/10 Weight and balance - Light with great balance. I cut the end-plug flush with the shaft. Once again, coming from the Flyweight, it feels heavy though! 8/10 Durability - Everyone is different with sticks. Some people bust them regularly and then you have guys like me who rarely break any. However, from dealing with stick returns, I've only had one M1 come back this year. The guy used it for roller hockey, taped, on a wood floor so I took it with a grain of salt. 8.5/10 Intangibles - It appears that the fusepoint problem in the stick has been fixed. I did 'crack' the paint around it though. There's a small hairline crack on the INNER wall of the shaft from flexing. The difference is that the first M1 did it too, but the blade came out with it. The blade shows no cracks in it either and I took about 30 one-timers across the slot. The Bimmer-Blue paint job is probably the best out of all of the OPS. Very simple design but attention-grabbing. The logos are painted on, no decals like the Flyweight. 9/10 (one off b/c of the fusepoint) In conclusion, it's a really nice stick. The only drawback I see for some people would be the softer blade...but like I said, I believe it's made soft by design to prevent bounciness while stickhandling. The stick is wonderful for shooting - I just wish I could get it in a lower flex than 85. 8.75/10

Product: Louisville TPS XN10 / Tkachuk pattern / "regular" flex / left-handed Blade - This is the first time I've used TPS' prepreg blade. Definitely the hardest blade I've found to date. I pounded the hell out of it last night - and it definitely came back for more. Ripped off the tape and no cracks and no loss of stiffness whatsoever. 9/10 Flex - The stick I received was a R, I would've preferred a W. 7/10 (personal preference) Stickhandling/receiving passes - Most of you guys know that I prefer wood blades as I cannot stand the vibration you get by using a composite blade. Again, this is personal preference, but I found the XN10 to be the worst when it came to this. My forearm and elbow on my top (stickhandling) hand were absolutely throbbing after, especially the first time I used it. However, the feel is there. (As strange as that will sound.) Receiving passes were easy, and it actually has a different sound to it. Almost a ceramic-sounding sound when you receive a hard pass. 6 1/2(personal preference) ***A MONTH LATER - All vibration issues are gone, the stick feels great - *** Shooting - This is XN10's best feature...it shoots rockets. All of my shots went wherever I wanted them to. Very fast shot release on snapshots - the puck just flies off.. 10/10 Weight and balance - This is the most balanced OPS out on the market. Since the stick length is short compared to what I usually use (Flyweight w/ flush plug, uncut shaft) I had to add a 2" plug to it. It feels just as light as my Flyweight combo, and all of the other OPS I've used feel like bricks compared to it. 10/10 Durability - Nothing on the blade, no chips or creases. 9/10 Intangibles - The double concave shaft is nice - coming from a MetaMorphic shaft, I don't feel like the XN10 is a huge piece of lumber as other sticks do. Last night I was out with my friend on the ice for 2 hrs and I even stood in front of the net and tipped shots from the point. No marks on the stick at all, and I even tipped some off the shaft. The stick doesn't feel slippery either, one of the concerns I had at first. 8.5/10 In conclusion, I like the stick. I've been told that the stick will get flexier and the pinginess will go away after a while, so I'll be definitely using it til it gets to that point. I really would've preferred a W because it suits my shooting style more, and hopefully it would've cushioned the stick some more as it would have more give. I know certain members have had problems with the stick, but so far, I have yet to experience them. Of course, I'll be tracking the stick's progress in this post. Overall - 9/10