Gearing Up For The New Season — Where To Begin? Here’s A Primer On What To Look For

But before hitting the ice, it may be time to upgrade your skates, replace that old tattered helmet or treat yourself to the latest and greatest one-piece weaponry.

 

Unless you’re a gearhead who stays on top of the new stuff every year, where to begin? With so much new technology – endorsed and promoted by players such as Sidney Crosby, Steven Stamkos and Alexander Ovechkin – how do you know what’s best for your or your child’s level and style of play?

 

The general trend in most equipment categories continues to be towards lighter, faster and stronger.

 

More protective is also an area of increasing focus, particularly in helmets, as a number of high profile incidents in the NHL and elsewhere have everyone thinking ”safety first.”

 

Losing the top player in the game – Crosby – to a concussion for half a season, and counting, will do that.

 

“Helmets continue to evolve, given the massive attention concussions have garnered,” says Wes Huether, senior director, training and customer experience, Pro Hockey Life Sporting Goods Inc. “Gone are the days where a helmet is fit by loosening screws to simply adjust the length. Helmets today are designed to fit 360 degrees around the head with fit systems that adjust not only in length, but in circumference as well, providing a more protective fit. Helmet padding continues to advance and evolve as well, with foams designed to manage impact, distribute force and provide better fit, far better than in years gone by.”

Emphasis on fit

Indeed, so much of the discussion in hockey these days is on protecting the players. But, depending on if you’re a novice beginner, a serious AAA prospect or a beer league plugger, how do you know what level of protection – and price tag – is for you?

“The primary focus always has to be fit, regardless of price point or level or frequency of play,” says Huether.

 

Age, size, frequency of play and level are all important in deciding which product may best suit you or your child’s needs. Paying more doesn’t necessarily mean you’ll get more protective or durable gear, either.

 

“They may be the lightest or provide the best range of motion, but do not always provide the highest level of protection,” says Huether. “It all comes down to the player’s needs matched with the product providing the best fit.”

 

With fit being the primary focus, cost is a secondary consideration. “A player is far better off spending money on a product that fits best and which will perform the best for them, says Huether. “Price is dependent on a player’s need for technology. Using sticks as an example, a player looking for a one-piece stick that will last them as far into the season as possible is better off going with a lower price-point stick, as it contains more fiberglass and less carbon or graphite and is therefore more durable. Conversely, a player looking for a stick that is extremely light with great puck feel and an incredibly quick and accurate release will benefit more from a high-end stick offering the technology to promote this.”

 

So there you have it kids – and moms and dads. More expensive isn’t always the way to go.

With skates and sticks being the key performance tools for hockey players, innovation in these product categories is paramount.

 

Skates

With skates, emphasis continues to be on a skate’s ability to shape or mold to the player’s foot. Every year, manufacturers release more models that fit and feel better both out of the box and after being heat-molded. The break-in process of skates today is almost non- existent, providing players with more comfort and better performance from the very first wear. At the same time, skates are also getting increasingly lighter, taking advantage of new materials such as composite boot forms, and advanced manufacturing processes such as single-piece construction to provide unmatched weight, fit and performance.

 

For example, CCM’s new U+CL skate is constructed of a one-piece UFoam quarter package that is extremely heat-moldable. Once cooled, it becomes extremely stiff, providing a strong combination of fit, stiffness and flex – all in a lightweight package. Both Bauer’s Supreme TotalOne and Vapor APX skates are constructed from a 3D Alive Anaformable Composite, a material designed to be both lightweight and stiff that is extremely heat-moldable.

 

“What makes the U+CL unique is its heat formable core,” says Andrew Stewart, product manager at Reebok-CCM Hockey. “When heated in a custom skate oven at your hockey specific retailer, the U+ skate conforms to a player’s foot better than any previous skate could.”

 

Going into 2011-12, the entire CCM U+ skate lineup is new; starting with the U+CL, a whole line of skates featuring the proprietary U Foam now exists, Stewart says. The full line includes the U+12, U+10, U+08 models that have a complete U Foam core, whereas the U+06 and U+04 have incorporated U Foam zones for added heat-moldability.

 

“Our designers developed a full lineup of skates featuring various technologies that can appeal and fulfill the needs of the most intense pro athlete, as well as satisfy a beginner or intermediate player.”

 

Bauer, meanwhile, has unveiled what it says its most advanced skate in the company’s history – the Vapor APX. The combination of technological advancements and new materials, combined with a proprietary manufacturing process, has created the lightest and best-performing Vapor skate ever, the company says.

 

A “3D compression molding process” creates a design that no other manufacturer in the industry can duplicate. The result is a “better fitting, lightweight skate that delivers unprecedented performance.”

Players such as Stamkos, Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews will wear Vapor APX skates this coming season, Bauer says.

 

Sticks

In sticks, the one-piece category has dominated for several years, but still continues to see new innovation. Carbon, graphite, kevlar and other composites continue to be the most prevalent materials, but using more fiberglass has allowed manufacturers to produce sticks that can be sold at lower prices, may weigh a little more than the top end models but which also may be more durable. In fact, sub-$100 models have been among the most popular one-piece sticks for the last few years.

 

At the top end of the stick category, Warrior has introduced the Widow, with its “Dagger” taper and “D-Lite” blade to offer a quick release with great puck feel. Easton’s EQ50 provides visible technology in its FWT (focus weight technology) weights added in the heel of the stick to increase puck feel and dampen the blade, as well weights in the end plug, allowing players to customize the weight and balance. Huether says this is the first customizable stick to hit the market.

 

Easton, one of the strongest players in the one-piece category, has another formidable new model out with its Stealth RS. Featuring a matte black look with selective yellow accent colors, this stick made its debut during the 2010-11 Stanley Cup playoffs.

 

“The focus for the Stealth RS was developing a stick that works with your shooting motion,” says Mike Mountain, stick category manager for Easton. “The shaft is built with a compression process to compact the laminates to give you a lighter, stronger structure that loads and unloads faster. The taper, with an elliptical shape, results in less torsional twist for greater accuracy and a quick release. The blade is built to stay closed through the shot so you can hit your spots.”

 

Built as the ultimate “sniper stick,” the Stealth RS is aimed at elite level players, and will be available at retail locations beginning in October.

 

Goalie

For the masked men in the crowd – goalies – this equipment category is trend-driven. For example, over the last year or so, there’s been a resurgence of the “old school” or vintage lines – such as the traditional tan pads as seen on Carey Price, Rick DiPietro and Marc-Andre Fleury, as well as the old waffle-board blocker, as worn by Jonathan Quick in games last season when the Los Angeles Kings wore their 1970s purple and gold uniforms.

 

However, white is still the leading color trend among goalies, be it white with some accent color or pure white altogether, says Huether. New technologies include the introduction of the soft flex pad, going back to the traditional three-knee roll for more flex and increased mobility.

 

Custom pads are also hot today, allowing goalies to customize their colors, flex, stiffness, amount of breaks, strapping system and even adding the players name and number. Manufacturers have increased their customizable options and have reduced the lead-time to produce the pads, making this a very attractive option.

 

At Reebok, 2011 is a pivotal year for blending tradition and technology to provide goalies with high performance equipment, according to Sonya Di Biase, goalie product manager at Reebok-CCM Hockey.

 

The Reebok development team worked closely with NHL goaltender Ryan Miller to develop a true hybrid style of goal pad to enhance butterfly transition and reduce hip stress.

 

Using traditional knee roll construction and a softer boot flex, goalies will be able to better control their rebounds and reduce puck momentum, she says.

 

The new Larceny series is aimed at goalies who like a tighter fit to the leg who want to better control their pads and rebounds.

 

This upcoming season, Reebok will be launching a new Premier 4 series, showcased by its top goalie endorsees, featuring a new leg channel design and strapping system to offer more coverage and freedom to move. The Premier 4 series will be available at retail in April 1.

 

Wayne Karl is a journalist in Toronto. He can be reached at wkarl@rogers.com

Depending your level of play, here’s a selection of items in each key equipment category worth considering

 

SKATES

Beginner: Easton EQ20 $99.99 – Same pro look as the pro level EQ50, perfect stiffness for the entry level player with a forward flex design in a comfortable package where you can lace em’ up and play.

Intermediate: CCM U10 $399.99 – Customizable UFoam ensuring a great fit, Rugged Armor quarter package for durability, composite outsole for increased energy transfer from boot to blade, full stainless steel perforated runners providing a lightweight agile skate.

Competitive player: Bauer Vapor APX $849.99 – The culmination of technology and materials combined to give you the ultimate performance and fit. Including an Alive composite quarter package, the perfect balance between fit, performance and weight.

 

STICKS

Beginner: Bauer Supreme ONE30 $59.99 – Perfect for the player leaning on their stick looking for an effortless release, this stick offers easy loading and effortless power, constructed of composite and fibreglass providing for great durability.

Intermediate: Easton EQ30 $99.99 – Featuring Focus Weight Technology, increasing puck feel, a kevlar wrapped shaft for vibration dampening and increased durability, a combination of feel and durability all in one stick.

Competitive player: Warrior Widow $299.99 – True one-piece technology with the new Dagger taper, producing a kickpoint with explosive release. A lightweight carbon fibre construction with a double density blade, stiff in the heel and base transitioning into a springy mid-toe, great puck feel, explosive shots.

 

HELMET

Beginner: CCM V08 $89.99 – A dual-density pro preferred VN foam liner providing great comfort with a tool-less adjustment for easy sizing.

Intermediate: Bauer 7500 $119.99 – Triple density protection, with EPP foam, Poron foam and comfort foam for great comfort and protection. Tool-less adjustment for easy sizing.

Competitive player: Reebok 11K $199.99 – A helmet designed to manage both high impact hits as well as the more frequent low impact hits. Constructed with a floating EPP liner with comfort cushions this helmet contours to the unique shape of your head. A 360-degree fit system includes a tool-less adjustment as well as wrap around the entire head, alleviating pressure points and providing a firm hold.