Commercial blades vs. what the pros really use

Jimmy Carter

Avs/Leafs fan
Jul 24, 2010
1,244
0
Western NY
I know that most blades labeled with a player name are not really what the player uses, but it struck me as odd looking at the Reebok Duchene curve how much it looks like the one he really uses (at least what I could see of it watching the Avs' pregame warmup). Anyone know of some other blades sold to the public that are actually pretty similar to what the guy who's name on the blade actually uses? Just curious.
 

cptjeff

Reprehensible User
Sep 18, 2008
20,381
33,935
Washington, DC.
A large number of pros use wedges similar to the Drury. Drury himself uses a heel wedge.

Sakic used something pretty similar to his retail pattern.
 

dimi19

Registered User
Feb 19, 2010
469
6
good thread, i know for a fact that kovy does NOT use the "kovalev" heel-curve pattern which is on the warrior commercial (as you call it) blade, i actually met him at one of his charity auctions this November, and i saw one of his actual game sticks, and the curve was a crazy, crazy toe curve, so i came up to him and asked him, and he said that he does indeed play with a toe curve,

so yeah, it's really weird that the companies place players' names on curves that they don't actually play with,

another thing i found interesting, kovy plays with a two piece blade shaft combo, not a one piece, he likes it better that way he says
 

robat19

Registered User
Dec 28, 2010
106
0
Kalamazoo, Michigan
good thread, i know for a fact that kovy does NOT use the "kovalev" heel-curve pattern which is on the warrior commercial (as you call it) blade, i actually met him at one of his charity auctions this November, and i saw one of his actual game sticks, and the curve was a crazy, crazy toe curve, so i came up to him and asked him, and he said that he does indeed play with a toe curve,

so yeah, it's really weird that the companies place players' names on curves that they don't actually play with,

another thing i found interesting, kovy plays with a two piece blade shaft combo, not a one piece, he likes it better that way he says

It's not really weird. They're just pretty much standard curves that the general person buying a stick would be able to identify. From company to company the curves are pretty similar just with different names. Also, they often change the names, The former St. Louis is now Malkin, and the former Lindros is now Kane.
 

dimi19

Registered User
Feb 19, 2010
469
6
well, no i disagree, it IS in fact actually weird, why.... well, if kovy uses a toe curve, then don't advertise and place his name on a heel curve, i'm sure that there is another recognizable player that is sponsored by warrior that plays with a heel curve, so put that player's name on it, and make a toe curve and call it the kovalev curve, so yeah it's totally WEIRD WEIRD WEIRD that stick companies mislead like this
 

AIREAYE

Registered User
Jun 7, 2009
4,885
70
No, it's called marketing and it's industry standard. Think of endorsements, not every endorser uses the products they're being paid to promote in their private lives.

fyi, the Malkin is now the PM9 Stamkos
 

DevsFan84

Registered User
Jul 31, 2007
594
1
Its just marketing. Nothing more, nothing less.

When a player (for example, Malkin) leaves a company (Bauer) they replace him with someone else (Stamkos) If the curve happens to be something similar to what he uses, its pure coincidence.
 

frito

Registered User
Jan 27, 2007
1,067
0
Cincinnati
Call me strange, but I would much prefer for all the manufacturers to just list the pattern, depth, open/closed, lie etc on the blade like Easton does, I don't give a rats behind whose name is on it. I do know I like a heel curve so just tell me what it is without me having to do a bunch of extra research.
 

Jarick

Doing Nothing
The name game is incredibly confusing when it turns over multiple times per year. I would rather have each company adopt letters/numbers like Bauer, Combat, Battleaxe, Harrow, etc.

It's funny the number of pros who use a Drury who have a different curve named after them: Chara, Heatley, Getzlaf, Iginla, Zetterberg, Parise (actually kind of close to retail), Lidstrom, Savard, Draper...
 

Jimmy Carter

Avs/Leafs fan
Jul 24, 2010
1,244
0
Western NY
A large number of pros use wedges similar to the Drury. Drury himself uses a heel wedge.

Sakic used something pretty similar to his retail pattern.

That one doesn't surprise me. Always imagined him using something like that. I should go look up pictures to check it out
 

Joe Cole

Registered User
Jun 17, 2003
3,230
0
Montreal
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What peeves me is that none of the stick manufacturers sell sticks with very pronounced curves, even if they are totally allowed in beer leagues, and the pro's definitely are using them.

I would say 50% of NHL players play with curves much deeper, more open, and more wild then anything you can readily find in your random hockey store.

Heat the blade up and curve it yourself.... you risk trashing a $200 stick. They are just too expensive and sensitive for the regular Joe to play hit and miss with.

Ask me how I know....
 

Maupin Fan

Hot Air
Sep 17, 2009
477
1
What peeves me is that none of the stick manufacturers sell sticks with very pronounced curves, even if they are totally allowed in beer leagues, and the pro's definitely are using them.

I would say 50% of NHL players play with curves much deeper, more open, and more wild then anything you can readily find in your random hockey store.

Heat the blade up and curve it yourself.... you risk trashing a $200 stick. They are just too expensive and sensitive for the regular Joe to play hit and miss with.

Ask me how I know....

Yes, they do.

The Warrior KGB one-piece comes in the Kremlin curve, which is a clone of the Ovechkin pro curve. Huge toe with an open face.

Warrior also has the Gionta curve, a big toe with a closed face that is nearly identical to the Kovalchuk pro stock.

Bauer has brought the p14 curve from the bauerid program to retail on the total one, one100, one80, and vapor x60 le stick. It's like an easton sakic or bauer p92 with a little more toe.

Sherwood still has the Coffey curve, which is a 3/4 mid curve, basically a huge banana.

Easton has brought back the old Shanahan, now called the Cammalieri, which has a decent toe curve, a little open.

Base hockey also offers blades and one piece sticks with the BC01, which is the clone of the Marian Hossa pro blade, toe curve with an open face.

There are plenty of options out there at retail, you just have to look.
 

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