Broken Sticks — The New Pandemic

[Ozzy]

I don't know what it is lately. Maybe I just noticed it and now that I'm paying attention to it, but every game I watch around the NHL, I see players breaking sticks on virtually every shift. Either it's while taking a shot, or even breaking up a play. Sometimes it seems like a guy sneezes and the damn thing is in pieces!

Mika broke 3 sticks last game against the Caps, and last night when I watched the Isles/Sabres game, there was a pile of lumber in the corner for a minute and a half after the Isles PP in the 2nd period. Same thing in the Avs/Flames game. Gerard winds up, goes to take a shot, and half his stick turns into a boomerang!!

What the hell is going on with these new sticks??? They're terrible, and they always seem to break at the worst times!

Back in the old days, those sticks were 100% wood, and those fuckers NEVER broke....unless you cross checked the pee outta some guy in front, or slashed him across the back! (wait.... how do I know that? )

[So Nashty]

I may be wrong but I haven’t noticed an uptick in the last few years. Feel like it’s been at this level for a while.

Lighter sticks come with a price- they’re not as sturdy


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[SaveByRichter35]

Yea this is nothing new.

[Ozzy]

I may be wrong but I haven’t noticed an uptick in the last few years. Feel like it’s been at this level for a while.

Lighter sticks come with a price- they’re not as sturdy


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Yea this is nothing new.

Ok, I'm senile then....I just see this shit every game, and I'm like...."I never broke a stick on a shot like that!"...then again, I couldn't break a pane of glass with my shot, so..... But I've cross checked guys and .....ah whatever...I'm old. I didn't notice until recently.

[4EverRangerFrank]

Does seem though, that our team's sticks break at the most inopportune times.

[Morphinity]

Yeah, as other said, with the dawn of composite sticks, this really isn't super new. These guys push the limits of what these sticks can do. Any sticks you see breaking in odd ways, like receiving a pass, probably took damage earlier in the shift and they just didn't notice or didn't want to leave the play (even though they're supposed to.)

[So Nashty]

With that said you'd think after years of this manufacturers would find a way to sturdy these sticks up a bit. I refuse to spend more than $100-130 for a stick because I know it wont last me more than year on average. I can't even imagine what an athlete goes through in a season.

[Ozzy]

With that said you'd think after years of this manufacturers would find a way to sturdy these sticks up a bit. I refuse to spend more than $100-130 for a stick because I know it wont last me more than year on average. I can't even imagine what an athlete goes through in a season.

Gimme those old Sher-Wood's, KOHO's, PMP's and Victoriaville's. Those babies were solid!!!

...matter of fact I think I still have Ulf Nilsson's KOHO in my garage someplace....I have to look!

[So Nashty]

I don't remember if it was this exact model but some of my first sticks. Loved these ^

[paddynyc]

Gimme those old Sher-Wood's, KOHO's, PMP's and Victoriaville's. Those babies were solid!!!

...matter of fact I think I still have Ulf Nilsson's KOHO in my garage someplace....I have to look!

Love the old Sher-wood sticks and I believe one was called feather light if I remember.

[Sod16]

My first stick, a straight Northland "Pro", was indestructible. After it was retired to street hockey use and wore down to the point where it couldn't be used, it made good firewood. When I was playing in the 70s, a good wood stick cost about $6 and lasted longer than these composite jobs. Are players really shooting harder with the composites? I've never seen that documented with a radar gun.

[Keirik]

It's just the nature of thre NHL these days. Players are faster and stronger. The slap shot is most gone and replaced with snap, wrist, and whippy shots. Flexible sticks are a necessity to generate the whip necessary for explosion off the stick. It's really not a new thing though. Ben about 15 or so plus years of it. Jagr used to break his stick on shootout attempts lol

[Ozzy]

I don't remember if it was this exact model but some of my first sticks. Loved these ^

Love the old Sher-wood sticks and I believe one was called feather light if I remember.

My first stick, a straight Northland "Pro", was indestructible. After it was retired to street hockey use and wore down to the point where it couldn't be used, it made good firewood. When I was playing in the 70s, a good wood stick cost about $6 and lasted longer than these composite jobs. Are players really shooting harder with the composites? I've never seen that documented with a radar gun.

That's the ones I remember too, Nashty!

But yeah Paddy, "Feather-light" That's right! That's the one I used.

Those Northland's were indestructible, Sod. I used to see goalies use those all the time too!!

[josh]

If you remember, a year ago, the stick factories shut down. Players were "scrambling" for sticks (they werent, but there were limits on quantities)

Most likely some manufacturing issues due to resources, employees, production numbers, etc. I'd expect to be an increase in defects with any rushed mass production.


https://www.cbssports.com/nhl/news/h...tick-shortage/

How the coronavirus is creating an NHL stick shortage

[!br-avery!]

just Mika!

[Sod16]

Had to have what the Rangers were using, and they switched as a team. For example, in 69-70 it was Northland and they switched to Sher-Wood for 70-71, so all youth hockey players had to switch. Equipment was uniform then. Whole team had Cooper gloves. Goalies had the same model Cooper waffle board for almost 15 years. Whole team had Tacks.

[CBrowningPI]

I still have my Tacks Sod. I recently asked a young hockey player if he'd ever heard of Tacks and he said "what's that"? Lol

[Patrick Bateman]

Broken Sticks sounds like a hockey podcast with 6 listeners

[Ozzy]

Had to have what the Rangers were using, and they switched as a team. For example, in 69-70 it was Northland and they switched to Sher-Wood for 70-71, so all youth hockey players had to switch. Equipment was uniform then. Whole team had Cooper gloves. Goalies had the same model Cooper waffle board for almost 15 years. Whole team had Tacks.

I still have my Tacks Sod. I recently asked a young hockey player if he'd ever heard of Tacks and he said "what's that"? Lol

Wow!! Tacks!!! Super Tacks too!! I had those!! Man, that brings back some memories!!!

[Long live the King]

I still have my Tacks Sod. I recently asked a young hockey player if he'd ever heard of Tacks and he said "what's that"? Lol

CCM still uses the Tacks name/product line. I just think kids don't care about brands now a days.