Shops in Southeast Michigan

[LivHockey84 0]

The Livonia Perani's is the most stocked it has been in over 5 years

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

B&R Sports is commited to customer service, and always have the latest and greatest gear to shop from, along with previous year models at great prices. B&R in Troy Sports Center has great management, great selection, and great deals. Also, they do great jobs on sharpening. They also have the Blademaster Flat-Bottom System. I have not noticed the BFD and FBV difference.

Suuuure. You'll find out soon enough.

The Livonia Perani's is the most stocked it has been in over 5 years

It's quite comical that any time I worked in hockey retail, I never would say how good my store was or how much stock we held. And I own this site.

[LivHockey84 0]

ok, man

[Cams 7]

Anybody have experience with the Perani's in Taylor on Eureka Rd?, or am I better off staying with the one here in Windsor.....

[steelnation248 101]

Shops I've been to in the Metro Detroit area (some I haven't been to in a bit so I'm going off memory for them):

Perani's (Livonia): They have a really good size collection of pretty much any protective equipment you are looking for. The sticks were stocked with Warrior, Easton, and Bauer. Kind of lacking Reebok and CCM. I bought my most recent pair of skates there. The guy who fitted me was great. Really nice. He also sharpened them for me and did a great job.

Perani's (Sterling Heights): I live closer to this one so I usually go here. The stick selection is great. Pretty well stocked on every brand. The protective selection seems to be slightly smaller than the Livonia store. The guys who work there are really nice and have had a good time working with pretty much everyone who has helped me there.

Perani's (Rochester Hills): It's a pro shop so the selection is smaller and they usually only have 2 people working there. The workers there are nice. I usually only browse in there when I'm getting my skates sharpened but it's a decent selection for the size of the store.

B&R Sports (Troy): My buddy plays at that arena and I'll usually browse in there before his games start. They don't offer CCM or Reebok in anything, only Easton, Bauer, Warrior and a few smaller brands. Huge stick selection. Protective is pretty good as well. They have a lot of gloves, in not to common colors too. The prices seem to be a little big higher than the Perani's I've been too, especially on older model items. I've really only had one equipment related interaction where they installed a visor for me because I didn't have the proper hardware. I also remember the wood extension plugs there were $8 when they are $4 everywhere else around here. Just a random tid-bit that stuck in my mind.

Metro Sports (Troy): Smaller store and the selection really isn't expansive. They have a lot of budget sticks but is also a good place to find older model sticks that are still popular. I've seen SE16's there in more common flexes and curves but not really at a discount.

I've been to other stores in the area but it may have only been once or I just swung in when bored but I can't really remember them enough or looked around enough to judge them fairly.

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

Perani's Taylor is where equipment goes to die.

I remember when I went in there for the first time in 2005, they had SK2000 helmets. LOL

[teamhky91 0]

Suuuure. You'll find out soon enough.

It's quite comical that any time I worked in hockey retail, I never would say how good my store was or how much stock we held. And I own this site.

Ever since I was a kid I loved shopping at B&R because they always had everything. Last year I worked for Get An Edge out of Royal Oak, and moved to B&R Troy and have noticed how much more committed they are to customer service than GAE. They constantly have 4+ employees working at a time...at some stores youre lucky to have 2...

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

No comment.

[Cams 7]

Perani's Taylor is where equipment goes to die.

I remember when I went in there for the first time in 2005, they had SK2000 helmets. LOL

So..... better just to stick with my Windsor store then???? Drive by there quite a bit for my weekly grocery trips, but there never seems to be anybody there.

[Jsmells 0]

So..... better just to stick with my Windsor store then???? Drive by there quite a bit for my weekly grocery trips, but there never seems to be anybody there.

Yeah the selection there is pretty awful, it's not worth your time.

[s_franchise 5]

I go to the peranis in taylor, i live downriver. I'm normally not impressed with selection of most equipment, i wouldnt really suggest getting your sharpening done there either [absolutely terrible.] They have gotten a lot more gloves in recently and a bit more right handed twigs, which used to only be one row on the back wall. the staff is pretty friendly and normally helpful. But if you ever need to order anything usually they'll just point you to the website. its not a terrible place but id recommend the one in Livonia or even ann arbor at the cube.

[Lanny'sMustache 0]

I work at a pro shop called HockeyDeals at the kensington valley ice house in Brighton. We also have stores in Novi, and Chelsea. We offer both standard and FBV sharpenings, and have a great selection of skates, sticks, protective, and apparel. You can also check out hockeydeals.com

[Stewie 721]

B and R is so dissapointing. It stinks because they have a shop literally right in my backyard in Clinton Township, but I am not sure how people can say they have everything, or a good selection, when they dont even carry two of the top brands in the game (no Reebok or CCM) When i go to look at skates, all they had was Bauer, and sorry but Bauer just doesnt fit my foot well, so what is customer service when all you can say is, hey try to jam your foot into this! I will admit they usually are pretty helpful, but all my gear is CCM or Reebok, they fit me the best, so I find their selection limited, and that they do not cater to all customers, and thus miss a pillar of customer service. About the only thing I get there is laces (love Howies, and they dont carry them at Peranis), and the occasional tape or mouth guard run. Also the one where my beer league is at, always messes my teammates skates up, so I dont trust them, especially when i have the rocket runners in.

I usually go to Peranis, sterling heights or Macomb. It sucks, i miss the days when Radkes Hockey and Hardware was around to sharpen my skates. They are usually pretty standard, although I am looking to try either Skate Works, or Brunos in the near future now that I am skating more regularly. Anyone used brunos before?

[redwing80 0]

B and R is so dissapointing. It stinks because they have a shop literally right in my backyard in Clinton Township, but I am not sure how people can say they have everything, or a good selection, when they dont even carry two of the top brands in the game (no Reebok or CCM) When i go to look at skates, all they had was Bauer, and sorry but Bauer just doesnt fit my foot well, so what is customer service when all you can say is, hey try to jam your foot into this! I will admit they usually are pretty helpful, but all my gear is CCM or Reebok, they fit me the best, so I find their selection limited, and that they do not cater to all customers, and thus miss a pillar of customer service. About the only thing I get there is laces (love Howies, and they dont carry them at Peranis), and the occasional tape or mouth guard run. Also the one where my beer league is at, always messes my teammates skates up, so I dont trust them, especially when i have the rocket runners in.

I usually go to Peranis, sterling heights or Macomb. It sucks, i miss the days when Radkes Hockey and Hardware was around to sharpen my skates. They are usually pretty standard, although I am looking to try either Skate Works, or Brunos in the near future now that I am skating more regularly. Anyone used brunos before?

brunos is where i go they are pretty consitance and never had a issue with them.

[Stewie 721]

yeah i got a pretty good edge from Bruno's, but i think he struggled with my stupid ass runner a little. It was pretty packed when i went in there, so it must be worth the 7 dollars a pop. Pretty good service, the guy was showing me some things about the skates and wear, but he might have just been trying to sell me on the graf skates that he fits and sells. He was mentioning that my side wall integrity was giving way, but i have always just used skates until there was too much wear, these skates are in pretty great shape, hell i am on the original rocket runners still from purchase. I also think that he did an inspection of the holder as well, as this was the first time that it was a little loose when i brought it in for a sharpening, but i forgot to tighten it before i skated, however it wasnt clicking.

[steelnation248 101]

Where would you guys say the best place to get fitted for skates is in this area? I will be in the market for new skates around summer time and I am not happy with what I am in now. I jumped to a conclusion to soon. I read a lot about Brian's in Windsor but is there another place that someone has been really happy with or just back up Brian's some more?

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

I have problems with those who put everyone in the same skate, every single time. You'll get that at the aforementioned store.

[steelnation248 101]

I have problems with those who put everyone in the same skate, every single time. You'll get that at the aforementioned store.

Do you know of any store that will be a little more thorough in the fitting process and use the all for one method?

[DLK 0]

I actually had a really good fitment experience at the Livonia Peranis a few months ago. I'd been out of hockey since I was a teenager and we went through ~10 options to find the perfect fit/shape for my foot. Didn't end up being remotely close to what I expected going in! I was looking for more of a full-line shop, somewhere that at least had skate options from all of the major manufacturers. The bigger Peranis stores seemed like the best bet for that in the area.

That said, there were four or five people being fitted at the same time and not everyone around me was getting anything like the attention and time that I did. Wish I could remember the name of the gentleman who helped me out...I'd send you his way for sure.

The initial sharpening was also...not great. Edges seemed a little uneven. It was free and the tech was certainly quite busy, but I've been going elsewhere after that.

EDIT: Just read back up the page and realised your last pair of skates came from there. Not a very helpful suggestion on my part!

[scott8659 1]

Anyone have experience with Perfect Edge in Howell?

[JR Boucicaut 3797]

Do you know of any store that will be a little more thorough in the fitting process and use the all for one method?

That day I responded...I actually spent the afternoon/evening in a shop in MI. I could've fitted you but I was on vacation, LOL

[voxyledbetter 9]

I didn't want to start a whole new thread... but I was curious if anyone has had B&R repair a broken OPS? I recently had them do it and I haven't used it yet, but it sounds odd when I flex it. So I don't have a whole lot of confidence with it surviving. Anyone have some luck with this?

[DLK 0]

I was curious if anyone has had B&R repair a broken OPS?

Sorry, I've never done so...didn't even know they even offered that service.

I'd be interested in how it seems to hold up though...do let us know. Where/what did the stick break?

[voxyledbetter 9]

Sorry, I've never done so...didn't even know they even offered that service.

I'd be interested in how it seems to hold up though...do let us know. Where/what did the stick break?

S19, broke right below where your lower hand would be on the shaft. I saw a youtube video for another company where they fuse it back together and then wrap the break with carbon and sand it down and paint it. Mine sounds like a two piece when I flex it and they put some tape at the break. I have a week or two off at the moment but will try the stick out once we start up again.

[leftwinger37 43]

S19, broke right below where your lower hand would be on the shaft. I saw a youtube video for another company where they fuse it back together and then wrap the break with carbon and sand it down and paint it. Mine sounds like a two piece when I flex it and they put some tape at the break. I have a week or two off at the moment but will try the stick out once we start up again.

Roy at Playmaker Pro Shop in Brownstown (inside of the Ice Box) does OPS repairs for about $25-30. I was pleasantly surprised by the results, but all he really does is cut the shaft into two pieces at the break, inserts a piece of composite, and seals it with epoxy.