Wood vs. Composite Hockey Sticks (2024)

FAQs

Are wood or composite hockey sticks better? ›

Composite sticks weigh less, generally provide more power, have a custom kick point, and are more durable than wood sticks, which tend to be heavier and stiffer. Wood is also less consistent—every piece of wood is different, whereas several composite hockey sticks can be built with uniform qualities.

Some manufacturers use fiberglass as a laminate between wood layers. Today in the NHL, almost no players still use wooden sticks. The main advantage that wooden sticks enjoy today is their low cost. This makes them a popular choice for street hockey.

Composite sticks do break more easily and often, but it's devastating to the defense to have a broken stick while killing a penalty. The pro levels don't use them because of the benefits - but amateur players use them because of their lower cost.

True is the only current option in the NHL, and they are having sticks made for them by Heritage Hockey Sticks in Cambridge, Ontario, the last manufacturer of wood hockey sticks in North America.

Youth sticks – 38 to 44 inches: ages 4 to 8. Junior sticks – 46 to 54 inches: ages 7 to 12. Intermediate sticks – about 55 inches: ages 10 to 15. Senior sticks – about 60 inches: age 14 and older.

In the early days of hockey (around the mid-1800s), sticks were made of wood, first from a single chunk, later with many layers of wood glued together to add flexibility. By the 1950s, manufacturers began wrapping sticks with fiberglass for reinforcement.

Sidney Crosby uses a CCM P29 curve. This Hockey Stick Blade is one of the most popular in the game today and features a deep mid-curve allowing for great stickhandling and puck control.

If you are on a smooth/padded surface you will be fine (outdoor rink, ball hockey matt, plywood). Do NOT use a composite stick on your driveway or on the road for street hockey.

But as a youngster, Gretzky used a Koho stick. We learned that recently when an anonymous bidder paid $38,838 at an auction managed by Heritage Auctions for the Koho stick Gretzky used to score the 1,000th goal of his life as a 13-year-old with the Brantford Turkstra Lumber squad.

Do composite hockey sticks break? ›

A composite stick MAY last longer then a wood stick but can break just as quickly. The bottom line is hockey is a rough sport and sticks are going to break. In fact, they HAVE to break for safety reasons alone.

A radical curve helps a player get more lift on his wrist shot. A flat blade keeps the puck low to the ice. Players settle on their ideal curve by heating the blade with a blowtorch, bending it under their feet, then sticking it into a bucket of ice.

The defining moment will always be the day Wayne Gretzky, the game's greatest scorer, switched from wood to aluminum, popularizing the switch from twigs to new age sticks. That Gretzky led the way is odd, in that he rarely fussed over his old wooden Titan stick he used so famously in Edmonton.

Alexander Ovechkin is 230 pounds and uses a 79 flex stick, which is probably a big reason for his one-timer. Sidney Crosby uses a 100 flex stick, higher than you may imagine for a skilled player.

Wayne Gretzky Signed Hockey Stick | Sold for $1,059 | RR Auction.

It's not uncommon for NHL players to use a new stick every game and their teams pay for them — an average of about $200 per stick, which is about $100 less than they cost in a sports store. The regular season is 82 games — not including practices — so the stick bill for NHL teams can get very expensive.

Former Sharks teammate Joe Thornton is believed to be the only other NHLer currently using a two-piece stick.

This is up to personal preference. Some players prefer lighter sticks because they are easier to handle and move around on the ice. Others choose a stick with more weight because it helps to build up strength while using it and can be tougher for opponents to lift off the ice.

Many associations require players to be five years old. Kids that start hockey before they are physically and mentally ready are more likely to have a negative experience. It is never too late to start playing hockey. Players have joined hockey programs at 12-13 years old and still made varsity hockey teams.

What is the best hockey stick for beginners? ›

The defining moment will always be the day Wayne Gretzky, the game's greatest scorer, switched from wood to aluminum, popularizing the switch from twigs to new age sticks. That Gretzky led the way is odd, in that he rarely fussed over his old wooden Titan stick he used so famously in Edmonton.

The most common Hockey Stick Lies are 4,5, and 6. A four Lie is great for players who skate with a lower center of balance, with the puck out in front of them more often. A higher lie, like six, will cater towards players who skate more upright, with the puck closer to their body.

I don't like my hockey sticks touching other sticks, and I don't like them crossing one another, and I kind of have them hidden in the corner. I put baby powder on the ends. I think it's essentially a matter of taking care of what takes care of you.

“He put all the weight he had on the stick (for the winning slapshot in Game 2) and maybe with a composite stick it could have broken,” Drolet said. “We see a lot of broken composite sticks, for sure.”

Illegal Stick Length

The blade must not exceed twelve and one-half inches (12 ½”) in length or three inches in width. The blade must be beveled on all edges per the rulebooks set by USA Hockey and the NHL. If your stick doesn't meet these requirements, it is considered illegal.

Adding tape improves the contact between the blade and the puck. The taped surface of the blade makes it easier to control the puck and accurately shoot a pass across the expanse of the rink to a speeding teammate.