Just lost my favorite/well educated LHS employee, help

[3lapfancy 0]

Hi. Well unfortunatly for me and many others in the Minneapolis/St Paul area, the head hockey guy/skate fitter, etc was recently let go for unknown reasons from a LHS here. He worked there for several years and made lots of friends and customers for this shop. Needless to say it came as a pretty big surprise to myself and some of my team mates and friends.

Anyways, I need a new LHS and LHS employee to give my business to. The forum rules state that users are not allowed to post business names without consent from the owners, so if you would please PM/email me your opinions.

Here is what I am looking for, just opinions on the BEST LHS in Minneapolis/St Paul area. I am extremely anal-retentive and I want to make sure that whatever equipment I decide to purchase is the best fit/function/quality/price/customer service, etc for me.

Please forward on the name of shop and the contact person there. Main concern is skate and equipment fitting and product knowledge. I always buy from LHS because of the customer service.

Thanks

[Oberon 0]

There are some opinions in this thread. The business name rule is intended more to keep people from pimping their own products or businesses; naming a specific LHS shouldn't be a problem if just discussing or inquiring about service.

Out of curiosity, what shop are you referring to in your post?

[3lapfancy 0]

Sports Hut in Wayzata

[cbart 1]

Dave's Sports Shop in Fridley. Very knowledgeable employees, excellent customer service after the skate has been sold. I'm anal about my gear as well, they pass the test!

[Oberon 0]

Dave's Sports Shop in Fridley. Very knowledgeable employees, excellent customer service after the skate has been sold. I'm anal about my gear as well, they pass the test!

I second Dave's. Many years' accumulation of knowledge in that shop - I got my first pair of hockey skates there over thirty years ago.

[3lapfancy 0]

Heard that both Daves stores are excellant from several people on this forum. Done deal. Thanks.

[shawn o 0]

Yep, Dave's

[ZINC 8]

Heard that both Daves stores are excellant from several people on this forum. Done deal. Thanks.

I'll go ahead and debate this. I live by the Dave's in Maple Grove, and stopped taking my skates there. I'd say 3/4ths of the time I get my skates sharpened there they are horrid.

Westwood in Bloomington (lots of former pros and NCAA guys go there to get their stuff done) and Strauss (longest standing skate sharpening shop in the state) are both excellent. The Hockey Giant store in Blaine is also very good.

[cbart 1]

Heard that both Daves stores are excellant from several people on this forum. Done deal. Thanks.

I'll go ahead and debate this. I live by the Dave's in Maple Grove, and stopped taking my skates there. I'd say 3/4ths of the time I get my skates sharpened there they are horrid.

Westwood in Bloomington (lots of former pros and NCAA guys go there to get their stuff done) and Strauss (longest standing skate sharpening shop in the state) are both excellent. The Hockey Giant store in Blaine is also very good.

I've headed across town to Westwood in a pinch, can't go wrong there either.

Strauss I try to avoid due to the crowds...usually a drop off and come back later in the day to pick skates up. At Dave's usually never a wait...

[epstud74 24]

Heard that both Daves stores are excellant from several people on this forum. Done deal. Thanks.

I'll go ahead and debate this. I live by the Dave's in Maple Grove, and stopped taking my skates there. I'd say 3/4ths of the time I get my skates sharpened there they are horrid.

Westwood in Bloomington (lots of former pros and NCAA guys go there to get their stuff done) and Strauss (longest standing skate sharpening shop in the state) are both excellent. The Hockey Giant store in Blaine is also very good.

i will not go to HockeyGiant....As for Dave's in Maple Grove, it is a new store with newer employees. Next time head down 694 ten min and hit up the main shop in Fridley

Sports Hut in Wayzata

i used to live by there very nice store bit overpriced though.

[mykty13 0]

I used to go to a guy that had a shop that was skate sharping/tv repair...I kid you not. It was located in Osseo.

Anyways, I would drive 30 mins. out of the way to go to him because he was that good.

Anyone know who I'm talking about or if he's still around?

[shawn o 0]

I NEVER take my skates there to be sharpened anymore. The few times I had to (only in a pinch) they were terrible. I use Boyer Blades in Osseo now and recommend him to anyone and everyone all the time. He's a master and once you have him work his magic there's no going back. Perfectly sharp and they LAST for several games before they even begin to dull.

It's all he does for a living and takes his time and does it right.

Boyers Blades

124 County Road 81

Osseo, MN 55369

(763) 425-9579

Heard that both Daves stores are excellant from several people on this forum. Done deal. Thanks.

I'll go ahead and debate this. I live by the Dave's in Maple Grove, and stopped taking my skates there. I'd say 3/4ths of the time I get my skates sharpened there they are horrid.

Westwood in Bloomington (lots of former pros and NCAA guys go there to get their stuff done) and Strauss (longest standing skate sharpening shop in the state) are both excellent. The Hockey Giant store in Blaine is also very good.

haha...see my post above...didn't even see it when I was responding.

He never did TV repair, it used to be another business next door to his.

He only does sharpening. Hockey skates, knives, chainsaws, saws, etc...

I used to go to a guy that had a shop that was skate sharping/tv repair...I kid you not. It was located in Osseo.

Anyways, I would drive 30 mins. out of the way to go to him because he was that good.

Anyone know who I'm talking about or if he's still around?

[mykty13 0]

Boyers Blades, that was it. I don't remember even telling him what hollow I wanted, but they were perfect everytime.

I remember bringing like 10 pairs from guys on my team when we had a big game.

[thegimp 0]

I go to Strauss quite a bit and they do a really good job of sharpening. They also do a good job rockering. Went to Dave's today to buy skates for my kid, and the guys there spent a ton of time helping out with fitting etc. I don't think you could go wrong with either one. As far as Hockey Giant, I had a pair of skates done there in a pinch when I was flying out of town. They felt like they were new blades that had never been touched. Awful. Cunningham's also does a good job, but a guy at the Woodbury store told me I couldn't get the hollow I wanted because the boss didn't like them changing the stone.

[hrbekroenick 0]

+1 for Dave's - Been going there since I was a kid - Look for Jesse (esp on goalie stuff) Turby or Scott. I can remember when they used to be in Moon Plaza, and had a giant mural of Neal Broten painted on the wall going downstairs.

+1 for HG

+1 for Boyer's Blades. He did a SRS repair on a Bauer Vapor XXX Lite I have and I love it.

[shawn o 0]

I wouldn't really call the Maple Grove Dave's "new". It's been there since at least 1990, so close to 20 years!

[Dotes 0]

If you're comming from Wayzata, you might want to check out Gold Medal Sports in Chanhassen. I've tried alot of places to get my skates sharpened and shop for gear and the owner there (Eric) really knows his stuff. He also seems to know everyone's name that comes in there after meeting you once, its really nice getting a thank you followed by my name on my way out. Really good customer service.

It used to be owned by hall of famer Mike Ramsey (currently asst. coach for the mn wild) and Mike helped fit me a helmet one time he was wating for a family member's skates to be sharpened. Pretty cool to run into a living legend at my LHS!

Maybe even Eric is a tad bit anal about manners, he was correcting one of his employees that said "yeah" instead of "yes" to someone. Nice to see someone still care. Anyway give the shop a go at your skates and you'll notice the difference...actually you won't notice a difference cause if you're coming from a good sharpener nothings going to change.

I never tried Strauss though, so I can't compare the two.

[Hockey DeVoTee 1]

Gold Medal is a Maximum Edge Dealer (I know some of you have a problem with ME/Bob) This shop provides excellent service. Eric is the owner and Clark is his right hand man. I haven't been in the shop for a while, but when we are in the Twin Cities this is where we go.

[rmnyi 0]

Gold Medal is a Maximum Edge Dealer (I know some of you have a problem with ME/Bob) This shop provides excellent service. Eric is the owner and Clark is his right hand man. I haven't been in the shop for a while, but when we are in the Twin Cities this is where we go.

I recently got a sharpening at a Max Exge dealer. Best sharpening I'v ever had

[epstud74 24]

Is the owner a Roseau guy? Taller? Short hair? He is pretty helpful and I wouldnt hesitate to buy from him again. Even if Im in there to browse, I buy something..like laces. Plus theres a hot chick that works in back.

[Dotes 0]

Is the owner a Roseau guy? Taller? Short hair? He is pretty helpful and I wouldnt hesitate to buy from him again. Even if Im in there to browse, I buy something..like laces. Plus theres a hot chick that works in back.

Are you asking if that is a description of the owner of Gold Medal? Short hair, tall like 6' 2" braces last time I noticed. I think he is the only late 20s to early 30s guy that works there. Is Clark the older (40-50) bigger built guy with some sort of accent? If thats Clark then he really knows his sticks!

[epstud74 24]

That be him.. Im 6-2 and he's roughly my height. Hes got a retainer I think, really passionate about the game. Mid 30s. He knows his shit too. He's the one that steered me to using Tackla shells and girdle. Definitely an Easton guy regarding sticks and only LHS owner to tell me that my best skate option would be to go the custom route. Which is the truth regarding my effed up feet. Eden Prairie and Chanhassen have two good shops on Hwy 5. SportsWorld USA in EP has a ton of sticks and great markdowns on skates, but pretty much sold out on shoulders and gloves. It did look like they were beginning to restock though.

Is the owner a Roseau guy? Taller? Short hair? He is pretty helpful and I wouldnt hesitate to buy from him again. Even if Im in there to browse, I buy something..like laces. Plus theres a hot chick that works in back.

Are you asking if that is a description of the owner of Gold Medal? Short hair, tall like 6' 2" braces last time I noticed. I think he is the only late 20s to early 30s guy that works there. Is Clark the older (40-50) bigger built guy with some sort of accent? If thats Clark then he really knows his sticks!

[epstud74 24]

Damn where has the time gone?

I wouldn't really call the Maple Grove Dave's "new". It's been there since at least 1990, so close to 20 years!