OPS - 10 Year NHL Anniversary

[JGraz15 55]

Pretty interesting segment

http://watch.tsn.ca/nhl/clip284403#clip284403

[BlueCanStockdogs 0]

Wasn't Larionov using a Busch OPS in 1996-7?

[flyers10 57]

I saw some Busch OPS or shafts at a Coyotes locker room tour last week. Brand new in plastic still. lol

[dsjunior1388 81]

Definitely a cool piece. Luckily for me, I used to break wood sticks all the time and so far I've never broken a composite. PS do you guys say Come-pOs-it or COmp-os-it.

[th6252 25]

Definitely a cool piece. Luckily for me, I used to break wood sticks all the time and so far I've never broken a composite. PS do you guys say Come-pOs-it or COmp-os-it.

depends if you're canadian or american.

[mik3 1]

My favorite part of the video is the announcers whining about the sticks then the players saying OPS is all they'll use.

[TBLfan 25]

LOL, I like the stat about the same amount of goals scored on average... yeah but how much better are the goalies?

Kinda funny how Sidney called the stick breaking. I called Ovechkin's last season. He took a huge slash, penalty called. Ovie stayed on the ice for the PP without skating to the bench. I turn to my buddy and say Ovechkin's stick is going to break on the next shot. Sure enough, one-timer and *kaboom* and a SH breakaway. I'll never understand why guys don't check their sticks after taking a hard slash.

[iceholes19 0]

Seems like the manufacturers have us right where they want us: dependent on OPS and willing to buy new ones to replace

the old ones as they break.

Reminds me of the story about Goodyear buying out the patents for a rubber compound that would last the lifetime of a car

just to keep it off the market.

[dsjunior1388 81]

LOL, I like the stat about the same amount of goals scored on average... yeah but how much better are the goalies?

Kinda funny how Sidney called the stick breaking. I called Ovechkin's last season. He took a huge slash, penalty called. Ovie stayed on the ice for the PP without skating to the bench. I turn to my buddy and say Ovechkin's stick is going to break on the next shot. Sure enough, one-timer and *kaboom* and a SH breakaway. I'll never understand why guys don't check their sticks after taking a hard slash.

Same thing happened to Franzen in this period, took a big slash and it broke on a stiff pass.

[Chadd 916]

Wasn't Larionov using a Busch OPS in 1996-7?

Busch was around long before the Synergy, but the synergy was the first one to be really popular.

[mack 44]

Someone's going to mention that old Titan Turdburglar from the 80s.

[burrn 0]

LOL, I like the stat about the same amount of goals scored on average... yeah but how much better are the goalies?

Kinda funny how Sidney called the stick breaking. I called Ovechkin's last season. He took a huge slash, penalty called. Ovie stayed on the ice for the PP without skating to the bench. I turn to my buddy and say Ovechkin's stick is going to break on the next shot. Sure enough, one-timer and *kaboom* and a SH breakaway. I'll never understand why guys don't check their sticks after taking a hard slash.

The thing about composites is that its really hard to find damaged spots. With wood or metal, you can basically find small cracks where it is likely to break if you look hard enough, but with composites, you can sometimes find no damage whatsoever on the surface even if there is critical damage inside.

Probably why they seem to "suddenly" snap.

You could check by flexing the stick a bit to see if it gives, but one-timers put way more stress on the stick than just flexing it, so you really can't be 100% sure.

But to get back on topic, I think comp sticks are way better than wood sticks. Wood blades suck up the moisture and soften up really fast, the curve starts to go out of whack and you lose the kick. How many wood sticks did they use to go through during a game?? I probably think more than they do with composites (not really certain tho).

[mug25 2]

Great vid.

Believe it or not, I still keep a wood stick in my stick bag. I like to switch from time to time. It makes me appreciated my OPS much more ;)

[TBLfan 25]

The thing about composites is that its really hard to find damaged spots. With wood or metal, you can basically find small cracks where it is likely to break if you look hard enough, but with composites, you can sometimes find no damage whatsoever on the surface even if there is critical damage inside.

Probably why they seem to "suddenly" snap.

You could check by flexing the stick a bit to see if it gives, but one-timers put way more stress on the stick than just flexing it, so you really can't be 100% sure.

But to get back on topic, I think comp sticks are way better than wood sticks. Wood blades suck up the moisture and soften up really fast, the curve starts to go out of whack and you lose the kick. How many wood sticks did they use to go through during a game?? I probably think more than they do with composites (not really certain tho).

Flexing it is an easy way to see if it will just snap on a pass or puckhandling... Or shots, if they're about to break it will normally snap when you flex it or you'll hear fibres cracking. It's a hell of a lot smarter than just chancing it.

[mug25 2]

Flexing it is an easy way to see if it will just snap on a pass or puckhandling... Or shots, if they're about to break it will normally snap when you flex it or you'll hear fibres cracking. It's a hell of a lot smarter than just chancing it.

Exactly, I flex my stick before and after periods/games just to check — or in some cases before faceoffs.

[cptjeff 0]

I flex mine the next break in play after my stick takes a decent whack from something.

[OldNSlow 3]

I guess Spezza's S19 is indeed a OPS composite.

[furlanitalia 1]

So who does that leave in the NHL that still uses wood - Demitra, Stastny, anyone else?

[CheesePlz 0]

Holik too. It's getting slim though.

[TheEdge27 2]

Thought Holik retired? Aucoin I believe. Thornton uses wood blades, 2-pieces are rare as well.

[CheesePlz 0]

Did he? I thought he was playing in NJ. Aucoin switched to the s19.

[jsykes 35]

Watching the Canucks a week or so ago, Kyle Wellwood was using a composite shaft (One95) with wood blades.

[furlanitalia 1]

Watching the Canucks a week or so ago, Kyle Wellwood was using a composite shaft (One95) with wood blades.

Right, he's been using a shaft with wood blade for the past couple seasons. forgot about that.

[Hradsky 1]

So who does that leave in the NHL that still uses wood - Demitra, Stastny, anyone else?

Stumpel!

[chippa13 1844]

Stumpel? Oh, that guy who has been out of the league for like 2-3 years playing in Europe.