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Honestly both the ST and the ACP Pro would work for you, they both have adjustable straps around the thigh pads, the ST can be left pretty loose and still have good coverage. Also both have height adjustment for the thigh pads from -2" to +2" (I know the ST is that much adjustment, would have to double check the ACP Pro but it had a similar setup that basically raised/lowered the whole leg pad which I like b/c I always shorten mine up a bit).

I was curious and found a great deal on an ACP Pro on SLS ($40 shipped... well worn but plenty of life left). First impressions, this thing is light. I've worn Super Tacks the past few years and a couple of 9K's before that. Have tried some older Supreme wrap style girdles which I didn't care for some years ago. Ths ACP Pro (the black/yellow one), is definitely a little lighter than the ST but every single pad on it feels half as thin, it has good coverage but again, everything feels paper thin compared to the ST. The thigh boards, which are usually the beefiest pads, are almost flexible, and the tailbone pads don't instill much confidence. I do like the segmented pads on the outside of the thigh, feels like it wraps the outer leg with a little more protective coverage than the ST, but again, everything feels much thinner. For beer league it's fine but I wouldn't want to play full contact in these. I won't get to test them until at least April (recovering from ACL replacement) so can't say much until then, but even though I can't play right now I'm still addicted to gear 🤦‍♂️

Try the Jetspeed line, they're pretty narrow. Also some of the Sherwood stuff looks narrower, or if you can find the old STX shins still those might be worth a shot since everyone said they were super narrow/streamlined.

*SOLD* Picked these up last year hoping they'd fit (since I wanted to try out one of the long versions) but they're too big. They're medium but feel more like a pro stock medium, probably not as big as Jofa size 5 but def bigger than the size 4 19K Pros I had for a bit). I'm recovering from ACL reconstruction now so clearing out some stuff I had. These are new old stock, have tags still but had the player's name in sharpie on the top binding which was crossed out. They were sitting under something it seems b/c there is a minor spot on the left forearm velcro, looks like something dripped/melted onto the pad, pretty small and just cosmetic but want to be up front (see pics). Other than that they're brand new still, never been used. Asking $130 shipped in the US, I will ship to Canada if you cover the additional cost so IM me and I'll get a quote. Willing to entertain trades as well, currently looking for 15" Jetspeed FT4 Pro shins or Pro Stock Tacks shin guards (pro stock only with the Jofa style liner... thinking one of those might give me a little more ACL support than my 19K's lol). Untitled by Jon Schusteritsch, on Flickr Untitled by Jon Schusteritsch, on Flickr Untitled by Jon Schusteritsch, on Flickr Untitled by Jon Schusteritsch, on Flickr Untitled by Jon Schusteritsch, on Flickr Untitled by Jon Schusteritsch, on Flickr

yea, MOST of the old Jofa style models are built like tanks, they're awesome but not the lightest (pretty sure I had on the old Jofa 5090's in my avatar pic, those were like couches on my legs), but the 19K (old Jofa 7K Pro) style is perfect for skinny legs and beer league 😂

I'd say more low profile than Vapors and possibly lighter too (I had the 1X gen Vapors and found the knee/top shin area very wide and bulky and weight wise they weren't noticeably different than the Super Tacks I switched to afterwards). Maybe you're thinking of the 20k/8K or 21K's which are beefy and not that light? The 19K are the older style with the separate knee and shin plastics, they don't wrap around the calf nearly as much as others (or at all if you have bigger calf muscles, I'm skinny and they don't even come close lol), and they aren't too deep at the shin. Definitely the lightest and lowest profile shin guards I've tried at the expense of protection (you def feel shots off the sides of the plastic more than you would with the 8K Pro which I had before these which were tanks).

Same size as girdle, you can size down for style (look at William Nylander, he goes a size down... it looks stupid if you ask me but I'm an old man 😂). I would stick with a girdle shell since they tend to fit better and come up a little higher (some brands offer a little extra kidney padding). You don't need to use a Bauer shell with a Bauer girdle, all shells work with all girdles, they have a belt you tighten to hold it up after you pull it on. Some shells/girdles may have velcro tabs/loops for the girdle but they're pointless, the belt is all you need (if you play for multiple teams and have multiple shells there's no way you'd waste a few mins each time you swap shells when you can just pull them up and tighten a belt and get the same result lol).

If money is no option go find a pair of CCM 19K Pro, they're pro stock only but are still very popular and show up on SLS and in classifieds pretty regularly (but like all the pro stock stuff the prices have gone insane over the past few months). I have a couple of pairs and love them, super light and low profile but since they still have the old school removable liner with the thick knee donut they actually have better knee padding than anything retail.

I've only used XS and Edge and haven't looked back once I switched to XS. I just like the way they feel and prefer the dial as opposed to the trigger that broke on me twice and was not an easy fix (spring inside somehow popped out of place, only fix is the remove the entire holder to access the inside). I also prefer the wider selection of steel available for XS.

what model helmet and model cage? Also, do you hang your gear on anything at home? Almost looks like aplastic cap that goes around a 90deg bend on like a metal shelf/bracket of some sort.

The Gear exchange area of this site is what you're looking for, also sidelineswap, just set up a favorite and they pop up all the time (I know b/c I'm always keeping an eye on medium ones and see a lot of larges lol).

I'd always go the DIY route of spraying the gear down with a mix of distilled water, rubbing alcohol, and hydrogen peroxide after use, then washing my gear at least once a season (this is honestly the most helpful part lol). I use Sport Wash from Amazon, if you haven't washed your stuff you may need to do an extra wash to get all the funk out, but this stuff is great (I use it on all of my sports gear and tech fabrics since it clears the pores and refreshes the wicking abilities). Avoid any scented washes/sprays and definitely avoid any fabric softeners as they'll just lock in odor and destroy wicking capabilities. Skates I just spray down and helmets are trickier, I usually just soak them in a bucket of the Sport Wash and rinse real well, but depending on the helmet they may never smell good (looking at you CCM 910 with your terrible design that doesn't let moisture or smell out from behind the comfort pads).

I remember hearing the pink helps with light sensitivity, eps for those who have had concussions. I want to say Domi wore/wears one? I googled real quick to try to find what I saw and found this article: https://www.shapshotshockey.com/p/its-not-a-fashion-choice-why-daniel

Updating this post... had the Mix backpack since Sep. 2022 and am now looking for a replacement. The bag itself was a good size and had good features but the quality of the inner coating was poor (it has a PVC/rubber like coating they applied to the nylon all over the inside of the bag, probably the cause for the nasty chemical smell it had for the first few weeks). I have had black pieces of coating in all of my equipment for the past 6 months or so, started as a minor thing but now is getting out of hand with so much crap finding its way into my gear. The areas where it peeled off you can now see light through the nylon so I'm guessing it's only a matter of time til the material rips through. I contacted the company to see if there was any warranty or anything, mainly just to see what they'd say and if they knew about this issue, their reply was a resounding no to there being a warranty but offered a 35% discount if I wanted to order a replacement. That's definitely going to be a no from me. So, currently I think I've settled on the Warrior Pro backpack as a replacement, the only thing I'll miss about the Mix bag is the water bottle holders which I didn't even care about at first lol So anyone looking at the Mix Hockey backpack, save your money and look elsewhere, spend a little more now to save a lot more down the road.

First let me say this is a never ending journey. You'll think you found the perfect pair then a season later something will pique your interest and you'll try something different and be on the hunt all over again only to return to your previous "favorite" and find it's not as good as you remember lol it's an evil cycle. I've been through a bunch but tend to prefer the U+/CL/RBZ line, never tried Jetspeeds or QL's. I've had some Ultra Tacks and they were nice but didn't breathe as well and I didn't like how boxy the shoulder caps were, they had like a ledge to them. CL's were the best overall as far as lightness and comfort but their caps are just so big (which is why I never tried QL's or Jetspeeds since they have the same caps). I tried Vapor 2X Pro and 3X Pro, the 3X Pro was the better of the two and was super light and breathable but just felt awkward when I wore it, the caps or something kept feeling like they were hitting stuff when I moved (also the caps felt like they'd break in pieces if I touched them wrong which is just how Vapor caps are). I tried Stark at one point, wasn't a big fan. Tried STX, they didn't stay in place very well. U+ ones are awesome and havre the best cap/bicep combo but they don't breathe as well as the CL's. Right now I'm wearing CL's with U+ caps, best of both worlds, they're light, mobile, and breathe really well, ansds the caps are much more low profile (they're not the prettiest since I'm not the greatest with a sewing awl but they do the trick lol).

Happy Birthday MSH!!

CCM makes youth skates that are heat moldable, obv they have a variety of models but most of the higher level ones will be heat moldable. I picked up a pair of Tacks for my son a couple of years ago when he still played that they baked in the shop for him, they were closeout from the year before so they were on sale which made it even better (these were a size 12 from what I remember so still youth). A Leif mentioned they do make ankle sleeves which may take up some space, also maybe try some Superfeet insoles which raise the heel slightly which might help (stock insoles are always so thin and flat). Lastly, the old advice from Hans in the Mighty Ducks... wear thicker socks lol

probably just the "new" North American way lol (and "new" to me may be the last 20+ years haha). I'm 44, back in the 90's it was all heel all the time lol, I used this square blade bent at the heel, it was like a paddle to a boat, I wouldn't dare use that now lol

This sounds like the "new" way to shoot. Back in he day we were always taught to shoot from the heel, then the P28 came out and everyone switched over to shooting from the toe. Now it seems that's the more common approach and using the pull in and shoot method (to alter angles, etc.) is very popular. So with that in mind, many of the curves out there will accommodate your style so you can play around with other curves, I would experiment with the P28, P29/92/90 (all basically the same, P29 is CCM's P92, and P90 is CCM's pro code for the P29), or my favorite, the P90TM. The P90TM is a cross between the P28 and P29/92/90, has the toe curve of a P28 but a little less open and with a more squarish blade shape like the 29/92/90, for me it's the best of both worlds. Or just stick with what you have if you're comfortable. I hate change so once I find something I like I stick with it until I find an issue or real reason to change.

Very quick and easy task. X-Acto works better than a seam ripper, you can just snip each seam that holds on the shot blocker (once you get ne side free the second side of that blocker is easier since you can now lift/pull it up which exposes the seams more). I started trying to use the seam ripper before realizing I was making it more difficult for myself. Each glove will be different, some have larger/easier to get to areas between the padding where the shot blocker was attached so just take your time and check it all out before cutting anything, this way you know you're cutting the right ones.

Honestly, current skates fit better BUT there are so many variables now that make it hard to find that perfect fit/feel. I was in Vapors for a bit which I thought fit good but hated how tall/stiff the sides were, so then I went to Ribcors which were a world of difference and felt more like that old style flexible boot. I'm now in custom Jetspeeds which are incredible. My advice is to try to find some older CCM Ribcor skates, not even the top models, look for the step down from the top so the 90K (step below the 100k), 88k (step below the 90k), or 78k (step below the 80k), they'll feel more familiar but give you more of the modern benefits. As for the Bauer Supreme 2000... this was my first pro level skate back in like 95/96, I found a used pair at Play it Again Sports that fit like a dream, they were awesome for a couple years until I got some new Graf 705's in '97/98, those things were amazing.

I grew up in the 90's wearing Bauer and they were not true to size, not as drastic as some of today's skates but I was about 1.5 sizes down. The 3000 was the pinnacle in the early 90's but the ones you linked are a later model so not sure the quality/sizing (that vertical zig zag stitching wasn't introduced until the Comp which was after the 4000, so I'm guessing later on they may have re-used older model numbers for mid tier models). One thing to remember is back in the 90's and early 00's a 5.5 was still a kids size, there was no "intermediate", so they may also be built on a narrower last which may explain the fitting issues.

That Hockey Tutorial guy will endorse anything for the right price, he has no shame lol, I stopped watching his stuff after the whole charity scandal and just getting tired of biased reviews. He doesn't hold a candle to Hills' "Hockey Reviews" page in terms of reviews. With that off my chest, I did enjoy the Graf video, my 705's I got in the mid 90's were my favorite skates I ever owned, partially because the brand had so much history and just stood out over Bauer/CCM at the time (it was like going for a Porsche over a Ford), and partially because they just felt so good on my feet. I haven't seen or tried any of their new offerings but they'll always have a place in my heart.

Even high end pads don't have a ton of padding on the side/ribs. Easiest thing might be to get a padded shirt, I think they're for football, but they have padding on the rib area (I used to get them for my son who plays lax goalie, also would get them to cut the pads out to attach elsewhere for different things). I'd say try the shirt, they're relatively cheap, or find some rib padding for football/lax (I've seen it in Dicks) and attach to the shoulder pads or straps (someone on here once attached padding to the side straps, I can't find the thread though).

Not sure why this would go in this thread but sounds like you need to file a claim with USPS, only the shipper can do that, from there they'll try to locate and if you had insurance you;ll get everything back one way or another. The seller is not out any money as SLS doesn't take their payment until they approve the swap. You can also reach out to SLS but I've heard they're pretty terrible with stuff like this. There's a whole thread dedicated to SLS issues on sports2k so maybe someone over there might have more insight (there's a lot of members there that sell a ton on SLS). One thing.. if you're in Toronto how can you ship with USPS? Don't you ship Canada Post who them transfers to USPS? If so I would include whomever actually accepted and was paid for the shipping.