The Sport Village

If you’re going to play in the NHL, you will have hundreds of hockey sticks at your disposal, making wooden sticks, optimized for flexibility and versatility a very viable option but lacking in durability. Unfortunately for the more casual consumer out there who can’t afford to break a stick on a semi-nightly basis, buying a top end hockey stick as an amateur simply isn’t a feasible solution for anyone who wants to spend their free time playing hockey rather than watching from the side of the rink or pond. Here’s a useful look at the different types of stick shafts that prove to be more reliable sticks and which ones may be more appropriate for each skill level:

• Fiberglass Fiberglass sticks are the least expensive composite sticks, making a great starter stick for beginners. As most beginners will not immediately engage in cross-checking or other more advanced hockey maneuvers, the mediocre stick sturdiness shouldn’t come into play, assuming the stick is well taken care of. Fiberglass sticks contain a wooden core, reinforced by a fiberglass outer layer.
• Aluminum Aluminum makes another great starting material, and is much stronger than fiber glass, though slightly more expensive. An aluminum stick will feature a metal shaft with no traces of wood what so ever. The aluminum stick is also noticeably lighter than the fiberglass stick, lending itself well to younger players.
• Graphite Graphite sticks can come in both pure form or as part of a wooden composite. They are more expensive than Fiberglass and Aluminum, but generally offer a more efficient mix of lightweight feel and stick strength. (more…)

Obviously, the goalie stick is the most strikingly different apparatus on the ice, specifically designed to keep pucks out of the net, with its widened base over the stick’s bottom 24 inches. The exact width of the blade can vary by player, but it should be noted that though puck-stopping surface area increases with each additional inch, too wide of a stick may compromise maneuverability. Most goalie sticks have blades ranging from 3.5 inches to 15.5 inches wide, with a loft between 11 and 15 (close to a driver, for golfers out there). This means there is potentially a lot of extra wood which will increase the stick’s weight. (more…)

The standard hockey stick for adults is between 56 and 62 inches long. For juniors, the size decreases, ranging from 46 to 54 inches. Though sticks for defensemen and forwards may look the same from afar, careful deliberation regarding to a player’s position will ensure maximum functionality out of a stick purchase. Defensemen generally play a more physical brand of hockey. In turn, they will need a more physically capable stick. Whether checking an opposing player into the boards or laying down in front of opposing slap shots, the defenseman’s stick takes quite a beating over the course of 3 periods. As a result, defensemen will generally opt for a stick more flex, or in layman’s terms stiffness, not to mention a heavier stick. It is a regular occurrence for defensemen to skate backwards attempting to poke the puck away from oncoming skaters on the offensive attack. A longer stick can greatly help towards this end, giving a defenseman an additional reach to his hockey wingspan.On the other side of the puck, forwards will need highly maneuverable sticks in order to keep the puck well in their control while shielding the puck and weaving in between defenders. This is only possible with a shorter, lighter stick. Less flex is also to a scoring player’s advantage as this will help to add to a stick’s versatility, advantageous when handling the puck in traffic. (more…)