CCM U+ CL

[JR Boucicaut 3801]

Open

[MLSman 22]

CCM U+ CL

Flex: 87

Curve: Tavares Left

Height: 6' 2"

Weight: 150

Postition: D/LW

Time-frame of use: Since July

Aesthetics: Well put together. The matte sand grip surface is really good for holding on to the stick with little effort. I like the blue and black graphics...simple and tasteful.

10/10

Weight and Balance: Um....this is what the CL is all about. "Crazy light" might sound gimmicky, but this stick seriously feels like it should be weighed in micrograms. For such a light stick, it is very well balanced. An argument could be made that the stick is a little too light...but not from me.

10/10

Blade: The original U+ had a durability issue with the heel of the blade. The composite bridge material would chip away quickly, and would expose the hollow blade. This doesn't seem to be an issue in the CL. The blade is holding up very well.

10/10

Shaft/Flex: Shaft is well balanced and has maintained its flex with about 5 or 6 heavy uses. It feels like a spot on 85....almost reminds me of the feather-lite Easton shaft.

10/10

Stickhandling and Passing: Stickhandling has been a ton of fun with the stick, as the weight really makes it easy to dangle with the puck. Passing has been great...real crisp release and simple to float passes. The energy dampening system does make the feel of the puck consistent regardless of the velocity of a pass.

10/10

Shooting: Wow.

This is where this stick is like no other. My slappers and one timers have been insane. I have had issues with other tapered shafts, as the low kickpoint affected the speed and accuracy. I traditionally prefer traditional middle kickpoint shafts for shooting consistency. This is the first tapered shaft that has exceeded my expectations. I attribute a significant amount of this to the increase in swing speed from the weight. This is the one area where light really does matter.

10/10

Durability: No loss of stiffness, no chipping, no cracking...the stick still looks new. The sand grip finish is holding up really well. This isn't like the original U+.

10/10

Conclusion: I have been very critical of CCM with the original U+. When I first had the chance to see this stick at the Modsquad skate last year, CCM was very adamant about how different the stick was. In fact, the rep said "this is the best stick CCM has ever made". That's a bold statement for a company with their history, but he made a strong enough argument to have my attention.

After using it for two months I have to say the CL is the best stick I have ever used. Right now, it's got my vote for product of the year by a landslide...that is until I get my skates! :P

10/10

[MLSman 22]

UPDATE:

Three months later, I am still using the original CL from the first review. It is still retaining its stiffness, and feels the same as when I first used it. There are a few war wounds but no overwhelming chipping or cracking. The more I use it...the less I even try to use anything else. I plan to pick a few more up...especially when the Isles colors are released, since I use the Tavares curve.

[nnguyen 0]

CCM U+ CL Grip (2011 retail version)

Curve: Tavares

Flex: 100

Previous sticks: Easton EQ50, Reebok 10K, Warrior AK27, Bauer X:60 shaft/Warrior Dolo blade, Warrior Dolo Shaft/Easton S16 Blade

Height: 6ft

Weight: 200lbs

Position: LW/Center

Using since May 2011.

Flex (10/10):

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Flex is as advertised. Been using it for the past month or so, flex has not changed over time. Will update if anything changes

Feel (10/10):

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Great feel! This stick makes stick handling as intuitive as......driving a Lotus around the track. There's no need to ever wonder where the puck is, you will always know where it is on your blade. You think it, then simply execute. Receiving passes don't feel "tin-y" or "ping-y", soft feel but has a lot of pop for shots.

Also, C-Contoured shaft is pretty much a traditional shaft. Really liking it. Did not like the first iteration of the U+ CL, was too rounded. Also, the grip is not overly grippy, which I like as well. Hands move well along the shaft to move from stick handling to shooting.

The blade is also very thin, compared to some other sticks. This thin blade does enhance feel, but does affect durability (more below).

Balance (9/10):

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A tiny bit blade heavy. Nothing you would likely notice as the stick itself is already really light. I do not feel much of a difference between the EQ50 and the U+ CL in terms of balance.

Aesthetics (10/10):

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It's not a Warrior Dolomite, which is great. I don't need a bedazzled dragon on my hockey stick.

Durability (6/10):

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This is my only gripe with this stick (and with CCM/Reebok for this matter), the blades on these sticks always fall apart at the toe for me. Doesn't necessarily affect playability, but I'd like to know that my blade will not start chipping/cracking at the toe after my first shift. Have had to start taping the toe (no big deal), but this was an issue with my Reebok 10K as well. If there was one thing I would change about this stick, would be to add a little more carbon fiber on the blade.

Overall:

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It's hard to put a score on the overall stick, because I simply love how it plays. My gripe with the blade still would not prevent me from picking up a few more as I do prefer this stick to the EQ50 from a overall perspective. Shooting, passing, handling, it does everything just a tiny bit better than the EQ50, except for receiving passes, where I find the EQ50 has a slight edge there.

But overall, I would highly recommend this stick to any forwards out there. The "Crazy Light" does make the stick extremely light, but barely noticeable if you're already playing with top of the line retail sticks. What does make this stick stand apart is puck feel and shooting. So if you're the type to dangle and shoot a lot, this stick is for you.

[the_sock 1]

CCM U+ CL Grip 2011 Retail

Curve: Ovechkin (Hall/P92 "clone")

Flex: 85 flex

Sticks used: 1st Generation U+ CL, Sherwood T90, Synergy EQ50, Synergy ST, Stealth RS

Height: 5'11"

Weight: 222 pounds

Position: Left Defense

Using since August 2011

Flex: been a while since using a 85 flex, so it was hard to judge. Seemed stiffer than the RS but softer than the A.i 9. Has broken in and I find it very manageable, retained its stiffness in the shaft, however, the blade has gotten very soft, I tend to give hard passes, rarely shoot slap shots and mostly snap shots. That was a surprise since the first generation CL had a very stiff blade.

8/10

Feel: it has a very dull feel with the puck, I had some trouble with knowing where the puck was on the blade when puck handling. I lost the puck many times when starting to rush out of my end. I find that the lightness of the stick allows for a quicker hand movement for puck handling but still the lack of puck feel doesn't overcome that. Rounded corners with concave shaft walls dimensions.

7/10

Balance: blade heavy, but not by much. Overall lightness compensates for blade heavy feel, I had no problems with this issue stick handling, passing or shooting.

10/10

Aesthetics: I really like the graphics on the stick, a fan of silver and red. Lines look clean but also give enough to notice out of a crowd. Stick is covered with a layer of gloss over the graphite which chips over time but doesn't take away from the look. Grip is not over grippy like the Sickick line of Griptonite, good balance which allows for the hands to move up and down the shaft.

9/10

Durability: The top layer gloss chips often and easily, but there is no damage below on the graphite. Grip coating does not peel or flake. Blade has been chipped and cut but that has not contributed to the softening of the blade. Shaft is very durable, overall a match to the CLs of the past generation. A friend has the same stick but in matte and he has a half inch gash missing in the corner of the stick but he still uses it, so I'd say it's freakishly strong.

8/10

Overall: Pretty damn light stick, constant flex in the shaft and a pretty good zip on the shot. A good snap shot stick, but not the greatest for puck handling. Very durable (not a guarantee) stick so far and will be a good stick for that Iginla type of player, quick snap, tight quick puck handling.

[hunt3rsean 44]

CCM U+ CL Grip (2011 retail version)

Curve: OVI - RH

Flex: 85

Previous sticks: Bauer Vapor X:40, Bauer Vapor X:50, CCM U+ 08, CCM U+ CS

Height: 5' 11"ft

Weight: 155lbs

Position: RW/Center

Using since November, 2011.

Type of shooting: Wrist shots and snap shots. Little to no slap shots.

Flex (10/10):

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Flex is accurate as far as I can tell. It feels about right compared to the X:40 and X:50 87-flex. For comparison, I feel that the CCM U+ 08 is softer then the CL+ even though both are advertised as 85-flex. I haven't noticed any loss in flex yet.

Feel (10/10):

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Very much love the feel of this stick. My stick handling has definitely benefited from the increased puck feel over previous sticks I've used. I definitely find myself watching the puck less due to this. The best way to compare the feel of this stick to others is like driving a sports car compared to a family sedan. Just nice, tight, and responsive.

Balance (9/10):

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Like others have said the stick does feel a small bit blade heavy. The only time I notice this though is if I hold the stick horizontal in one hand. While playing or holding it in both hands I can't really tell. Hasn't effected my play at all.

Aesthetics (10/10):

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Simple/classic graphics. Gloss finish which has chipped but no big deal. I like a classy graphics design over a Warrior graphics design so this stick fits the bill.

Durability (8/10):

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This was hard to rate for me. The main shaft area of the stick has taken some pretty hard slashes and puck deflections. Especially in lower/tapered portion of the stick. The good part is that there is no lasting damage there. The bad part is that the actual damage is around the heal of the blade as there are some decent chips. I feel this happened a little faster then with my other sticks. I've exerienced no negative aspect to performance due to this chipping. The toe of the blade isn't too bad and I haven't experienced the chipping that others have.

Shooting:

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I didn't want to give this a rating because everyone is going to exprience this performance aspect differently. After coming from the Vapor X:40 and X:50 I had to adjust my shooting technique. Part of this was also coming into a different blade pattern (covered next). Once I learned how the stick wanted to load and where it flexed best my shooting increased in both accuracy and power. I love the feel it gives in the load as I can feel it flex but it doesn't feel weak/soft. It's release feels quick and confident.

Blade/Pattern:

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Going to the OVI curve was a bit of an adjustment. I had previously used the P88 with my Vapors and really liked it. More mid curve with a slightly open face. The OVI being a heal curve with open face made me have to adjust where I put the puck on the blade and how I held my hands when releasing. Now that I'm used to it I love it. Getting shots up high and where I want them is easy, but also didn't lose going 5-hole if necessary. There has been some chipping on the heal of the blade (as mentioned in the durability section) and I feel this happened a little quick for that area. No actual chipping of the toe has happened so that's a plus. The feel of the blade is good and I can feel exactly where the puck is on the blade.

Overall: (10/10)

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Even though I didn't rate each category a 10/10 I'm going to give the overall portion a 10 due to how much I love this stick. The puck feel with shooting, passing, and puck handling is great. I feel that if you're someone who hasn't used a top-end stick yet this would be an excellent starting point due to price point. I'd feel comfortable saying this is a shooters stick as it's handled extremely well in that regard. I play 2-3 times a week and haven't noticed any real loss in flex. Durability has been great and no cracks/fractures on the shaft yet.

[dunc19 0]

CCM U+ CL

Flex: 75

Curve: Nugent-Hopkins Left

Height: 5'10''

Weight: 165

Postition: C/LW

Time-frame of use: Since January

Aesthetics: Looks great, not too flashy. Huge fan of the matte sand paper finish. Added the type of grip that made it easy to hold onto the stick, wihout the feel of actual grip.

10/10

Weight and Balance: So light. At 425 grams I think it's the lightest stick on the market. Felt really balanced to me, not blade heavy at all.

10/10

Blade: Blade held up decently. I found it to crack a little bit too easily in the toe but other than that the blade was fine. Always feel in control when the puck is on the stick of my CL and giving and receiving passes feels nice and crisp.

9/10

Shaft/Flex: Shaft is the perfect diameter. Not too boxy, not too round. I'd say it feels like a true 75 maybe even a tad more whippier.

10/10

Stickhandling and Passing: Stickhandling feels great. You definitely notice how light the stick is and it handles very well. All of my passes are crisp with this stick and I can control them very well. Stick is very responsive.

9/10

Shooting: Love it for shooting. My snapshot is unbelievable with this stick. Feels like you have to put in very little effort to get the velocity you want. Tapered shaft isn't a problem. My slapshots are OK with this stick, but other sticks have provided me with a slightly harder slapshot and one timer. Not much of an issue as I mainly use snapers and wristers.

8.5/10

Durability: The stick felt like it got whippier pretty quickly. A little bit disappointed that my 75 flex felt like a 70 flex after not a whole lot of use. The graphics chip pretty easily but that's like any stick out there. The blade is pretty durable but I noticed it to crack a bit too easily in the toe.

7.5/10

Conclusion: Great stick. I recommend it for all players especially forwards who need a stick for quick release snap shots and wristers. It won't disappoint. Lightest stick I have ever used and I just broke mine and will be going out to purchase another one.

9/10