Pro Stock Hockey Blog

That Time The Stanley Cup Was Canceled

Posted by AJ Lee on 07 14 2020

Given the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic and how quickly things can change, it’s completely plausible that the NHL playoffs might not actually end up happening. Blasphemy, I know. But if states in the U.S. opening up early have taught us anything, it's that this isn't going away anytime soon. Training ca [[..]]

Everything You Need To Know About The 2021 NHL Expansion Draft

Posted by AJ Lee on 03 20 2020

Who will the NHL Seattle team be? Maybe the Totems, the Seals, the Sockeyes or Rainiers — or, if legendary and apparently coffee-loving sports columnist Mike Downey has anything to say about it, the Starpucks. But, more important, when the NHL comes to Seattle in 2021, who will the team include player-wise? The [[..]]

Should The NHL Allow Its Players To Play In The Olympics?

Posted by AJ Lee on 03 02 2020

Until the 2018 Games, National Hockey League players had participated in five straight Winter Olympics. When the league, squabbling with the International Olympic Committee over associated costs, pulled the plug on NHL Olympics participation in 2018, reaction was swift. Certified hockey legend Wayne Gretzky [[..]]

The Best of the Worst Hockey Equipment Gimmicks

Posted by AJ Lee on 01 24 2020

Any sport that relies on gear as much as hockey does is, every so often, going to be presented with the Next Big Thing, that latest-and-greatest innovation that will revolutionize the game — or at least your ability to play it. Of course, some of these “advances” have proven less than advantageous. Not all eq [[..]]

Stick Insight: Duncan Keith

Posted by AJ Lee on 01 03 2020

Duncan Keith, those who know him well say fondly, is a freak. Now more than 1,000 games into his Blackhawks career, the three-time Stanley Cup champion defenseman describes himself as a “biohacker” who uses infrared lights, electromagnetic mats and hydrogen inhalers in pursuit of every advantage. At Mic [[..]]

How To Become A Faster Skater

Posted by AJ Lee on 12 11 2019

Widely regarded as the fastest team sport, hockey requires speed. While a lot of coaches preach about speed with the puck, speed without it may be more important. After all, think about how often you see two players racing toward a puck compared to one skating away with it. Yes, some players naturally skate f [[..]]

How To Pick The Perfect Hockey Stick

Posted by AJ Lee on 11 21 2019

Did you ever watch one of those home rehab shows? You know, where the school teacher and the pharmacy tech are shopping for their dream house and settle for a half-million-dollar fixer-upper? Whichever home they enter, someone has something to say about the color on the walls — which is absolutely the leas [[..]]

Skate Guards or Skate Soakers?

Posted by AJ Lee on 10 31 2019

Not everyone uses hockey skate guards. Not everyone uses skate soakers. Yet when it comes to skate blade covers (and yes, as far as we’re concerned, guards and soakers are two different items under the umbrella term, “skate covers”), hockey players should probably use both. Quality versions of either can b [[..]]

Can Ovechkin Break Gretzky’s NHL Goals Record?

Posted by AJ Lee on 10 17 2019

The NHL goal record shouldn’t be in anyone’s reach. Wayne Gretzky set the mark of 894 in a goals-happy era, 93 goals past the previous leader. In subsequent, decidedly less offensive times, no player has mounted a realistic run at the Great One’s career total. Yet, heading into the 2019-20 season, here sit [[..]]

Ranking NHL Mascots

Posted by AJ Lee on 08 02 2019

Hate Gritty, the newest and most inexplicable NHL mascot. It only makes him stronger. Introduced in September to howls (and at least one description as “toxic masculinity incarnate”), the Philadelphia Flyers’ byproduct of Oscar the Grouch’s electric Kool-Aid acid trip to Grimace’s McDonaldland boudoir has [[..]]

Which NHL Player Has The Craziest Curve?

Posted by AJ Lee on 04 26 2019

Ever since — and probably before — Stan Mikita first broke a blade in the boards at a Blackhawks practice and he and Bobby Hull started strafing the top shelf, crazy hockey curves have been a part of the NHL. Some NHL player curves are outrageous, dancing along and at times skipping blithely over the leag [[..]]

NHL Goalie Equipment Changes

Posted by AJ Lee on 04 17 2019

The grumbling was immediate. The latest volley in a storied battle between goalies in search of any competitive edge and a league mindful of the fan-appeal of scoring came prior to the 2018-19 season, when the NHL moved to restrict the size of chest, shoulder and arm protection in goalie gear. Goalies fea [[..]]

Worst NHL Tape Jobs

Posted by AJ Lee on 01 23 2019

Hockey stick tape jobs are, for many NHL players, a sacred ritual. It must be done precisely, even obsessively, so that the results produce a comfort with their consistency. Sidney Crosby, for one, is so notably particular (read: “superstitious”) about his tape jobs that no one is allowed to handl [[..]]

Stick Insight: Ryan Dzingel

Posted by AJ Lee on 01 15 2019

Ryan Dzingel has always been good with the stick. Of course, growing up outside Chicago, the stick was frequently a baseball bat. And Dzingel, the son of a father who played collegiately at Louisiana Tech, was an all-state shortstop for Wheaton Academy. But then, Dzingel had also been playing hockey since [[..]]

Hockey Stick Handedness

Posted by AJ Lee on 01 08 2019

While World Is Right, Hockey Leans Left Ninety percent of the world is right-handed. Yet, in the NHL, more than 60 percent of the players have a left-handed shot — i.e., with their right hand on the top of the stick’s grip and the toe of the blade curving to the right as you look down on it. Manuf [[..]]

Remain Flexible When Considering Hockey Stick Flex

Posted by Adam Rosenbaum on 12 13 2018

The moment anyone starts talking about hockey stick flex, Zdeno Chara’s name comes up. The 6-foot-9 Boston Bruins defenseman is known for having the stiffest stick in the NHL, typically playing with a 150 or 155-flex stick in a league where anything in three digits is considered stiff. But there [[..]]

Best Goalie Masks For Current NHL Season

Posted by Adam Rosenbaum on 11 20 2018

Major League Baseball endured a months-long controversy during the 2018 season, springing from the Cubs’ Ben Zobrist deciding to wear black spikes in violation of the league’s uniform policy.In the NFL, players are routinely fined for such violations, as when the 49ers’ Frank Gore took a $10,500 h [[..]]

Bauer Vapor 1X Gets All The Glove Love

Posted by Adam Rosenbaum on 11 06 2018

Bauer Vapor 1X gloves are the most popular gloves in the NHL. That’s not exactly news. Last season, the Vapor 1X was also the most popular glove in the league. This year four versions of Bauer Vapor gloves are on the list, with the Vapor 1X again leading the way. Actually, when it comes to ap [[..]]

How Tall Should A Hockey Stick Be?

Posted by Adam Rosenbaum on 10 24 2018

It’s important to know the proper hockey stick length. Playing with an improperly sized stick can slow players’ development, make their shooting less accurate and powerful, and even throw off their skating. How Long Is a Hockey Stick? That’s a question with many answers. The proper hockey stick len [[..]]

Blade Grades: Having A Feel For Hockey Steel

Posted by Adam Rosenbaum on 10 10 2018

In the equipment-centric world that is hockey, perhaps no bit of gear is as important as your skate blades. The wrong hockey skate blades can make you work too hard, tire too easily, move too slowly or wobble too often. The best hockey skates have blades that make you feel kinetic and connected. Ch [[..]]

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