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Try "Sport Wash" from Amazon, it works wonders and is relatively cheap for how much you get/how long it will last. It doesn't have any fragrance like regular detergents and doesn't have any fabric softeners and is UV free so it really cleans out any moisture wicking materials and makes them smell fresh again (regular detergents and anything with fabric softener will clog the pores of moisture wicking materials and lock smell in). I wash my gear (everything except helmet, skates, and gloves) in the stuff and it's awesome, been using it for years now.... I also wash any used gear I get right away in it to get rid of whatever smell might be there.

Try a bunch on and make your own decisions... they all fit differently and will protect in different ways depending how they sit on your particular arm. I used to swear by the 3 pc models (RBZ, CL, Jetspeed) but then tried out Super Tacks (more traditional style elbow pad) and found they fit my arm better and even stay in place better (after I modded the straps to be shorter since I have skinny arms which I've pretty much done to any elbow pads I've owned). If you're looking for something nice to try that's on sale you can look at the STX HPR's, they have a 50% off sale going now.

I've had RBZ, CL, and Jetspeed (and actually have ST now which is very different)... all (aside from the ST) are basically the same design just slight variations in straps and materials but overall no major differences from what I could tell owning and wearing them all. I actually preferred the older RBZ style straps the most compared to the others but did find them all to run on the short side if that makes a difference. If I were you I'd go for whichever looks to be cleaner and in better shape.

The Shock Doctor is great, works really well and overall is a great shirt (very breathable and well made). I had the same issue with elbow pads never staying in place but, after trying a handful of models and sizes I got a pair that fits me great and I no longer need the shirt to help me out (my issue is I have skinny arms, the pads that fit length wise never fit snugly enough until I started sewing the straps to be shorter to give me a more snug fit, also I just found a style that fits my arms well which happened to be a traditional one piece JDP cap style instead of the 3 piece floating style I used to prefer).

I bought a set of these a while back after reading about them and being sold on the benefits (mainly the stuff about being easier on the knees/joints since I've had a few knee surgeries). I tried them one time and ditched them, I honestly didn't give them much of a chance and wish I did. Right off the bat I had them profiled and sharpened the same as my existing skates (at that time it was a standard Bauer profile so 9' or whatever it was). First skate I def felt the slight flex but it made me feel like I had a shorter profile, I felt like I was tipping over the front at times and didn't like that (knowing what I know now I should have tried a different profile to maybe compensate or even used a quad profile which most likely would've been great with these). I switched skates not long after this (went to CCM) so I never really had a chance to give them any more of a chance. I do still think it's a great idea so I'm looking fwd to what JR thinks about them when he finds some ice to try them on.

They're Shot Blocker XT's, they attach to the laces and protect the laced area and have a thick flap that sits in front of the tongue to protect that area. I tried them because I had a spurt when I got hit, in both feet, in that exact same area multiple times (3x in one game at one point), unfortunately they didn't work well since I put my shins over the tongue and they kept coming out or pushing the shins up, if we ever play again I may try them upside down attached to the bottom of the shin instead (I think I've seen a handful of payers wear them like that, or something similar).

I picked up the Surgeon RX3 shoulder pads right at the beginning of Covid lockdown since they had a really nice sale going on (I think I paid about $80 shipped). I have yet to use them (and prob won't til 2021 the earliest 😷) but they feel nice. They're light and comfortable and seem to be a pretty low profile which is what I was going for (my old CCM RBZ 130's were starting to fall apart and I wanted something a little more streamlined). For the price they seem really nice.

So is Sher-Wood making a comeback with the NHL? I know they didn't have the contract/rights whatever to have their logo displayed on their gear if worn in the NHL but I've seen a handful of guys using the Rekker in social media posts over the past few weeks, including Kaapo Kaako and Jacob Trouba (who was even wearing their gloves). 7th image has a good shot of Trouba: https://www.instagram.com/p/CCofPtkAaki/?utm_source=ig_web_copy_link

From what I can tell, V08's and 4500's seem to have the lowest profiles to them, prob has something to do with them having much less "tech" in them so less padding (that's my guess). I've worn V08's for years and 4500's back in the late 90's/early 00's and they just fit me right (V08's are narrow and oval compared to others I've tried so they fit my head best). I've tried (and own) an IMS 9.0 but I hardly ever wear it for 2 reasons... first, it's just not that comfortable during the course of a game, and second, it looks huge compared to what I'm used to (yes we're all vain like that).

Some guys wearing baseball sliding shorts underneath their pants for added protection but I don't know of anyone adding more to the pants or girdle (I'm sure someone has). I remember back to the early 90's when I started playing, even the heaviest of heaviest pants (the old Tackla's that took 2 years to break in) had minimal padding on the actual glutes, just a large tailbone pad and some thin foam on the rest of the glutes.

I've never attached a shell to a girdle with anything other than the belt, seems a bit counter intuitive for a girdle since one of the benefits of a girdle is being able to swap shells easily. I've been a girdle wearer since the 90's and never saw the velcro loops til maybe 5-6 years ago and just can't see any benefit to them, I sort of equate them to as important as velcro straps on shin guards... useless.

🤣 I still think they're prob the coolest looking gloves of all time... I still see them when I think of Leetch, Zubov, and Kovalev, oh and Modano too (wasn't he the last guy to wear them he had them branded as Warriors in his later years).

For me, back in the 90's I wanted a pair of Easton gloves soooo bad. A couple of friends had them, the 9500's, all leather with the super grippy palm and air inside that you had to force your hand to squeeze into. I loved the look and wanted them so bad until one friend let me use his one time, his were "broken in" since he had them for a while but were the stiffest most uncomfortable things I ever wore, I was so bummed because I wanted a pair for so long, I ended up getting a pair of all leather Sher-Woods instead, the ones with the vertical backrolls, and loved them.

I had/have the XXXX wheeled bag (it was a gift from the Mrs. way back when).... it looks awesome but I quickly realized it was way too big and heavy (it's HUGE), it now holds both of my kids gear plus my skates/gloves/helmet for coaching.

I don't know, maybe the guy just reallllllly loves laces made by that company and isn't just some paid spammer, I mean anything is possible right? 🤣

The PP10 shell is a pant shell so that might be too big. Look for PP90 or PP9K (or PPTK), those are the CCM girdle shells, Bauer and Warrior also make similar versions but I'm pretty sure the CCM's are the only ones with the added kidney protection (a thin piece of plastic and thin padding on each side). I've only had a pro stock Super Tacks shell and it didn't offer any additional padding that I saw unless they mean the little soft padding around the belt. Warrior has some nice pro stocks shells that can be found on Hockey Monkey, or just browse classifieds/sidelineswap/ebay for various pro stock shells (warning, it can be addicting lol).

With the Super Tacks the waist is just smaller than a usual medium but the issue I notice most with the sizing is they feel shorter (I have the leg pads adjusted down quite a ways) and also the thigh pads seem as if they're made for toothpick legs. I'm pretty skinny, no one has ever accused me of having big legs, quite the opposite actually, and the thigh straps are at their loosest for me to use them. My old 9K's had the straps all the way over and wouldn't even be close to stretching, but the Tacks straps barely reach and are tight at that point, it's the oddest thing. For the record, I am 5'9" and about 165-170 with about a 32" waist, medium works for me but if I had muscular legs it probably wouldn't work. OP: if you look on s2k there was someone selling a pair of 7092's in medium for really cheap, worth a look.

From my limited experience, the most protective girdle I've had is the Super Tacks girdle. It has great tailbone and hip coverage as well as kidney and spine protection plus it's pretty light and mobile. Previously I've used the 9K girdle which I loved but the Tacks offers better protection, before that I had a Bauer One.8 which I couldn't stand... this one was more of a wrap than a girdle and it never felt like it was on right, also the protection in this model was lighter weight and limited esp in the tail area. Prior to that I had an old Easton Synergy one from the early 00's which wasn't bad but didn't have as much coverage as the Tacks, and before that I had an old Cooper one in the 90's which didn't do a whole lot lol. As for sizing, most girdles I'd say try a medium but if you're interested in the Tacks I would go for a large, they run VERY small for some odd reason. They also have a Tacks model one step down that offers very similar protection, I think there might be a LTR of that one in the reviews section, I remember reading about it when I was considering the Super Tacks.

I'm not a fan of Elite either, I've been using Howies waxed the past while and have been happy. I tend to run laces as long as I can because I hate breaking in new laces... you know those first handful of times where the laces just don't have the right stretch or give to them? Or am I alone in this lace break in thing?

I had Louisville's I believe back in HS, they were the same as the orange Easton Donzi's but different colors and branding (my friend had those)... they were absolute tanks! I didn't feel anything but also could hardly move.

I'd go with the PP9K, it has the added kidney protection and also has velcro tabs if you were so inclined to attach it to the girdle so you couldn't easily remove it (not sure why this is a thing but some people like that).

Awesome, thanks guys! I'll just keep my eyes open for all the details 😄

Nice! I just wasn't sure how it all went, I'd love to make the most of it and meet some people and have some fun, just gotta make sure I keep things in budget. Is there, or will there be a certain hotel everyone stays at or anything? I know there's a lot of sketchy areas in Newark so want to make sure I don't book the wrong place 🤣

I've been interested in attending for a long time and this summer is looking like I'll finally get my wish. Can anyone describe the day's events? Is it worth getting a hotel room for the night before or of?

Not entirely sure what, if any, differences there are between the two. I always assumed it was just a name change when RBK dropped out of the branding and it was then all CCM. I've owned both models and nothing jumped out at me as being different.