I largely stopped taking slap shots and the only one timers I’ll do is the snap variety. I skate 1-2 times a week and can usually get 2-3 years out of a stick.
at the stage of life most of the board is in, I think the bigger concern is buying for kids playing multiple times a week (and probably recklessly).
This. For example, IIRC when Boeser was a kid his family didn't have a ton of money and his dad had health problems. His mom was a waitress, and any time he'd break a stick she'd have to pick up an entire extra shift to go get him a new one. That doesn't even feel feasible any more. They're gonna price even more kids out of the sport.
Unless your kid is 15-18 and playing high level hockey there’s no need for them to have $300 sticks. They aren’t strong enough to take advantage of the difference between mid tier and high end stick.
yea you're right, but even the mid-tier sticks are expensive and anyone who played remembers how the equipment you're using can double as a status symbol in the locker room. I'm not saying it's right, but it's just the way kids are and jacking up prices will only make it worse. I just find it hard to believe that the margins on these sticks right now require higher prices.
This I have been on this crusade for years and couldn't agree more. The problem is... this. Sticks are a status symbol just like in youth baseball all the base running gloves, elbow guards etc are in that sport. As a parent it's really hard to put your foot down and say no when you know every other damn parent is going to fork out all that money to make little Bobby happy. Add in even higher margins and we are going to see those mid-tier sticks costing $200+ compared to the $85 they currently cost.
The biggest farce is stick manufacturers getting away with a 30 day warranty. I’m sure parents would be a bit more willing to shell out hundreds of dollars* if you had some guarantee that the stick would last for a couple of years and not break two months in. *The price is still absurd
Our local hockey shop was old school, owner would keep the carbon copy of all stick sales and not date them at the time. Your stick breaks outside the warranty, go back and he will date it to that week and give you the copy.
i agree, but it will not get out until the game is policed well. Pare took laine out for a year, a fucking year with a knee on knee and it was not even a 2 min penalty. The new mtl staff knows exactly how it goes. No need to start fights. Just target their best players. it’s how you get the attention of this stupid league
Yeah, that’s a trash hit. Elbow is up at his own head. The Greig hit on Dach was a 2 minute interference that was called.
This is mainly the DOPS fault. If Xhakej knew that a hit like that would cost him 20 games and 25% of his salary (317K) the shit would stop. But it’s a wheel of justice between nothing, 5K fine, 1 game, 2 games. None matter.
I bet the team would cover it, that was not random. This was a trash hit but it was mtl sending a message to the other teams after the laine hit. I am sure mtl will do something for Toronto in their first meeting now. berube clearly had a goon squad in mtl and they played dirty as fuck
This shit is stupid always but it's especially stupid that they're doing this in the preseason. Divisional preseason games is moronic
Lol at getting NHL owners to spring for hotels during the preseason. Divisional preseason games will never change, and I agree, it’s ridiculous.
Top 6 players should be playing like one preseason game to knock the rust off and then sitting the rest.
Anyone think anyone challenges Michkov for the Calder this year? I just don't think Celebrini has the team around him to do so. He'll likely spend a bunch of time in his own end.
Maybe I am in the minority, but this is one of my biggest pet peeves with the NHL... that was a clean hit, its Hedmans fault he put himself in that position. You shouldnt have a teammate running you after that.
Fights after clean hits are super annoying. I don’t know how you get it out of the game though realistically.
it isn’t, it’s penalized. Fighting is banned in basketball it’s why you don’t see fights every game. A 5 game suspension is a great place to start. At a minimum I think it should be out of the game you are in and out of the next game. Like it is in youth hockey. You can increase suspensions from there