An ice hockey stick is another essential item of ice hockey equipment for a hockey player. Each player will in time have their own personal preference as to which type of hockey stick they prefer and play a better game with.
Looking for an ice hockey stick at first, especially when you are new to the sport, can be quite daunting but it is actually not that bad once you work way through some of your choices and eliminations.
Starting off the, there are two types of hokey sticks depending on what position you are playing – goalie sticks or players sticks. Goalie sticks are a totally different shape with a much broader and taller blade to block the puck from getting into the net. A players stick consist of the blade and a long thin handle.
Looking at players hockey sticks first – there are different types made by different brands, such as Bauer, Easton and Warrior to name just a few. Basically there are all in one hockey sticks and sticks that are split into the shaft (the handle) and the blade. All in one hockey sticks are probably more popular but the two part ice hockey sticks have an advantage in that it is cheaper to replace part of the stick if, and when, it gets broken ie if the shaft (handle) snaps you only have to buy a new shaft.
An entry level of cheap hockey sticks for sale is the CCM wooden stick. This provides a long lasting and powerful stick to get started with but will not be as lightweight as the composite stick and are often more prone to breaking.
A composite stick, such as easton hockey sticks or tps hockey sticks, are made out of lighter and stronger materials, but can have either wooden blades or alternative composite material. These sticks can offer better puck handling and maneuverability.
It is important that a stick is the correct size or height for the player. To get an idea if the hockey stick is the right height, the player should hold the stick upright in front of them with the blade on the floor and the top of the hockey stick should at least reach the players chin, if not the nose. The player may wish to stand on tip toes to account for being on ice skates.
Junior ice hockey sticks can usually be found between 46″ and 54″, whilst senior ice hockey sticks can be found from 56″ to 63″.
Goalie sticks are usually classified into three categories for size, being junior, intermediate and seniors. It is very important to get these sticks the correct size as they cannot be cut down at all as the goalie stick will no longer be balanced. Goalie sticks are sized by the length of the paddle which is the wider blade part of the goalie stick.
The size of an ice hockey stick is dependent on each player and their own style and comfort. Depending on the position a player may play, could have an effect on whether they choose to play with a shorter or longer hockey stick. A shorter stick can be easier to handle and be better for snap and wrist shots which can be more important to a forward playing ice hockey player. A defensive player will prefer a longer stick which will give the more of a reach and b able to lunge. The longer sticks also give more power to any shots, but if a stick is too long it can be easier to lose the puck.
