xstartxtodayx

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.

Any shell will work since it's just a cover, no need to attach any of the loops that some shells have, those are just more trouble than anything, just use the belt/closure the shell has and you're good to go. Just be aware, collecting shells can be addicting 😅 I've lost track of how many I've had over the years, they're much cheaper than buying new pants so it's easier to match teams you're on. In my experience, the PP90/PP9K shells run a touch longer, Warrior girdle shells run smaller (the ones from the past year or so are really small), the Tacks shell is a bit more fitted but has a zipper at the waist to add length if need be. Bauer has some Supreme shells, they're pretty true to size but I always felt they seemed cheap, the material on the backs of legs was thin and like mesh, I wasn't a fan. You can also use pant shells, they tend to run a little larger, a PP10 or the Bauer pant shells would prob be good since they're a little longer than a regular girdle shell, only other difference is they don't go above the waist/belt where as a girdle shell will go higher.

It has happened to me once or twice but the pliers make it easier when doing it between games/at home (new steel/new holders can be pretty tight... I had to replace one of my holders and that one was significantly tighter). Last month I had to change mid game, one of the few times ever... had gotten a bad sharpening, not level and my outer edge was no existent. Firs two games I played on soft crappy ice (or standard LI ice) and didn't notice, but next game I was at one of the few good rinks with harder ice and had to swap steel after a couple of shifts.

I picked these up a while back, they work like a charm! They have the rubber on them so they won't damage the steel. They now live in my hockey bag and have come in handy on numerous occasions. https://a.co/d/fXVn7B5

I second the Tacks/Jetspeed girdle. I have a Super Tacks, size medium, and wear it at -1" (or possibly -1.5"), the velcro area goes from like + or - 2" and you could even modify it for additional adjustment if you wanted (I'm 5'9" for the record). I know on the older 9K girdles you could get larger extended thigh pads, I bought a set from HockeyMonkey years ago since they were on clearance for like $20 not realizing how huge they were lol, never used them but did use them for spare parts to make repairs to other things.

The Canucks matte black helmets remind me of that one guy in every beer league with the old matte black Easton bucket that never looked good, usually paired with roller hockey pants and some skates from 20 years ago... it's a hard no from me.

I only had/have issues like that when I had that thigh piece on my shins which is why I always cut them off. I wore 9K's for years before switching to Super Tacks, the 9K doesn't have much in ways of adjusting from what you've already done but you could try shortening the adjustment strap (double up and sew together to make shorter, or sew on more velcro so you have more adjustment room). Maybe also try adding a wrap of tape to the top of the knee part of your shin guard?

Those Bees days were years ago lol, and yes John was running it at the time, I went with the Pigeons afterwards (after he left that team) and now a few over 40 teams, I'm too old to keep up with college kids now.

I've had two kids go through LTP and few fiend's kids... the skates are all entry level with either Tacks or Jetspeed labeling on them, so prob the same as what your son has already (could differ with sizes as well, if he has big feet maybe it's a different model but all of the younger/smaller sizes seemed to be the basic Tacks or Jetspeed labelled skate which really doesn't have any of the tech you'd find in adult skates). As for profiling, if he's just learning I wouldn't worry unless you see him struggling... no sense in trying to tweak/worry about things like that when they're still learning how to skate and the basics of the game, leave those details for when he's older and understands the differences (old man rant: back when I was a kid no one paid any attention to profiles or even hollows, we just skated on whatever we were given and we all did just fine with our wooden sticks and cinder block skates 🤣). One tip... if his current skates fit him fine keep them for now and get the next size up so he can wear those when he outgrows what he's in now, I did that with both of my kids since I already had skates for them which they were using for skating lessons.

When my kids were little we just started with used stuff. They don't outgrow everything too quick, the skates yes, but things like pants/elbows/shoulders not so quick. Also if you're doing a LTP program usually they supply all of the gear head to toe as part of the cost (when my kids were little it was $150 for the program and that included all of the gear too, it was a bargain). So hold off on buying everything til you know the gameplan. If the kids haven't been on ice yet I'd suggest some skating lessons to start since a solid skating foundation will help a ton when they start the LTP (since they don't really teach basic skating too much). I would scour FB marketplace and CL for gear, SLS is tough since some people try to make a profit off of their free LTP gear lol, but hey a mix of SLS/ebay/FB and CL is a good start.

I've used shin pad straps just like Monty that I had lying around for repairs in the past, also I have a habit of hoarding all old straps that are in good shape before getting rid of equipment lol. But if you're not handy you can always try a tailor or shore repair place, they'd have some elastic or nylon and can attach new velcro. Here are two examples of my amazing sewing skills (insert sarcastic voice there)... pair of U+ CL elbow pads I love that had this web sort of strap with a "non slip" coating that wore off and started to disintegrate, I cut that out and added two straps, one was a shinpan strap (which I later shortened even more), and the larger was a part from an old neoprene knee brace. Untitled by Jon Schusteritsch, on Flickr and this was a shoulder pad straps that was way overstretched, I cut it to just a few inches and attached part of a strap I took from some arm pads we removed from my son's lacrosse gear: Untitled by Jon Schusteritsch, on Flickr I will use anything I can get my hands on that will do the job lol

Tacks are the current relative to that style still using the JDP cap, the strapping and some minor details change year after year but the guts are still the same. You can sometimes find older generation Tacks online for a good deal, also even 2nd/3rd tier from the top would be equivalent since the top models all got super beefy compared to those older styles. If they're still in good shape overall maybe try what Monty mentioned and have the straps replaced... I've used donor pads for their straps in the past, or find a shoe repair place or maybe even a tailor/dry cleaner that may be able to sew new straps on for you.

When I switched from Bauer w/ LSE to CCM w/ XS blades I also had that more in the heels feeling. A friend who works at a shop mentioned the normal pitch of the blades is slightly different between the two brands/blades (I don't have the technical data to back that up but when I described the feeling she was immediately familiar with what I was describing going from one to the other). I debated putting the Tuuks on the CCM's but figured I should try profiling at first and it made a big difference in getting that feel just right (what worked on one might not work on the other). Last year I got new skates, CCM again, same size but they had an upsized holder which also required a little tweaking to get that comfortable feeling again (ended up going from a quad .5 on a 263 to a quad 0 on a 271). So if I were you and the boot fits great, try tweaking the profile to get that more familiar feeling.

I too found this, the 910, 720, and X all fit pretty different even though they have the same shell which was surprising. I've worn 910's for a few years now, they fit great but every now and then I get hot spots near the temples (I found this was wore before I removed the ear guards, once those were removed it created a touch more room and made it better but it still happens just not as painful). I bought a couple Tacks X, one in my normal CCM size, small, which ended up being way too tight. I then tried a medium which fit but felt like my head got swallowed u too much, like my head felt way too deep inside the helmet, so I sold that one too. I recently tried on a 720 at Pure Hockey (I really liked the idea of a little less weight but also more airflow and maybe eliminating that temple hot spot), unfortunately the 720 was not right either, the small was the right size (matched the 910) BUT it felt like it swallowed my head too much like the X did, just felt awkward in how low it sat (and how much the top of my ears would stick out if the display model didn't have ear guards on which crushed my ears, which are not that big lol, I'm not dumbo I swear haha). So for now I'll stick with my 910s' and maybe try to find a way to tweak the temple area to eliminate the hot spots.

I always thought the blade stiffness was more related to the feel of the puck and softer was more beneficial for receiving passes, not much of a difference for shooting, not sure if that's totally accurate but my uneducated logic seems to think it makes sense.

Not too familiar with that one but looks like a more standard traditonal fit, so maybe a Tacks? All of the new Bauer ones seem to tapered or anatomical to me. Also, not sure what size you are but these brand new Nexus 8000's just popped up if you're a 16": https://sidelineswap.com/gear/hockey/protective/shin-pads/7362023-bauer-nexus-8000-nhl-pro-stock-hockey-protective-shin-pads-senior-size-16 That seller has a website, lockerswap.com and you can get 10% off through the site, I've picked up some shells from them in the past.

Also, pretty much all pro stock socks have a layer of cut resistant fabric sewn to the back of the leg for the past number of years (I've had a bunch, you only notice when you wash them since you see/feel the extra layer on the inside). I mean it's great for protecting your calf but unless you're overlapping the tendon guard it still leaves some room for injury if a skate comes down into an exposed tendon area.

I haven't used their cut resistant variety but Aycane makes a really nice skate sock, I would try them if I was looking. I have a pair of their normal skate socks and they're really high quality and haven't worn down/stretched out much at all over the past year.

I might trust an old school cobbler more than a local shop in this case (unless it's a legit shop with people who know what they're doing, not something like a Pure Hockey), couple stitches and could prob replace that eyelet in no time. Hardest part is finding one still in business still.

I think a white cuff would've been great, kind of how the Flyers do it now which looks so so good.

Rangers breaking in their alternate gloves... Navy with red trim, kind of wish they had some white in there too, two tone gloves are kind of boring.

especially after the fabled Iron Lotus incident.

That testing process is not the end all be all, it is not perfect by any means and has some flaws. There are many threads discussing the shortcomings of their tests and lots of opinions on how much different people value, or don't value their findings. I'm sure the ones discussing the Tacks X helmet here have already decided whether or not the VT ratings mean anything to them. I've heard that CCM does their own testing (or uses another lab/University) which is more thorough than the VT tests and I'd guess their results are pretty good which is why they're expanding the usage of the 3D Printed webbing.

Growing up it was mandatory (I started playing around 1990), wore one til I got to college and it wasn't mandatory anymore. I remember there were various brands/models, some more comfortable than others, I'm sure now there are even better ones than back then and a lot more to choose from since there's more companies making them now. I recently saw CCM, Bauer,and Shock Doctor even make base layers with them built in which seems like a nice option, albeit a very expensive one. Now, personally, I don't know if I'm going to wear one, I mean I bet you're more likely to get cut on wrists/back of legs, and most don't even wear anything in those areas. This tragedy appears to have been avoidable from what I saw, I've never seen anyone's leg naturally extend how his did but that's just my opinion.

I tried a Tacks X in small and medium (I'm normally a small in CCM with the adjustment about halfway), both pro stock but not "custom", don't think I paid more than $175 for either. The small was way too small even at the largest setting, tried it for one game and it was not comfortable at all (aside from how much more airflow there was) so I resold that and found a medium. The medium fit at the smallest setting but felt like I was wearing a bowling ball, like felt like it was not snug enough, it was odd. So I sold that and have stuck with the 910's I have but I'm curious to try the 720 since it seems to fit more similar to the 910, I was lucky in that I was able to recoup almost everything I spent on my Tacks X experiment, it might've cost me $5-10 in the end which is ok with me, just glad they were pretty easy to resell. I'm sure a Custom Tacks X would be 100% better fitting and slightly more comfortable than what I'm used to but there's no way I'd spend that kind of money on a helmet.