Standard63

Background: 24y/o 5'7" 165 lbs. Coach/Forward Last Used Stick(s): Synergy ST TPS XN10 Stick Reviewed: CCM U+ 100 flex, Clear, Recchi curve, cut down about 5 inches. Time Used: One Month (20hrs. Ice) Feel: Coming from a Synergy ST about a year old, the first thing I noticed was the sticks amazing balance. Not too blade or shaft-heavy, so no complaints there. Stick handling is outstanding and you can feel absolutely everything. The blade feels nice and stiff and doesn't whip out. The rounded square toe is outstanding for controlling toe drags and pull-backs. I found myself having to look down less to see where the puck was because I could feel where it was on my blade. The U+'s feel while skating is also impressive. The balance makes backchecking a breeze whether two or one-handed. In my opinion, the best part of this stick is its feel. 10/10 Weight: This stick is featherlight. My ST feels like a woody after using the U+ 10/10 Durability: This is the area in which the U+ takes a hit. The stick, being as light as it is, has shown that CCM made some compromises, namely in the blade. The blade has been made so thin in order to balance the super-light blade that the durability is drastically reduced. The toe is already chipped up pretty bad and I haven't even used it outside of practices yet. There are some impact marks on the front of the blade and the clear coat is starting to bubble off on the bottom of the blade. Even after double taping the bottom and the toe, it has continued to chip. As bad as the blade has been, I have not had any problems with the shaft yet, taking some considerable pokes and slashes. I suppose that it is a "Pro Level" stick, so i suppose it would be great for the pro player who can use it for a game or two and then break out a brand new one. 6/10 Shooting/Passing: My snap shot has always been my strongest asset, and this has been a great stick for me. After getting used to it, as the kickpoint is quite low, it has been awesome. Even being a 100 flex, it feels more like a 90ish. The wristers and snappers load up well and explode off the blade. The slapper is the toughest to adjust to, maybe its the stiff flex, but it seems to push right, but I plan on working that out. Delivering passes is easy and effortless, but receiving seems to encounter the same problems that other ultralight sticks have such as jumping and skipping over a firm pass. Still, not going to hold it against the stick. It's definitely a offensive stick. 9/10 Looks: This stick looks awesome. The stick is mainly black with blue and chrome accents. Part of the chrome "U+" has chipped off a bit, but thats to be expected. It doesn't really matter though right? ;) Overall: After all is said and done, the U+ is one hell of a high-end OPS. The person I would recommend this stick to is a finesse player with a big budget for sticks. Aside from the durability, this is the best performing stick I have ever used. You definitely have to baby the toe, but what CCM has done is shake the vector image as a bumbling "shot from the point" specialist and evolved this top end OPS which can snipe and dangle better than anything i've used. 8.5/10