Do most NHLers use "their" curve?

[opus22 0]

i think the original 5 or 6 patterns that easton put out with the introduction of the synergy was what those guys were using at the time. sakic used the sakic, until he changed it a few years later. i have seen old pictures of lidstrom using a shaft with christian blades - the blade looks exactly like a retail lidstrom. yzerman in his later years used a heel curve - but had always used big toes curves with a higher lie when he was young. check out old footage if you can find it on youtube. i think the shanny is pretty close to what he uses. modo uses a simlar pattern to the modo retail, the pro stock i saw of his were more shaved, a little more square and maybe a little more toe but not far off. they had the drury at the time, but didnt release retail for a few years. i have one of his old tflex blades from the locker room, its a drury retail. with those old graphite blades he would get them like a retail drury them heat em up and put a big toe on the end. my buddy had a game used drury to compare with mine. the retail drury was the basic pattern he had till he could customize them. by the time they brought out the iggy, they werent actual patterns the guys used as far as i can tell - but im pretty positive the original snergy/focus flex pattern that came out were the patterns those guys used - AT THE TIME.

[mack 44]

There are some errors with that theory/guess, like how the Lidstrom was the Leetch before it was renamed and Leetch uses a tiny mid-ish curve. Shanahan's actual curve is a heel/mid-heel and nothing like the banana Easton stamped with it. Sakic? Who knows, he's used all kinds of patterns but I think it was also another person's name before being re-named the Sakic. Though I do remember the early UG Sakics were kind of tame.

The big killer is the Yzerman. I doubt Yzerman (or pretty much anyone) used that banana at any given time. Retail blades are named after pro players to generate "oh I wanna use his curve!" among kids.

[Chadd 916]

Sakic? Who knows, he's used all kinds of patterns but I think it was also another person's name before being re-named the Sakic. Though I do remember the early UG Sakics were kind of tame.

First Sakics were the old Kariyas if I remember correctly.

[AndTheySayChiCity 0]

The real gagne curve is absolutely crazy, I cant believe its even possible someone uses it.

how is this crazy?

pics off patterndb.org

gagne curve > http://patterndb.org/main.php?g2_view=core..._serialNumber=4

it looks pretty damn normal to me.. and almost identical to the curve i use (i tweaked a couple easton/louisiville pro return wood blades (no name) back in the day.

PS: if i remember correctly.. the Yzerman curve was almost identical to the Sherwood Coffey curve..

[Eternal 0]

I was looking at the NikeBauer i.d. site and was going through the patterns and wondered if because of all the patterns they offer are some of the patterns the actual pattern the player uses I know the main curves are just names slapped on. For example the kilger is a 7 lie and kilgers sticks look to be around that lie as well as a square toe. Is this them actually using NHLers curve or them just running out of well known players to slap on a curve? Mind you i've only seen his stick on tv so i might be completely wrong.

[Chadd 916]

The real gagne curve is absolutely crazy, I cant believe its even possible someone uses it.

how is this crazy?

pics off patterndb.org

gagne curve > http://patterndb.org/main.php?g2_view=core..._serialNumber=4

it looks pretty damn normal to me.. and almost identical to the curve i use (i tweaked a couple easton/louisiville pro return wood blades (no name) back in the day.

PS: if i remember correctly.. the Yzerman curve was almost identical to the Sherwood Coffey curve..

That looks nothing like the pro Gagnes that I've seen. Yzerman pro is nothing like coffey retail.

[AndTheySayChiCity 0]

That looks nothing like the pro Gagnes that I've seen. Yzerman pro is nothing like coffey retail.

gagne must have changed his blade over the years.. b/c the blades i've seen (back when he was using an easton ultra lite with easton wood pro blade) seem fairly straight with a little curve towards the toe.

http://www.gameusedsticks.com/stickshtml/gagne.html

.. i meant the yzerman retail.. was much like the coffey retail.

[Chadd 916]

That looks nothing like the pro Gagnes that I've seen. Yzerman pro is nothing like coffey retail.

gagne must have changed his blade over the years.. b/c the blades i've seen (back when he was using an easton ultra lite with easton wood pro blade) seem fairly straight with a little curve towards the toe.

http://www.gameusedsticks.com/stickshtml/gagne.html

.. i meant the yzerman retail.. was much like the coffey retail.

I picked up a bunch of Eastons and Nikes for Buzz, they all had a healthy amount of curve.

[Nealoc187 10]

Here's a related question - do other non-NHL professional players get custom patterns made as well or are they stuck with regular off the shelf patterns like the rest of us? AHL, IHL, UHL, etc?

[JR Boucicaut 3810]

They get to choose from a pro catalogue if they do not have their own pattern.

[JPB_69 0]

Just curious if most NHLers a curve similar to the retail version of the curve that has their name on it? I know that they have the sticks made to exact specifications, but do you think that player's specifications are similar to those of the retail curve, or do the companies just slap a name on a curve without regard to what the player actually uses?

Occasionally, you'll see a pro with a similar curve but it's a roll of dice.

For example: The lecavalier retail blade is very similar to the Easton lidstrom. Lecavalier actually uses a retail Lidstrom curve.

The retail drury is a big heel curve. Chris Drury uses a pitching wedge type of curve.

Both of the crosby retail curves from SWD were larger curves, one being very close to an Easton retail sakic. Crosby uses a pattern that is straighter than anything retail.

If you compaired a retail Drury to one of his own they're two different curves. Same with Briere. I hear the same is true with Spezza.

[opus22 0]

There are some errors with that theory/guess, like how the Lidstrom was the Leetch before it was renamed and Leetch uses a tiny mid-ish curve. Shanahan's actual curve is a heel/mid-heel and nothing like the banana Easton stamped with it. Sakic? Who knows, he's used all kinds of patterns but I think it was also another person's name before being re-named the Sakic. Though I do remember the early UG Sakics were kind of tame.

The big killer is the Yzerman. I doubt Yzerman (or pretty much anyone) used that banana at any given time. Retail blades are named after pro players to generate "oh I wanna use his curve!" among kids.

all im saying is that lidstrom used the lidstrom in wood form. dont know about the leetch being the same or not - but it also happens to be what lidstrom use. ive seen pro shannys from years ago that were more mid toe. i know sakic used the sakic because i held some of his original ones - the only ones they made even for the pros were the five original patterns. he didnt have a choice. forsberg used the same sakic. i know in time they came to have different patterns but not at first. yzerman definitely used huge toe curves like that back in the day, high lies like the og yzerman.

i know why they do it. im just saying that original line of five or six patterns that were the first run of synergy's and focus flexes - most of which still exist - were at the time the actual patterns the guys used. its definitely true of the drury/lidstrom/sakic...and in my opinion the yzerman.

here's a great montage i found on youtube that has yzerman in the mid 80's. for the younger folk who never knew how sick he was its a great clip. there is no way what he is using is todays yp. it to me looks very similar to the original yzerman retail banana. squarish big toe hook with a higher lie (looks like the retail yz 6). when it all went composite and he had to change his game, which was the years following the synergy arrival he mustve switched his pattern up, because he had always been a big toe guy his first ten years.

[Chadd 916]

Your eyes are lying to you, that blade looks nothing like the Yzerman retail. It's a long blade with a little curve at the heel and a little more kink by the toe and not much overall curve depth. The original Sakic UG blade was a long, slight, neutral mid curve absolutely nothing like his "new" curve. The "new" Sakic is nothing like the pro stocks I've seen. The pre synergy pro stocks look pretty similar to the newer pro stocks and not oo much like the retail pattern. The retail Lidstrom was exactly the same as the Leetch that came before it.

[cj190 0]

Chadd, you've seen the real pro gagne curve, it's pretty strange no?

[TBLfan 25]

I havent seen one in person but all the pics I have are a basic heel. And they aren't the p106 either. Including one that has a picture of the name plate.

I'd like to see a pic of this curve you guys are talking about.

[mack 44]

There are some errors with that theory/guess, like how the Lidstrom was the Leetch before it was renamed and Leetch uses a tiny mid-ish curve. Shanahan's actual curve is a heel/mid-heel and nothing like the banana Easton stamped with it. Sakic? Who knows, he's used all kinds of patterns but I think it was also another person's name before being re-named the Sakic. Though I do remember the early UG Sakics were kind of tame.

The big killer is the Yzerman. I doubt Yzerman (or pretty much anyone) used that banana at any given time. Retail blades are named after pro players to generate "oh I wanna use his curve!" among kids.

all im saying is that lidstrom used the lidstrom in wood form. dont know about the leetch being the same or not - but it also happens to be what lidstrom use. ive seen pro shannys from years ago that were more mid toe. i know sakic used the sakic because i held some of his original ones - the only ones they made even for the pros were the five original patterns. he didnt have a choice. forsberg used the same sakic. i know in time they came to have different patterns but not at first. yzerman definitely used huge toe curves like that back in the day, high lies like the og yzerman.

i know why they do it. im just saying that original line of five or six patterns that were the first run of synergy's and focus flexes - most of which still exist - were at the time the actual patterns the guys used. its definitely true of the drury/lidstrom/sakic...and in my opinion the yzerman.

here's a great montage i found on youtube that has yzerman in the mid 80's. for the younger folk who never knew how sick he was its a great clip. there is no way what he is using is todays yp. it to me looks very similar to the original yzerman retail banana. squarish big toe hook with a higher lie (looks like the retail yz 6). when it all went composite and he had to change his game, which was the years following the synergy arrival he mustve switched his pattern up, because he had always been a big toe guy his first ten years.

I've only seen a couple Lidstroms but they're small and not massive heels like the retail counterpart. As for Shanny, pros do change patterns but generally speaking they stick around the same type of curve. Not saying you didn't see one, but I'm just finding it hard to believe he'd use a Bananahan when all I've ever seen are mid-heels, wedgy and not wedgy. As for Yzerman...I don't know, never really saw pro returns back in the day but I can't see him using toes and then switching to heels but weirder things have happened.

[JR Boucicaut 3810]

Lidstrom's GI pattern is similar to mine - Modano-ish mid/heel, flat, and closed.

i know why they do it. im just saying that original line of five or six patterns that were the first run of synergy's and focus flexes - most of which still exist - were at the time the actual patterns the guys used. its definitely true of the drury/lidstrom/sakic...and in my opinion the yzerman.

The majority of the retail SyNergy patterns were illegal by NHL standards.

[opus22 0]

Your eyes are lying to you, that blade looks nothing like the Yzerman retail. It's a long blade with a little curve at the heel and a little more kink by the toe and not much overall curve depth. The original Sakic UG blade was a long, slight, neutral mid curve absolutely nothing like his "new" curve. The "new" Sakic is nothing like the pro stocks I've seen. The pre synergy pro stocks look pretty similar to the newer pro stocks and not oo much like the retail pattern. The retail Lidstrom was exactly the same as the Leetch that came before it.

i think the yzerman in the clip looks a hell of a lot more like the retail than the yp. itdoesnt look even close to the yp.its also definitely a toe, so its not farfetched that they used something they gave him for it. as for sakic, ive held one o the original sakics (pro) in my hands, at the time and it was a retail sakic - as was forsbergs at the time. in fact, yzerman and lidstrom all looked like thats what actually used the first months after the synergy came out, i think they were obligated to use the synergy's, and thats the pattern they liked the most - regardless - the point of the thread was do people use their curves - and sakic did. the pics ive seen of lidstrom of the time (prior to the synergy) look strikingly similar to retails.

There are some errors with that theory/guess, like how the Lidstrom was the Leetch before it was renamed and Leetch uses a tiny mid-ish curve. Shanahan's actual curve is a heel/mid-heel and nothing like the banana Easton stamped with it. Sakic? Who knows, he's used all kinds of patterns but I think it was also another person's name before being re-named the Sakic. Though I do remember the early UG Sakics were kind of tame.

The big killer is the Yzerman. I doubt Yzerman (or pretty much anyone) used that banana at any given time. Retail blades are named after pro players to generate "oh I wanna use his curve!" among kids.

all im saying is that lidstrom used the lidstrom in wood form. dont know about the leetch being the same or not - but it also happens to be what lidstrom use. ive seen pro shannys from years ago that were more mid toe. i know sakic used the sakic because i held some of his original ones - the only ones they made even for the pros were the five original patterns. he didnt have a choice. forsberg used the same sakic. i know in time they came to have different patterns but not at first. yzerman definitely used huge toe curves like that back in the day, high lies like the og yzerman.

i know why they do it. im just saying that original line of five or six patterns that were the first run of synergy's and focus flexes - most of which still exist - were at the time the actual patterns the guys used. its definitely true of the drury/lidstrom/sakic...and in my opinion the yzerman.

here's a great montage i found on youtube that has yzerman in the mid 80's. for the younger folk who never knew how sick he was its a great clip. there is no way what he is using is todays yp. it to me looks very similar to the original yzerman retail banana. squarish big toe hook with a higher lie (looks like the retail yz 6). when it all went composite and he had to change his game, which was the years following the synergy arrival he mustve switched his pattern up, because he had always been a big toe guy his first ten years.

I've only seen a couple Lidstroms but they're small and not massive heels like the retail counterpart. As for Shanny, pros do change patterns but generally speaking they stick around the same type of curve. Not saying you didn't see one, but I'm just finding it hard to believe he'd use a Bananahan when all I've ever seen are mid-heels, wedgy and not wedgy. As for Yzerman...I don't know, never really saw pro returns back in the day but I can't see him using toes and then switching to heels but weirder things have happened.

well the clip i showed clearly has him using using a toe (of debateable depth), it definitely isnt a wedge. he definitely at some point did a big switch, probably when he stopped trying to beat everyone one on one all day.

[mack 44]

i think the yzerman in the clip looks a hell of a lot more like the retail than the yp. itdoesnt look even close to the yp.its also definitely a toe, so its not farfetched that they used something they gave him for it. as for sakic, ive held one o the original sakics (pro) in my hands, at the time and it was a retail sakic - as was forsbergs at the time. in fact, yzerman and lidstrom all looked like thats what actually used the first months after the synergy came out, i think they were obligated to use the synergy's, and thats the pattern they liked the most - regardless - the point of the thread was do people use their curves - and sakic did. the pics ive seen of lidstrom of the time (prior to the synergy) look strikingly similar to retails.

Yeaaaaaah, Easton didn't make them customs and told them to use the one that had their name on it. I've got a first gen Yzerman GU Synergy and it's a YP/Drury but a bit smaller curve.

[gxc999 7]

I hate that they name the patterns after pro's who never use them. Take Marty St Louis for example. I saw his Nike Bauer curve, I thought, wow, how could he score with that? Then I saw him using a good mid-toe Rafalski-ish curve on Easton sticks this season and was disappointed.

[JR Boucicaut 3810]

as for sakic, ive held one o the original sakics (pro) in my hands, at the time and it was a retail sakic - as was forsbergs at the time.

Forsberg wasn't a pattern then.

My point still stands...Yzerman, Sakic and Shanahan were all illegal curves by NHL standards when SyNergy came out. Therefore, no way they used them in game.

[opus22 0]

as for sakic, ive held one o the original sakics (pro) in my hands, at the time and it was a retail sakic - as was forsbergs at the time.

Forsberg wasn't a pattern then.

My point still stands...Yzerman, Sakic and Shanahan were all illegal curves by NHL standards when SyNergy came out. Therefore, no way they used them in game.

i dont know. i remeber sykora and brashear using the lidstrom almost immediately - brashear was joking he wasnt good enough to get a pattern so he had to go down to the store to get his. im sure if the others were illegal than the lidstrom surely was, which says to me they used them despite being illegal, they only recently changed the curve rule and opc's have been around much longer with many players using the sakic/lidstrom as their pattern. jeff oneill used to use the sakic. im surprised you are so adamant that they wouldnt use illegal curves.

and for sure the drury was what he used, it was the base pattern that he woud put a huge toe twist on his t flex blades.

when i said forsberg - obviously he didnt have a pattern then, im saying he was too using a sakic. he liked joe's so much he started using it despite not having his own pattern, he talked about it at the time during interviews.

anyway its just an opinion ive had. the point remains that outside of the obviously debateable synergy most guys dont use their retail patterns. my point with the synergy was that the molds were so expensive they had to make sure they would have sticks the guys would use - i think the players involved gave them something they thought they might use. maybe easton tweaked them a but for whatever reason. just my threory.

another thought. what about the coffey and bourque sherwood curves? ive seen the bourque pro and it was almost exactly the same as his retail. low lie squarish toe curve. ditto coffey, never saw a pro stock up close but all the highlights look like he is using a banana at least very similar to the retail.

[Andoy 5]

All I see are alot of "maybe", "I think", "opinion", "just my theory", and "according to the video" or "highlights".

You might be right, they might be wrong or vice versa but it's really hard to come up with a solid conclusion unless we compare their actual curve at the time with the present retail curves side-to-side.

Although I will have to agree with JR w/ the curves being illegal. Guys like Brashear can probably get away with using an illegal curve but not Sakic, Yzerman and Shanny as they're always on the bubble.

[mack 44]

I just see a lot of bullshit. Yeah, Brashear uses a Lidstrom retail (at least has, maybe he's actually got his own pattern) but Sykora didn't use a Lidstrom at all. Does his have a square toe? Absolutely but that doesn't mean he used a Lidstrom retail.

[AndTheySayChiCity 0]

I just see a lot of bullshit. Yeah, Brashear uses a Lidstrom retail (at least has, maybe he's actually got his own pattern) but Sykora didn't use a Lidstrom at all. Does his have a square toe? Absolutely but that doesn't mean he used a Lidstrom retail.

real interesting video on sykora from when he was with the oilers.

he says "my sticks don't normally come how i want them" so he spends about 20 minutes messing with the sticks (heating up then recurving to his liking).

cool article about sykora.

http://pittsburghlive.com/x/pittsburghtrib...=rss&feed=7

to me.. these look like retail shannahan curves.

PS: he said he goes through at least 100 sticks a season.. and about 120 if they make it to the playoffs.. and probably breaks 3-4 a game.. if he's lucky he'll use one stick for 6-7 games.