Plastic cap at end of OPS...

[hapamatt122 0]

I was just wondering if it makes a difference if you have them in or not. I have a ccm and a bauer stick which are composite all the way to the end and have a plastic cap to plug it up. I was wondering if there is any actual difference in performance if you have this plastic cap plugging the stick or just leave it open ended?

[Chadd 916]

You need to have the end of the stick covered, it's in the rules.

[hapamatt122 0]

why is that? just wondering because you see a lot of nhl'ers with the end of the stick just open.

[Chadd 916]

why is that? just wondering because you see a lot of nhl'ers with the end of the stick just open.

To prevent you from taking a core sample of another player. NHL rules and rec hockey rules are very, very different.

[Joker518 0]

There's no difference in performance but a lot of people used to think it'd make your stick more structurally solid by using the end cap... Like it'd hold up better to slashes and torque caused by hard shots. Its the same deal with shorter players who pull the plug completely out of their shafts instead of cutting down the wood.

Aside from personal preference and perhaps a tiny bit of vibration dampening, there's really no difference either way. But yes, on another not, Chadd is 100% right that in US Hockey rule books you need to have that end covered, be it with tape or a plug.

Have you ever called anyone on it in a game, Chadd?

[hapamatt122 0]

makes sense.. thanks guys.

[jjtt99 0]

I'm guessing it's only a matter of time before there is an accross the border drug bust due to some hockey player stuffing composite sticks full of contraband.

[Chadd 916]

There's no difference in performance but a lot of people used to think it'd make your stick more structurally solid by using the end cap... Like it'd hold up better to slashes and torque caused by hard shots. Its the same deal with shorter players who pull the plug completely out of their shafts instead of cutting down the wood.

Aside from personal preference and perhaps a tiny bit of vibration dampening, there's really no difference either way. But yes, on another not, Chadd is 100% right that in US Hockey rule books you need to have that end covered, be it with tape or a plug.

Have you ever called anyone on it in a game, Chadd?

I don't look for it but if I saw it, I would probably give the player the chance to swap sticks before I called it.

[RadioGaGa 162]

There's no difference in performance but a lot of people used to think it'd make your stick more structurally solid by using the end cap... Like it'd hold up better to slashes and torque caused by hard shots. Its the same deal with shorter players who pull the plug completely out of their shafts instead of cutting down the wood.

Aside from personal preference and perhaps a tiny bit of vibration dampening, there's really no difference either way. But yes, on another not, Chadd is 100% right that in US Hockey rule books you need to have that end covered, be it with tape or a plug.

Have you ever called anyone on it in a game, Chadd?

I don't look for it but if I saw it, I would probably give the player the chance to swap sticks before I called it.

Couldn't he just slap some tape over the end when he got to the bench and keep using the same stick?

[NuggyBuggy 0]

Anyone know if this rule applies for Canadian rec hockey as well ? I have never gotten called.

The rule makes sense in a way, but it also seems like covering the end of shaft with a single piece of white tape is not going to do much to prevent any real injury from happening, if it were to happen without the tape in the first place.

[Chadd 916]

http://www.hockeycanada.ca/e/about/downloads/reg_0405_e.pdf

Let me know what you find.

[crutesie 0]

I'm guessing it's only a matter of time before there is an accross the border drug bust due to some hockey player stuffing composite sticks full of contraband.

Did Bob Probert not do this into canada with cocaine?

[golfpuck 0]

in case you cared...

end cap weighs 6 grams.

removeing the the end cap.. would fall under the "not modifying equipment rule"

as one usa hockey ref told me many years ago...

[pantherfan 0]

I've been caught a few times bfore and the ref just asks me to try n sort it out next shift

[NuggyBuggy 0]

http://www.hockeycanada.ca/e/about/downloads/reg_0405_e.pdf

Let me know what you find.

Absolutely nothing in there, save for a few mentions about the job of the Equipment Review Committee being to make sure that new equipment is safe, etc. Nothing related to modified equipment, etc.

[NuggyBuggy 0]

http://www.hockeycanada.ca/e/about/downloads/reg_0405_e.pdf

Let me know what you find.

After looking more closely, this document does not seem to be the right one to be reading. I looked on Hockey Canada's web site and could not find the rule book. Anyways I called a ref friend of mine, and he says that the end must be covered and that sticks with hollow shafts must also have a protective cap as well as being covered.

[Chadd 916]

I know in USA Hockey there is more info in the case book than in the rule book. This year USAH merged the two books together.

[NuggyBuggy 0]

OK, in case anyone is interested I found the rule book and it can be downloaded (in 5 parts) here: http://www.hockeycanada.ca/7/1/7/8/index1.shtml. The relevant rule is on page 48, which I think is in the third download.

For some reason it seems Hockey Canada really buried the rule book, it took me a long time to find.

[Eagles39 0]

My friend was using a stick without a plug on it, and the composite was fraying on the top, and a piece of it actually sliced the tip of his pinky finger clear off. He had to have stitches to re-attach it.

[slaw 1]

I'm a Level 3 Ref in my 5th year of Reffin in the O(ontario)MHA and we dont go looking for it like its the end of the world but I had an issue last year in a PeeWee Houseleague final and it was one of these kids who thought he was going to the show so he had hsi dad square off the toe of his response and he didnt tape the end and it was in bad shape and as Eagles39 said the graphite is a huge problem I asked him to tape it up but its very rare to ever get a player who has the top frayed and broken so if a Referee sees it he might say something just because he has to but its not like the guy isnt wearing his helmet on the ice or something tis not an insanely huge matter. Also how hard is it to put tape over the end of your stick? I'm 6'3 so I dont cut my OPS's but how tricky is it just to put a piece of tape over the end?

[asdfa 0]

depending on how you hold your stick, the plug can save you from potentially slicing open your pinky if you fall on your stick. it happened to me and there was muscle spilling out :P