JoeQ

So what I am hearing from you guys is....I should have more of my stores with the FBV sharpening?? Who is on the GTA or Ontario??? I can do London Barrie Brampton Markham (has it already) Concord (has it already) Oakville (has it already) Mississauga (Dundas Location) Cambridge (coming in Feb) Whitby (coming in Feb) And possibly more next year.... I was in to my LHS in Scarborough last night and they now offer the FB-V. The store is called Hockey Experts (Kennedy Commons) Kennedy Rd and hwy 401.

The store is called Hockey Experts and it's in scarborough at kennedy rd and hwy 401 right near the Casey's restaurant. The retail centre is called kennedy commons. If you are going to go specifically to talk to my guy call first, his name is Doug. The rest of the shop is capable I am sure but he is the only guy who I will deal with.

LOL no he's not that old I guestimate him mid 40's.

I have spent a couple hours over a few sittings reading this thread and I wanted to add my praise for MY GUY at the LHS. I live in the GTA and LHS's are as common as convenience stores and gas stations. I have 4 kids in hockey at various levels including both boy's and girls. Having grown up playing the game myself when my first child came along she was naturally bundled up and spent many a night in the winter months watching daddy play. I guess that combined with the backyard rink for many years helped all of them develop not only their skating but their love of the game itself. Over the years I have shopped at every store offering equipment for the game and depending on the level of play and their obvious gender differences, what could be passed down or recycled was due to the rising costs involved with 4 kids in the game. I have developed relationships with store staff, but they all move on and some altogether leave the field. Recently a fellow hockey dad was talking about a new store that opened in our area, and all they sold was hockey equipment and products. I made not of the name but missed the location. Well I stumbled on the store purely by accident oneday while taking a client to lunch. After we said our goodbyes I darted for the store and spent 90 minutes perusing up and down the aisles of products. I was interested in all they had displayed and offered. The staff seemed friendly and offered assistance on several occasions during my original tour through the store. I returned a few days later to the store to try out the shop. I had mine and 2 of my son's skates sharpened there, and this was what has me returning week after week. The man who greeted me at the shop counter was great, he asked all the right questions, which hollow I wanted, he explained differences from one to the other, he examined the skates for damage, and structural integrity as well as the holders and the steel itself. His explanation of the hollows got me thinking and the more questions I asked the more information, and examples he offered. I was hesitant to change the status quo for my one son, but the explanation I received made the decision easy, and he guaranteed to redo the sharpening free if I the results weren't favorable. I learned from him that day and continue to learn from him everytime we talk. This man has become almost a part of my family, he isnot just an equipment professional, he is a professional trainer. He has experience at all levels of hockey and it shows. He has assisted my family on many fronts, from training exerecises with pictures printed from his computer at home, to injury prevention and rehabilitation methods. He even made a phone call to a respected orthopedic specialist on our behalf which expedited the appointment process. I have however made one mistake in all this, I shared my new found wealth with other parents. I think he is generally very busy now when he arrives at the store, I call ahead to find out when he works as he doesn't work a regular shift just a few days a week. This has become far too long a story at this stage but, I understand how many LHS's hire mostly young people who treat their positions as a ways to make money, this man loves what he does and it shows. If he doesn't think the expense is warranted he tells you, and for that I am thankful to have found such an honest respectable, and knowledgeable source for a large portion of my disposeable income.