So having used it all for a while and now finally played a game, it seems like a good idea to review my equipment and see what I’m happy with and what I’m not. Maybe decide what order to upgrade things in.
Skates
Bauer Vapor X:50 – not a single complaint about these skates. Comfortable, light, and durable, these were the best money I’ve spent on hockey equipment so far.
Shin Guards
Reebok 6K – no complaints about these, either. They’re comfortable and I’ve hit the ice often enough to evaluate how well they protect my knees.
Pants
Easton Synergy S16 – not much to say about pants, I think. Comfortable and I’ve tested them enough to know they’ll protect me on impact.
Shoulder
CCM Vector 06 – these will probably be the next thing I replace. These are really thin around the sides and belly. Part of the problem may be a sizing issue. I’m tall, but relatively thin; so a large fits my chest well, but doesn’t meet up with the pants and an extra-large meets the pants, but winds up loose around the chest.
The Bauer X:60s offer more protection and are lighter, so I’ll probably pick one up this month, as the inventory closeouts are all running.
Elbow
Reebok 8K – after much testing, these have proven effective, so I’m happy with them.
Gloves
Reebok 6K – no complaints at all.
Helmet
CCM Vector 10 – my head’s hit the ice and a puck’s hit my face, so I can’t fault the protective qualities of this helmet. Near the end of a game or practice, it does become a bit uncomfortable around the temples. I’ll stick with it, but at some point I’ll try some new ones on.
Currently I have a wire cage, but I want to try the visor/cage combination to see if it improves visibility.
Stick
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I hate hockey sticks. Length, flex, curve type, curve depth, pattern, material, lie, grip, face, blade length … I’ve bought cars with fewer options. I started off with a wooden Easton stick because it had the $12.99 feature. Heavy and no flex at all, I replaced this with the same pattern in a composite. This was okay, but I wanted something that offered a little more curve to cup the puck a bit and somewhat more open to help me lift it. So I moved on to a Bauer pattern that seemed to match what I was looking for. |
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I can see myself spending a lot of money on sticks, looking for the right pattern and features – which equally means that I’ll be giving a number of sticks away when I decide what I don’t like.
Luckily all the blade patterns are available on a range of sticks, so that’ll keep the cost down. The clinic coach just got a new Combat stick that he was trying out Monday. Slapshots from the far goal line that hit the glass at head height with disturbing velocity. |
