Blade pattern suggestions for a D-man

[Jayseph101 0]

Sup guys

I just started In my 1st structured adult league team, I'll describe myself as a stay at home Defensive D man.

I'm 6'3" so I like a long stick. I like Worrior so far because they have some sticks that run just a bit longer than

the standard senior stick. My question is what kind of blade pattern would so e of you guys recommend? Toe? Heal? Or Mid?

[chippa13 1844]

You should get used to this phrase "personal preference" because you are about to hear it alot.

[bradd94 5]

I don't use Warrior but I would go with a heel curve in most brands, mid curve in Warrior. It is all personal preference though especially including lie.

People say to choose a mid while you're learning. If you get used to a certain curve it really serves no purpose to dumb yourself down. In Bauer I would recommend the Stamkos (PM9). Warrior doesn't have a great heel curve other than Chara which I feel the blade is too short for new players. Burrows is a mid-heel but is also rather short and doesn't have alot of contact space. I would go with a mid curve in Warrior, probably Zetterberg as it has a less open face than Kopitar to help keep your slapshots low and not hitting your teammates in the face.


Again it depends on your preference and your lie. I can give you a rough estimate but you have to try them out before.

[Buzz_LightBeer 974]

I'm not as tall as you, but I play a similar style of D, and prefer a longer stick as well (to my eyebrows when in shoes.

I don't have fancy stickhandling in my repertoire, and I prefer a heel curve with some amount of loft to maximize my passes and shots. In Warrior I tend to go with Wisniewski or Kovalev, as I have good command of my slapshots, and get the most velocity from these two. Personally, I would experiment with tapered shaft and blade combos until you find the pattern which best suits your style of play. Most likely a Burrows or Kovalev would treat you best.

Short Answer; Personal Preference

[CTB 32]

Along with personal preference I'd think about what type of plays you'll find yourself doing most of the time. Even as a stay at home D are you going to be unloading from the point when you get the chance or making the first pass out of your end to transition your team?

I'm a Bauer guy when it comes to sticks, but many of the blade patterns can be extremely similar from brand to brand. There's plenty of discussions in these forums about that very topic. From my experience I think a mid curve is the easiest to get used to. For Bauer sticks the Kane/P88 curve is my preferred mid curve choice. I believe its Warrior equivalent is the Zetterberg.

As others have already said, keep in mind other aspects like lie and flex. Along with where you like the stick's kickpoint to be.

Stick length is another personal preference issue, the only thing I'd caution against is believing that playing D means you should automatically be playing with a longer stick. I'm 6'2" myself but I cut my sticks down about 1"-1.5" from their original 60". Skating style, shooting style and blade patterns/lie all influence how a stick plays. I will say that it probably is better to keep it longer at first and then cut if you feel you need to.

[Jayseph101 0]

You should get used to this phrase "personal preference" because you are about to hear it alot.

Oh yeah I know. Was just curious

[SCOMPL 14]

I would recommend staying away from open curves. When shooting from the point you have a lot of distance to elevate the puck and really have no need to get the puck up quickly. Personally, I've found that open curves make it difficult to pass accurately as well.

Toe, and mid-toe, curves are more for snap shots and quick wristers. I would suggest going with a mid or mid-heel curve, whichever feels best to you.

Pay close attention to the lie of the blade pattern that you choose. I'd even recommend wearing a pair of skates when choosing your stick. Warrior blade patterns typically run in lies of 4 or 5, where other manufacturers tend to stick with 5 and 6.

[steelnation248 102]

The best way to get a feel for the lies of blades is to check them out in person. There's many things that can impact how a blade plays that you shouldn't just go by a number. Companies measure lies differently, and rockers play a big factor as well.

[Chadd 916]

Personally, I've found that open curves make it difficult to pass accurately as well.

If you're talking about a P92 type of "twist", then I would agree. If you're talking about a P91/Kovalchuk "wedge" type of loft, then I disagree. I like mild curves with mild loft for playing defense, passing is the most important aspect of playing D for me and I want a blade that makes passing easier to me. Every pass and most shots for me are "heel to toe" style, so wedges work well, as does the PM9/Burrows type of curve. When shooting, a lot more goals happen off of shots at, or below, knee level. Unless you're wide open and looking to blow one by the glove side, there is rarely a reason to go high and hard.

[Souldriver 64]

For someone that is 6' 3" and likes a long stick and plays d I would look at lie a lot. I'm sure with your reach you would poke check more and would want to have a lower lie to keep as much blade as possible on the ice when in a reach. This also helps with sloppy passes when playing the point. Beware though companies use different measurements for lie. The warrior w88 and Bauer p88 are the same exact blade. Warrior says it's a 4 lie, Bauer says it's a 6 but they are the same.

Do note warrior sticks are about 3" longer but for a couple of bucks more you can get a wooden or composite plug if they still make em to bring it up to length.

Kind of a minor thought too, do you try to stop a lot of shots or passes with your blade? A flatter less open blade could help stop them dead and not let them pop over the blade.

[thorbs 2]

I personally like the Drury family of curves (Kovalev in Warrior if I'm not mistaken)...makes it easy to chip pucks off the glass and out, make crisp passes, throw sauce, etc, at the expense of stickhandling

[baloo1987 1]

I play with a Geztlaf curve (seems to be the same as Lidstrom from Warrior).

I love to do saucer pass, big one timer slapshot and snap shot and that curve gives me all those things.

I wish have a toe shape round but there isn't any in Easton... lol

Maybe I'll try a Kovalev one day.... but like everybody say, it's a personal preference...

I would like to have Kreps curve to try ^^

[Cosmic 178]

What do people think of the Kopitar curve for Defense? I am rather clueless as a Defensemen, but I get put back here time and again, as I did tonite. I think I might have rather have had a longer paddle with a square toe (like the Lidstrom curve). Any thoughts on the Warrior Lidstrom pattern? (I know, it is personal preference)

(Traditionally, I am a poor skating/poor stickhandling/low hockey IQ/ can occasionally find the twine on dirty goals Forward, for what it's worth. When I play D, I just try to make sure no one gets behind me, which is easy on this small rink that I play on, but could become a burden on a regulation size rink. This has little to do with blade pattern advice/suggestion/commentary, I know, I just try to answer these types of questions up front, to keep the flow nice and smooth from here on.)

I should add- if I do pick up a Defense blade pattern, I just want something simple, that makes it easy for me to reach out and slap the puck away from an attacking forward, and also let's me easily stick handle and pass. I am not trying to do anything fancy, just want to successfully achieve the routines (which the Kopitar curve lets me do of offense).

[guitarfreek92 7]

why not try a basic cure like the zetterberg or the burrows to just get use to taking shots when under pressure of other skaters plus this will also help you learn how to lift the puck on your own instead of because of the curve. then once you start to get accurate start experimenting around. thats how i started

[thorbs 2]

Zetterberg for what you're talking about....I play a bit above you where flips, going off the glass, sauce, etc. are needed, which is why I like the Kovalev so much.

Definitely makes it tougher to stickhandle though, so I think the more neutral Zetts would treat you just fine

[jazzyjoey 2]

What do people think of the Kopitar curve for Defense?

I play D and use the bauer p92. I think the kopitar is a clone of that. I don't really know what else to say since curve is so much based on personal preference. I guess I don't have any problems passing or shooting high or low. I generally take big clappers from the point, but the curve definitely helps if I get room and can take a few strides toward the net and let a quick snap shot off. Really though, it's whatever you're comfortable with.

[zachary 2]

I use a Kreps and have for the past few years. Doesn't seem to bother me, I can keep my shots low or on the ice if I need to. Prior to that I used a P92/Sakic/Hall what have you and that was just fine as well.

[Chadd 916]

What do people think of the Kopitar curve for Defense? I am rather clueless as a Defensemen, but I get put back here time and again, as I did tonite. I think I might have rather have had a longer paddle with a square toe (like the Lidstrom curve). Any thoughts on the Warrior Lidstrom pattern? (I know, it is personal preference)

(Traditionally, I am a poor skating/poor stickhandling/low hockey IQ/ can occasionally find the twine on dirty goals Forward, for what it's worth. When I play D, I just try to make sure no one gets behind me, which is easy on this small rink that I play on, but could become a burden on a regulation size rink. This has little to do with blade pattern advice/suggestion/commentary, I know, I just try to answer these types of questions up front, to keep the flow nice and smooth from here on.)

I should add- if I do pick up a Defense blade pattern, I just want something simple, that makes it easy for me to reach out and slap the puck away from an attacking forward, and also let's me easily stick handle and pass. I am not trying to do anything fancy, just want to successfully achieve the routines (which the Kopitar curve lets me do of offense).

Playing D, I don't want a blade with a big twist in it. At least with a Drury or Lidstrom type blade I can turn my hands over and the blade won't have any loft. If you do that with something like a P92, then the heel of the blade isn't flat. Something like that can be a big deal when trying to stop pucks at the offensive blue line and not letting something end up behind you for a breakaway for the other team. PM9/Burrows, Drury/P91 or Lidstrom blades are all nice and simple. Go with something simple and the one that you feel most comfortable with.

[Cosmic 178]

Is the Zetterberg truly a lie 4.0?

http://www.hockeymonkey.com/warrior-hockey-replacement-blade-dynasty-ax1-tpr-sr.html

I see above, someone said it is lie 5 (as is the P88 Kane). I just wanna make sure that the retail is 5.0 before I buy one.

[Chadd 916]

Is the Zetterberg truly a lie 4.0?

http://www.hockeymonkey.com/warrior-hockey-replacement-blade-dynasty-ax1-tpr-sr.html

I see above, someone said it is lie 5 (as is the P88 Kane). I just wanna make sure that the retail is 5.0 before I buy one.

It is not a 4, most Warrior lie numbers are at least listed a full point lower than other brands. The W88 Zetterberg should match the Kane exactly.

[SirJW 207]

I would also at least try a shorter stick a few times. I play D on one of my teams and have been going shorter. A shorter stick helps when you need to clear the puck quick at your feet and still have no trouble poke checking.