CCM RBZ Stage 2

[Tyler Roy 86]

Tyler Roy:

22 years old

5'10" 180 lbs

Inline Player( AIHL Elite, Narch/Torhs)

Stick Specs:

75 flex grip

Hossa

Cut about 3 inches

First Impression

Having received this stick prior to the release I was already quite excited strictly for that fact, I was also quite a big fan of the original. After unboxing it first thing that jumped out to me was the overall balance, this is much more important to me rather than the actual gram weight(430 grams is still very light). Next was the updated look, I was never a fan of the all white blade as I found it blended to much with my tape and the court. The black strip the goes along the top of the blade and up the shaft stands out more so you don't have to look down to see where the puck is on your blade. All I did was cut it to my bottom lip and tape it up.

Blade - Being a RBZ user I was already aware of the puck feel or any other difference that the first timer may have, no learning curve for me. I did notice a bit of an improvement in the overall feel and ease of use with the new blade. Passes were simple to receive and give along with stickhandling and dangling. Blade is quite stiff with no flex to be felt when shooting, I did notice I wasn't shooting past the net as much as my older Nexus I have been using before. Everything was positive and an upgrade to the original RBZ blade except for the chipping that started after the 2nd or 3rd use. I tape my stick all the way over the toe and didn't get it stuck in the boards or anything like that. Purely cosmetic and didn't bother me but somebody paying full price might have an issue. This is a quite small chip but can be noticed if you didn't know it was there. Other negative was I didn't feel the blade had the same jump the original had, the Stage 2 is still very responsive but I felt it was lacking that explosiveness that I felt with the RBZ. The more I use the stick I have some shots that jump and some that are more average. Blade(7/10

)



Shaft/Flex/Balance - I noticed the Stage 2 felt a little more round than the RBZ did. That was one of my biggest knocks with the first gen, the Stage 2 has a "T" geometry or rounded corners with slightly concaved sidewalls. No complaints with the way the shaft feels. CCM has used the same consistent flex profile in the Stage 2 and this is one of the best things IMO with the RBZ/Stage 2. The flex point will adjust to your hand position but always below your bottom hand. I find loading the stick to be quite easy and shots come off without much effort. The 75 flex feels true to rating but maybe on the side of being stiffer if anything. I do like that CCM makes the 75 slightly shorter so when you cut the stick, if you even have to, you still keep that flex. I already mentioned balance being one of the first things I noticed. The shooting motion feels more fluid because of some of the weight being moved from the blade area to the shaft. I also find the stick/blade to get marked up rather quick so if you are one to try and keep your stick looking new until it breaks good luck. Shaft(9/10)

Shooting- I already touched on this subject but feel it needs its own section. I do notice a difference in shooting response and overall "pop" from the RBZ to the Stage 2. For most people that used the RBZ the thing that stood out the most was the explosiveness that the puck had, I had this same experience. Biggest complaint with the RBZ was the puck feel or the lack there of, I was very excited when the Stage 2 was said to add puck feel but still have that same powerful shot. Don't get me wrong, the shot is still very good compared to other high end sticks. Its just tough to say if its better than those sticks. I have heard the same thing from other Stage 2 users but have also heard the opposite too. Having used this stick for about 2-3 months with quite a few shoots put through it I think I have seen the best the Stage 2 has to offer. Shooting (7/10)

Durability- Again, I have had this stick for about 3 months and it is still going pretty much as good as it has. Despite the chip in the blade that happened rather early I have had no problems. I have had a few shots right to the shaft and the normal hacks and slashes. I'm very happy with the durability. Durability(9/10)

Intangibles- Not a huge fan of the white stick. I think CCM did this one right and should appeal to a wider crowd. I do wish they did a gloss taper and blade as that doesn't show as much puck marks as the matte does.

Overall- Upgrade over the RBZ? Ehh...Puck feel and everything else I would have to say yes, its just the shooting part that has me on the fence. Would I recommend this? Yes. Would I buy a second one? No.

SCORE: 32/40 OR 80%

[Levsauce 2]

Zach Levitt:

13 years old

5'8

130

ice hockey (AAA and AA a year up)

Stick specs

senior medium flex aka 75

grip

nugent-hopkins

First impression: Right off the hop the stick had great puck feel and amazing pop. I also noticed a great balanced feel.

Blade: The blade used on the ccm rbz is very unique due to the fact that there is no foam core in the blade but instead there are channels running through the blade called freak channels. I felt great puck feel with this blade when stick handling and passing on top of great pop. 9.5/10

Shaft/Flex: I love the feel that the shaft gives me when stickhandling and passing. The shaft loads amazingly when you flex it. Feels true to flex. 9/10

Shooting: This will sound cheesy but this stick truly feels like you can "strap a rocket to the puck" because whenever you shoot you feel a great deal of pop. The one thing with this stick when it comes to shooting is that you need to learn how to use it in the sense that if you get it right the puck leaps off your stick but if you release it wrong at all then you release a poor shot. When shooting with a rbz stage 2 it feels that you don't need to reef on the shaft as hard to get a good shot off . 9.5/10

Durability: My stick has a lot of dents in it so unfortunately durability is a negative factor when it comes to the RBZ Stage-2 but even though its gouged up and has a lot of dents it still performs the same as when it was new. 7/10

Intangibles: I love everything about this stick. I think that this is a great stick for the elite player.

Total 35/40

[t6lock 24]

85 flex grip

Hossa

Cut 3 inches

I sniped a deal for 2 of these sticks for $80 each brand new a year ago and it has definitely paid for itself. Normally in Bauer sticks and I probably average breaking one once every 5-6 months. My first Stage 2 lasted me a WHOLE year. My first one broke a few weeks ago and I'm on my 2nd one now. Playing at least twice a week, once being in competitive games and other in a pretty good pace drop in. I really did not like the RBZ1 graphics because I thought there was too much white at the top, I think the Stage 2 did a better job at contrasting the graphics.I know a lot of people aren't fans of primarily white sticks, myself included. What I think is worse is the new all red turn they have taken. I'm glad I took the plunge out of Bauer, my wallet thanks me. I've got some Tacks sticks on the way and will likely post a review on them in the future.

8/10 Blade - I'm coming from basically all Bauer foam core sticks, so the puck feel definitely isn't as good as I've experienced. Also coming from a P92 I could never get that wrap feel around the puck the same. It took a while to get the puck feel comfortable for me, longer than normal, but after I've got used to it it hasn't been an issue at all. I've been using Blade Armour (http://bladearmor.ca/)and I can't really tell it's on. The blade did a great job at staying solid and I have really had 0 complaints from day 1 to its last day. If I went back to the day before my first stick broke, I don't think I could tell which blade was used in a blind test.

8/10 

Shaft/Flex/Balance - The stick balance isn't the best, but the other intangibles make up for it. I absolutely love the variable flex points. I feel it gives me more consistency on whatever shot I'm taking whether it be a snap or slap. I used a RBZ80 before this too and the weight difference between the two is very noticeable. Definitely not the lightest stick on the market but it's definitely in the top end stick range of weight. Receiving passes can be tough, especially on really hard passes the puck just bounces off. Really have to work on getting a good cradle the puck.

10/10 Shooting- Loading the stick is effortless. The variable flex point is a really nice feature and where the blade lacks in puck feel, its stiffness has upsides in releasing the puck. Most of my Bauers just go real soft after a month of use, but this stick kept its pop great in its entire lifespan.

10/10 Durability- This is where my whole life changed. I was a Bauer guy for life, until I snagged this deal and I cannot believe how long this stick lasted me. It got to the point where only 25% of the stick graphics remained. Playing pretty competitively, and playing C taking a lot of face-offs this stick was a dream. The only reason it broke was the throat of the blade just wore down too much from all the stick lifts and slashes it took. I previously had a V10 stick when I was just starting ice, and this stick was VERY reminiscent of that. My V10 literally had a chunk the size of a nickel taken out of the backside of the heel and I still hammered slap shots in stick and puck like there was no tomorrow. The fibres were sticking out there and on the top of the blade and it held up somehow. That stick lasted me close to 2 years before I replaced it.

In conclusion, I would highly recommend this stick as a very durable stick, which I have done to many fellow players, and would use this stick forever if I could (except in P92).