|
Ever since the game of ice hockey was first conceived, ice hockey sticks and the way to adapt them have been at the center of the game’s progression. Since those first bits of wood were carefully constructed into goal scoring machines, to today’s fabricated unique chemical make-ups, ice hockey sticks have went through a number of transformations. I’ve even read historical interpretations that claim Aboriginal people were playing hockey with long shin bones attached to numerous other things long before Europeans created the sport. The earliest big change to be made to the unique stick was the curved blade. The effect of this was enhanced shot speed and enhanced puck handling ability. You can find rumours of athletes using hot water to curve blades as far back as 1926, but the curved stick would not hit the mass markets until Andy Bathgate, Stan Mikita, and Bobby Hull came about in the 1950s. The players discovered through their findings that new blade made shots more unpredictable for goaltenders. On the down side it made shots significantly less predicable for the players also. This concluded in the NHL introducing new ice hockey stick regulations for the 1968 season. Another major invention is still happening all around us. As hockey has matured technology has always been propelling the process onward. We have seen the chemical design of sticks go through a significant transportation considering that the first wood prototypes dominated the sector for such a long time. The first shift was to aluminum and fibreglass sticks. I remember playing with an aluminum stick as a kid. An aluminum stick ended up being a point of pride for all hockey players. It marked you out at somebody who was serious about the game (a lot like Air Jordans did for basketball players at the time). The best part in regards to the old aluminum shafts was the fact each player could pick their very own unique signature for the stick in the form of a specialized blade. I often loved to experiment with the ‘Yzerman’ curve versus the ‘Jagr’ curve. Whether your stick was graphite or aluminum the smell and hiss of blow torches was evident in just about every dressing room I was in as players gently moulded their cherished sticks. Wayne Gretzky is said to have once announced that all the attention players pay to their sticks is in the name of, “Taking care of what takes care of you.” He could not have been more right. Today the main objective in the ice hockey stick industry has changed from two-piece sticks back to one-piece options; then again, it’s not the one-piece of your grandfather’s day. Today’s one piece sticks are formulated out of composite material. These composite hockey sticks are made of titanium, Kevlar, graphite, aluminum and fibreglass. These chemical improvements have included a new degree of sturdiness and flexibility to the classic piece of hockey equipment and folklore. These types of composites are preferred by the the vast majority of players right now. The most popular conclusion is that the improved flexibility adds a bit more snap to a hockey shot, and the new components tend to give a more desirable ‘feel’ for the puck than the old wooden models. I'm sure some older players however, who still rely on the tried-and-true wood ice hockey sticks. Ice Hockey sticks will always be the primary focus of the game we call hockey. Its practically as essential as the hockey stick curve.
Related Articles -
aluminium hockey sticks, aluminium sticks, best hockey stick, composite hockey sticks, composite sticks, evolution of hockey sticks, history of hockey,
| 
