Stick guru's help me spec this stick

[Hockeydog 8]

So I am digging around the garage and find a Montral wood stick I bought some time ago but never used much. I take it to pick up last night and fell completely in love with it ! For the record I have been using a Bauer Vapor XVI stick 'um, un-cut in a P88 pattern. I was thinking I might want to try a slightly longer stick and remebered the Montreal was around an inch or so longer. I'd really love to either find a supply of this stick, or maybe get some suggestions on what is currently out there that is as close as possible. Here is the stick in question:

Montreal stick. European 5 ( I take as European pattern, 5 lie)

99 x3m 88 X X markings further down the shaft. ( indicate flex of stick??)

Made in Finland

Aprox an inch or so longer than Bauer Vapor XVI stick un-cut.

Of all the equipment we use in hockey, sticks are the area I have paid the least attention to, so any help would be very cool. Christmas list could use another item!

Thanks!!

[Chadd 916]

Montreal was purchased by Warrior a couple years ago and they are no longer produced

[TBLfan 25]

Yeah, good luck finding any of those. The Euro I believe was their "toe curve" and it had lie choices hense the "5".

[Hockeydog 8]

Any ideas on what current model pattern would be a close match to the European in a 5 lie? The pattern DB is not working for me.

[jmiami 4]

I still have a couple of Montreal Euro sticks. They are indeed awsome. There are two hockey shops in NYC that may actually still have them for sale. I know they bought a huge supply before they stopped making them. Try contacting Westside Stick & Skate, that is where I got mine. If they don't have them they can give you info on which current stick might be most similar. You can also try calling the pro shop at City Ice Pavilion in Queens. The pro shop there is run by a former co-owner of Westside, so he may have taken some of the Montreal's with him. Cheers

[Hockeydog 8]

Thanks' I'll try contacting them. I'd go for a stash if I could find them, but what I think I'd prefer is to find a current pattern that is similar in a composite. To me the blade looks like a medium depth toe curve with a neutral to slightly open face. And a 5 lie of course. The pattern DB was helpful in this but looks to be out of service at the moment.

[highslot84 0]

Can you post a picture of it?

[Hockeydog 8]

European Blade

I'll see if I can get a pic tonight of my actual blade, but here is a European that looks very close. Looking at Warrior web site a Gionta pattern may also be a close fit.

[TBLfan 25]

I'll take a pic of the Gionta next to the Euro for you tomorrow if I remember.

[TBLfan 25]

Here you go, as you can tell the Gionta's profile is different and the Gionta is more concentrated in the toe and a more open pattern.

[Hockeydog 8]

Thanks for doing this! Nix the Gionta as a close replacement. After your side - by side the European doesn't really look like a toe curve. Warrior also has a Kovalchuk . Maybe a closer fit based on looking at pics of the Kovalchuk

[TBLfan 25]

Yeah, that's why I said it was their "toe curve" in quotes...That's what was said about it but, clearly it wasn't even close.

[A2rhino 78]

Something to think about. Easton is offering a new toe curve blade this season that seems to be similar to this, however is said to be an open toe.

Possibly even a Bauer P14?

[davidfinlay276 4]

Something to think about. Easton is offering a new toe curve blade this season that seems to be similar to this, however is said to be an open toe.

Possibly even a Bauer P14?

The P14 could be worth checking out. Roughly lie 5, and a mid-toe curve like the Montreal Euro as opposed to a true toe curve like the Gionta. Slightly square-ish toe like the Euro as well. The P14 is decently open near the toe though (not crazy open or anything, but moderately open), while the Montreal Euro seems more closed. Based on the above pictures of the Euro, and comparing them to the P14 sitting beside me, I'd say the P14 is more or less a Euro with a more open toe. Take that with a grain of salt, though, since it's tough to compare curves without seeing them side by side in person.

Side note for the OP, though, it might not just be the curve that you love. You went from a low kick composite to a wood stick that's an inch longer, there are tonnes of difference there. Different puck feel, different blade stiffness (as a rule wood blades are whippier than composite blades), potentially different shaft stiffness, potentially different weights, different stick lengths, and different flex profiles (wood tends to flex wherever your bottom hand is, low kick composites are engineered to flex near the blade). You might find a composite with a pattern very similar to the Montreal Euro, but not like it nearly as much since so many other things are different.

Last side note, if you want to make composites longer you can just throw in an end plug.

[Hockeydog 8]

Side note for the OP, though, it might not just be the curve that you love

Yeah, I was thinking I liked the extra inch a lot, and that's an easy fix on any composite. I use a P88 now, and am thinking even with the rocker I might do better with a 5 lie. If I add an inch to the P88 it would only make the actual lie worse so not sure if a P14 would work there but I'll gladly check it out. Not sure I can tell where the kick point is on the Montreal but once I settle on a pattern I can deal with getting the shaft, so to speak !