Warrior Covert DT2 - Buzz_Lightbeer

[JR Boucicaut 3799]

Open

[Buzz_LightBeer 969]

An all-encompassing Thank You to everyone at MSH and Warrior who made this possible. This is a first LTR for me so I hope to not disappoint.

Stick Specs;

Warrior Covert DT2

85 Wisniewski, Diamond Grip

User Background;

5-10, 188

Currently in a number of leagues, Elite Adult full contact, A league Men's league, and several pick up sessions per week. All in all I get out on the ice 10-15 hours per week (read; not married). A fairly conservative defenseman, I generally rely on speed to escape pressure rather than fancy stickhandling. By and large my game is a matter of passes and slapshots from the point, with an occasional wrister in the slot, or one timer. My sticks take the bulk of the abuse in the blade, from aggressive corner work, and shots, as I tend to flex the stick down into the ice for low shots.

I get fortunate enough to have ice all to myself occasionally, during which I intend to get comprehensive comparisons of the sticks characteristics compared to other models.

I have been a loyal Warrior user since the beginning, and have used all of the top flight Warrior sticks, along with a smattering of other companies. Previously I was using a Diablo, prior to that a Widow, and the first generation Dynasty. I find that no matter what level I play, I always revert to my trusty Dolomite, as it just feels natural when I play with it.

The stick arrived at my door less than 48 hours after shipping, though much to my chagrin I was at work at the time. It arrived in a shipping envelope, and I couldn't believe an adult stick could weigh so little. Then the surprise when I opened it and saw a DT2 was so light. Very Impressive. I will admit I have always been a fan of Warriors graphics, from the simplicity of the Swizzle, to the graffiti of the Kronik, I don't get too worked up about busy graphics. The DT2 presents clean and simple, with several subtleties that I only noticed upon close inspection. A white/gray WARRIOR graphic dominates the forehand and backhand, with aggressive blue Dagger striping in 2 shades of blue (Navy Blue and Congress Blue says my iPhone color iD app). The heel of the backhand features a circled Warrior "W" much like the Dynasty.

The stick feels light and exceptionally well balanced in the hands. Generally I prefer a stick with a little bit of weight to get something behind my shots. I had tried the Wiz pattern previously on my Diablo (loved the performance, hated the pingy ceramic feeling of the Diablo blade). The shaft dimensions are comparable to the Widow, it feels bigger, but with a bit of concavity to the shaft. The Diamond Grip is a subtle grip, tackier than Velvet Grip, with a raised diamond grid pattern. Not overly slick or tacky, and much to my liking. The lower shaft and blade of the stick have a tight graphite weave, framing the Carbonized Blade plate.

Retail Warrior sticks up until recently were the perfect height off the shelf, so i had to take a few inches off to get this stick to the right length. Listed at 85, Initial flexing of this stick "feels" stiffer, much the impression I got with my Widow. I recall with my Widow it took a short adjustment period to the Dagger Taper to get my shot how I liked, no big deal.

I took the stick to drop in yesterday, and it immediately garnered "wow, what is that?" interest from a few players. I live in a very traditional hockey market, and Warrior is a small piece of the sales market here. A few laps and some shooting brought back the Widow feeling of needing to adjust to the flex of this stick. I found that I needed to focus on proper hand positioning on wrist shots, which for me is slightly wider than shoulders, and concentrate on the flex of the stick, to let it work in my favor. 4-5 shots and I felt comfortable again. For a number of years I had been working and training myself on proper shooting mechanics to keep my slapshots hard and heavy, but waist level or below. Slapshots with this stick required no adjustment and felt natural. My first few shots ended up right of where I aimed ( I am left handed) which I am guessing is attributable to the stick NOT torquing the way any other stick would. The blade has a very lively feel, and the occasional hard pass bounced off the blade if I had a lapse in concentration. Despite the length of the Wiz blade (11 inches, comparably 1/2" longer than a Jovanovski/Lidstrom) the weight of the stick makes it very easy to stickhandle with. As stated before, I'm not a fancy stickhandler or dangler, so take that for what it's worth.

After the session, the shaft shows a few minor nicks and scratches from normal game play. I also dug a puck off the boards on my backhand, and caught a seam in the boards. I heard an ominous cracking noise, but on inspection, only a small section at the distal end of the blade showed a nick. So far, so good.

Going forth, I must say my initial impressions of the DT2 are overwhelmingly positive. At <$200, the stick fits in my general price range for sticks. I'm the type of player who really doesn't get overly hung up on durability. I play frequently and aggressively, so if a stick performs and outlasts the 30 day warranty period I'm generally pleased. Previously my Widow lasted over a year with regular use, but the blade failed "all-of-a-sudden." One shot felt great, the next broke the blade in two pieces. My Diablo lasted 17 days, until I blocked a one timer in the mid forehand shaft. Not something I would expect any stick on the market to survive too well. I have 4 Ice sessions between now and Monday, so hopefully I can get a more thorough opinion of the sticks by Monday, and my goal is to give weekly updates for the first month. Would be happy to answer any questions members have.

[Buzz_LightBeer 969]

I was able to get my DT2 out on the ice 4 times this week, and it has very much won me over.

I spent two sessions skating with my elite adult team, and found that my shots greatly improved when I was forced to shoot and make decisions quickly. Accuracy is excellent, shots are hard, and the weight of the stick makes stickhandling easy with little effort. An area where the sticks really shines is a quick catch-and-release snapshot. The blade cradles the puck and releases, and it gets on net QUICK. It actually gave our goaltender a pretty good stinger in the bend of the arm where I hit him with it. A four assist game sunday night was a good boost to the ego, but pertinent because two assists were rebounds from point shots that the goaltender was unable to handle, and a third was hard and low, and redirected. I can't say enough nice things about the kick and release of this stick, even more impressed that its second in the Covert echelon. After a few ice times on the ice, I am completely adjusted to the nuances that this stick presented me. No issues with performance whatsoever. The crack I put in the blade toe early has not worsened since, a few minor nicks and cuts to the shaft, typical of use.

One issue I'm keeping my eye on is the backhand of the blade has begun to "Blow out" about puck level (pic included). The blade shows no signs of going soft, nor is there any reciprocal damage to the fore hand. At the moment it seems superficial, but I will keep an eye on it and update. By and large I am thrilled with this stick.

[Buzz_LightBeer 969]

Two and a half weeks now, and I've had nothing but positive to report about this stick. The transition to the DT2 shaft shape has been minimal, the shaft stil kicks hard as it did new. I've fully acclimated to the Dagger Taper, and the change in how it kicks. My confidence in this stick is at it's utmost. Accuracy on wrist shots and slap shots is fantastic, particularly when under duress and hurried. The long blade and heel curve are amazing for saucer passes, and the taper has unbelievably quick release on snap shots.

I've now had this stick on the ice approximately 15 times, about 30 hours, at sessions of varying skill levels, and I love it. Initially I would have assumed the Dynasty would be more similar to the Dolomite, and more suitable to my play style, but the DT2 wowed me in every facet. At $200 I would consider this stick priced fairly, and the performance justifies the pricetag. Having cut 2.5" off the stick, the official weigh in was 460 grams. The balance is phenomenal, Warrior hit a home run with this stick.

Earlier I mentioned the chip I took out of the toe on Day 1. This is after 20 days of use, and no loss in blade stiffness.

This is the backhand, where you can see the line has extended, and breached the integrity of the weave. Again however, there is no cracking or spongy feeling to the blade.

The guys excited about NHL end plugs will not be thrilled by this.

http://i1060.photobucket.com/albums/t441/Battalion4/IMG_0922_zps89dc6803.jpg

Today was a sad day, after approximately 14 sessions of aggressive on-ice use, the shaft failed on a one timer. The break was "all-of-a-sudden" with no warning or softening of the shaft beforehand. The shaft broke in my bottom hand, approximately 3-4" about the Hi-Fues point (I can see the foam in the shaft). As I stated in my initial post, I'm not the type of player who gets overly hung up on stick durability. This stick exceeded its price tag in performance, and for me, outlasted comparable top of the line sticks of similar price ranges. Looking at the stick, it shows significant signs of use, slashes, blocked shots, and typical aggressive game use. I would not hesitate to purchase another Covert DT2.

Thank You again to Warrior, for allowing me to try an amazing product!!!