start_today

The Axehandle style grip reminds me of the Ogiegrip buttend inserts.

I wish there was an individual thread for “is this garbgage fly by night stick company that no one has ever heard of any good,” rather than making a new thread every 6 months. No, they aren’t. There are a litany of better choices available at the same price or a few dollars more.

My wife plays in South Shore Women's League. They have a lot of different divisions, and apparently some are very beginner. She said some teams have practices and developmental stuff, so that might be an option. I played a few seasons of C level NESHL with my wife (She actually joined both teams on her own, they I jumped on for a summer). Teams were very welcoming of both of us, since we "free agents." Guys in the locker room and on the team were friendly, but refs seemed to let A LOT go, and I thought it was straight up dangerous at times. I got run into the boards from behind a few times by guys that couldn't skate, and lots of slashes and hooks. Seems like quite a few guys are just playing in that league so they can get into fights. No thanks. Stinky Socks is really welcoming and friendly. It's more or less like a pick-up with a ref. I think they generally do a job keeping things level, and even when people do skate at the wrong level, it's no more egregious than an other hockey where there's a 10% chance theres someone playing too high or too low for their level. Doing a D level game or two a week with a skills development somewhere would be a good start. Because it's mostly drop in, it's great if you have a weird schedule, and a cool way to meet people. (If you're social. I am not social.) MAHL has been friendly and nice in my interactions with them, but it sometimes feels a like they are running leagues with too few players. I think they are still establishing themselves, so maybe that issue is getting better. Hockey North America has been an ok as a league, and feels SUPER organized. I've only been playing in it for a few months. I don't know if they offer any developmental programs. Hockey New England has been good the seasons I have played with them. People who run the league are very friendly and approachable and welcoming. I've actually twice heard someone from the league call players out for using homophobic slurs, which was kind of amazing to hear from an adult sports league. Again, I don't know if they do any skillz clinics or developmental stuff. I don't care if guys are overcompensating try-hards, as long as they are safe and respectful of other players. My issue is with guys who want to "get under your skin" with all the slashes and hooks and whacking the crap out of the goalie.

But these nobs go to 11!!

For what it’s worth, I always had trouble finding skates that fit. For a while I was in ccm skates that were probably too wide, but good enough. Makos fit me great, and were the most comfortable skate I ever wore. But, all good things come to an end. Empires crumble, Cliff Burton dies, skates breakdown. Since this summer, I’ve been wearing Vapor X800s, and im REALLY happy with them. I think skates today are so much more mailable during baking, people that have had trouble finding skates have more options because making those fine tuning adjustments are easier. Im not saying there’s always an option for everyone, and, as has been noted, nothing really fits like a Mako, but it’s always worth trying on new things. Im kind of annoyed by companies rolling out a new updated skate line every year, but, in some cases there are changes in fit, so a make or model that didn’t work 5 years ago suddenly works now.

I wouldn’t say it’s an oxymoron. It’s just them making a statement that their base standards aren’t in line with what their research shows to be optimal. I mean, it’s 1/20th of a millimeter, so it’s not a huge amount, but still. And, the weird phrase about “ generally the goal is to have at least 2.75mm in contact with the ice which would help with the sharpening.“ just doesn’t make sense. What you have touching the ice is a separate concept for what is ideal for sharpening. Seems like it was written by an intern who is still learning how to communicate. Or they wrote back a bunch of jargon just to give a response.

That response from CCM is so hard to read and parse. The goal is 2.75mm but optimal is 2.8mm and above. As a consumer, it would be nice to read that the optimal number is also their goal.

I have Covert DT2 pants, predecessors to the QRL line. My previous pair of pants were an older Easton top tier model. Compared to the Eastons I had, DT2s are mobile and lighter. I’ve taken a few pucks in the mid thigh, and was a little surprised I felt it. I think it just found a spot between two pads, but not enough I felt unsafe or had a bruise. I’ve taken a few spills and been fine and didn’t notice anything. Pants aren’t a very sexy piece of equipment to me. I feel like these do their job and don’t get in the way. I put of my pants after my skates with no problem, even though the coverts are billed as being “tapered” and more close fitting than “traditional” cut pants. Im 6’2”, 180-185, and wear larges. I probably need a M+1or2, but these are fine with the belt pulled tight.

Why current CCM sticks, and why the V6 or V8? Sticks, particularly CCM sticks have come a LONG WAY since then. Even low level sticks are going to have better feel and balance and pop than those. I don't think there's a direct analog to those now. Maybe Vector to Sickick to Ribcor, but it's certainly not a direct line. That was kind of the dark ages of sticks for CCM. Almost anything you buy today is an upgrade. Vectors didn't have the engineered low kick points you'll see on Ribcors or Coverts, but they weren't a mid-kick like a Nexus or Tacks. They were tapered to force the kickpoint lower. Maybe the Warrior Alpha with the "low, but not really that low" kickpoint would be similar in kickpoint placement. My generic go to answer if people don't know what stick to buy is the True 4.5. Great value and has good feel because it's all one piece construction, as opposed to being a fused 2 piece. It's hard to find a negative review of it, unless it's people being kind of snobby about only buying top tier sticks.

I’ve played with plenty of dudes who played in college who still worry about stats in adult league. Some people care about a thing, some don’t.

I use senior sticks and my wife uses intermediates. A quick and dirty measurement of the circumferences has her A6.0 and Ultra Tacks at 3 1/2”, and my Alpha and Nexus sticks at 3 5/8”. If I pick them up at the same time, I don’t notice a difference in shaft dimensions. Blades of int sticks have always seemed the same as senior to me. Besides Mission, I think every company’s int shafts used senior blades for 2 piece sticks.

First off, thanks to CCM for the free hat and Nicholas G for posting this thread. Previous hats: old 59/50 fitted wool cubs hat from 20 years ago, free Nike mesh hat for my job, old Exxon hat with a cool band patch on it. I don’t wear hats much. Overall 7/10. Decent hat and serves its functions. I wouldn’t wear it while playing, but is great for wearing to rink or to weddings or court hearings Fit: 6.5/10. Ccm Jetspeed hat sits kinda high on my head. I wish it was a slightly more shallow, and my head circumference fits between two snaps, so it’s either too tight or too loose. Would be helpful if it had the Boa style adjustment like the Warrior Alpha helmet. I do prefer the snaps over the “fitted” style, as this accommodates a variety of head shapes. Looks: 8/10. Red and white is a nice combo. Basic CCM is subtle and classy, and makes me feel ok about being free advertising. I don’t love the mesh back, but don’t hate it. I think the Jetspeed logo on the back would be better in red, to match the front of the hat. Brim has a gentle curve I like, probably most similar to the old Easton Iginla. Top of the brim is red and bottom is white, reminiscent of “Oreo” type cages. “Snapback” style creates a classic look. Protection: TBD. I haven’t worn it on a sunny day yet, but looks like it will keep the sun out of my eyes. VA Tech ratings aren’t available for this yet, but I suspect it does not protect from heavy impact. (I know, I know, that study has flaws...) Intangibles: Doesn’t really fit well with my glasses or sun glasses, so that limits when I can wear it. I LOVE the old “block” style CCM logo, but this newish logo is ok. With the resurgence of the Tacks name, would be cool to see some branding with the classic logo.

Two things that people often inexplicably overlook, then complain that they can’t see out of the cage- 1) buy the correct size for your face. Don’t buy one two sizes too big. 2) don’t “hang” the cage 3 inches from your chin, wear it like it’s designed. I think if people would quit doing that, they wouldn’t have such a problem adapting.

Current 1X is the best looking Vapor series in years. Judging by that shot, it was a blip in the trend that loves cheap looking gradient graphics.

Is anyone able to articulate the difference between the 7092 and the 5092? I’ve looked at specs online, and it’s mostly meaningless jargon. Im gonna try some on tomorrow, if Pure Hockey has any, but their elbow selection is spotty.

Most importantly, it looks better to tape the toe.

My wife and I drive from Boston 45 minutes up to No Icing once a month, because they are the only place that does a reliable FBV. That plus a fancy espresso from Benson’s, it’s not a bad trip.

I’ve had the Warrior Alpha QX Pro for about three weeks. They are ok. They feel a little bulky, but I wonder if that is the price of protection and comfort. I have longish arms and wear a medium, but feel like I always have the straps pulled about as tight as they can go, regardless of the pad. Before this I had Rebook 10ks. They felt a touch too wide once they broke in, and again I had the straps pulled right. For me, its hard to get the true feel of elbows in the store. Gloves I can try on and have a feeling of how they’ll break in for my hand, but elbows feel like way more of a shot in the dark. Definitely the least fun/interesting piece of equipment to buy.

Is their “regular” steel worth getting, the non-DLC stuff?

Threads like this are why this site kicks ass so much.

Hey team...topping an old thread here. Anyone have any feedback on Massive blades? I see them lumped in with Step and Tydan, but I can never tell if that’s just because it’s another aftermarket option, or because it’s a good aftermarket option on par with those two.

Lightbulb moment...is Rekker supposed to be a play on “wrecker?” That doesn’t make any more sense, but at least it’s a word…

I live in Boston. I won a hat the 1st or 2nd day, and sent in my form. I got an email a few weeks later that was the same as the first, requesting the waiver form. I sent it in again, but haven’t heard anything. ¯\_(ツ)_/¯

“I can’t find anything that plays like the Nexus 1000” is the 2018 version of “nothing plays as well as the XN10.” Planned obsolescence and the need to roll out a new line every year can suck it.

Haha, I’m definitely waiting for the post that says “True tracking system said my skates were delivered two weeks ago, but they just arrived today and are silver instead of black.”