How would players in the NHL do if they used wood sticks only for a season?

[hoglund]

Al Iafrate said that's a stretch.

He had the skills that I was referring to.

 

[57special]

I think that there are a lot of exaggerations on here by guys who haven't spent enough time with wooden sticks. There was variation within them too, as you could get ones that had whippier shafts by using thinner or softer wood. Guys like Steve Shutt, Lemaire, and Bossy could snap shots just fine with wooden sticks. It's just different technique. The new sticks are easier for lifting the puck, which also suits the game in general with the way butterfly goaltending dominates. Standup goalies used to be the norm, which made lower shots more effective.

More of the shots now wobble and move because of they way they are sort of flung, which can make them difficult to track. Shooters need all the help they can get with the enormous, light pads that they have now, nvm the huge goalies.

 

[blundluntman]

You'd probably see longer shifts. Shots would be harder to create without superior positional play meaning you'd have to really outwork and outgrind defensive systems since they'd have more time to anticipate shots. Probably a bit more emphasis on overwhelming defensemen rather than finessing or sneaking around them. Not sure if the game would become more physical but it'd be a bit more direct and drawn out than it is now. Especially if there was no change to goalie equipment, you'd see skill players really struggle to create their own offense. Scoring would go down a good bit too

 

[NyQuil]

Would not affect Chris Tierney.

 

[tarheelhockey]

I think that there are a lot of exaggerations on here by guys who haven't spent enough time with wooden sticks. There was variation within them too, as you could get ones that had whippier shafts by using thinner or softer wood. Guys like Steve Shutt, Lemaire, and Bossy could snap shots just fine with wooden sticks. It's just different technique.

AFAIK the very lowest flex on the market for wood sticks was 85. A lot of today’s stars use sticks with flexes well below that. Gaudreau’s is a 55 which would basically be impossible with natural wood.

Also it’s not just about the flex score itself, but also where the stick is flexing. A wood stick flexes where you put your weight, and you have to get to know your stick to find that sweet-spot. Composite sticks, especially expensive NHL-quality ones, allow for a customized kick point.

Between the whippy flex and unnatural kick point, a guy like Gaudreau barely needs to move his hands in order to get good flex for a hard high shot. He can take a pass in his skates and almost instantly whip a laser beam shot from that position. Lafleur, taking that same pass in the skates, would need to pull it back out far enough to get some torque on the shaft, otherwise he’s going to end up just sweeping the puck toward the net.

 

[Neil Racki]

I always played with wooden sticks when I played in my teens. The sticks would have players name on them that matched the curve they used. Lemiuex, Messier were my go tos.

Aluminium shafts just started coming out and rich kids would have those.

Is it really a huge difference? Wood sticks were great imo. I could see aluminum bats in baseball being a huge advantage but a lighter hockey stick?

 

[57special]

AFAIK the very lowest flex on the market for wood sticks was 85. A lot of today’s stars use sticks with flexes well below that. Gaudreau’s is a 55 which would basically be impossible with natural wood.

Also it’s not just about the flex score itself, but also where the stick is flexing. A wood stick flexes where you put your weight, and you have to get to know your stick to find that sweet-spot. Composite sticks, especially expensive NHL-quality ones, allow for a customized kick point.

Between the whippy flex and unnatural kick point, a guy like Gaudreau barely needs to move his hands in order to get good flex for a hard high shot. He can take a pass in his skates and almost instantly whip a laser beam shot from that position. Lafleur, taking that same pass in the skates, would need to pull it back out far enough to get some torque on the shaft, otherwise he’s going to end up just sweeping the puck toward the net.

I am a woodworker by trade, and have absolutely no doubt that modern wooden sticks flex and kick points could be changed by use of different types, compositions, and thicknesses of woods. You only have to look and see what they are doing with baseball bats, and they are far more restricted by MLB rules than hockey sticks are. They would still have their limitations, but in general, I think that really good wooden sticks( I used to love the old Kohos) are way less limiting than other factors like the old equipment. The new skates, helmets(or no helmets!) and pads are much lighter and more protective for position players. I am not a goalie so I will let them chime in on the equipment , but my understanding is that they are even more affected by the new equipment.

 

[Pookie]

Shots would have less velocity.

In fairness, the goalie equipment should also be rolled back with a change to wood sticks.

 

[57special]

I always played with wooden sticks when I played in my teens. The sticks would have players name on them that matched the curve they used. Lemiuex, Messier were my go tos.

Aluminium shafts just started coming out and rich kids would have those.

Is it really a huge difference? Wood sticks were great imo. I could see aluminum bats in baseball being a huge advantage but a lighter hockey stick?

There was a Sherwood "Sundin" curve that I really liked. Was straight for most of the blade, then curved right near the end, and had a really nice sweet spot. Good for point shots, backhands, but if you used it just right you could rip one high. I got about 5 of them, then they became unavailable.

The pre BBCOR bats were abominations. The ball came off the bat really hot, and created way more exit velo. Good BBCOR's still have a bigger sweet spot than a wood bat (though there is always a "magic bat"), but are far closer in performance.

 

[orby]

Not only should players go back to wooden sticks, they should stop doing so much rigorous training and exercise. And for that matter, they should start smoking on the bench. Old time hockey!

 

[Section337]

Not only should players go back to wooden sticks, they should stop doing so much rigorous training and exercise. And for that matter, they should start smoking on the bench. Old time hockey!

Coffee > Gatorade!

p.s. They need to use Finnstar, the stick so good that it only existed for giving away to the "player of the game" at tournaments.

 

[Cursed Lemon]

The Paul Coffey Sherwood in my basement: "It's my time to shine."

 

[SEALBound]

Have you seen lumber prices lately? It may bankrupt the sub $5mil/yr players.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Contrary to popular opinion, the shots would be as hard. Guys like the Hulls and Lemaire hammered the puck. What would change is the type of shot. The wrister and snap shot take a different technique when using a wood stick. The drag shot would make a comeback.

I grew up with wood sticks, and am old enough to have tried to steam a curve into my old straight sticks. I got back on the ice as a coach many years later, and when fooling around on the ice grew frustrated with the new sticks, especially on the point shots, as the trampolining effect on the new sticks caused my shots to be unpredictable. I could never get the hang of the new style of shooting where you are actually just flinging the puck more like a lacrosse player.

IMO, forwards would be the most affected, but I have no doubt that a guy like Ovi would figure things out pretty quickly. I think Dmen might love the way they could keep the puck down with the old wood sticks, and I know net front players would rather be deflecting pucks coming in below their knees than worry about one coming in at neck level.

The biggest game changer to me was the the curve on sticks, rather than the material they were made out of. Goalies freaked out when Hull and Makita started firing pucks at them that rose, dove, and wobbled in ways they had never seen before, and at higher speeds.

The release time and how quick you get it off is what really matters, not the sheer MPH of the shots. The release on shots using wood sticks would be impacted greatly.

 

[57special]

The release time and how quick you get it off is what really matters, not the sheer MPH of the shots. The release on shots using wood sticks would be impacted greatly.

100%.

 

[57special]

Have you seen lumber prices lately? It may bankrupt the sub $5mil/yr players.

As opposed to the cheap composites we have now?

 

[tarheelhockey]

I am a woodworker by trade, and have absolutely no doubt that modern wooden sticks flex and kick points could be changed by use of different types, compositions, and thicknesses of woods. You only have to look and see what they are doing with baseball bats, and they are far more restricted by MLB rules than hockey sticks are. They would still have their limitations, but in general, I think that really good wooden sticks( I used to love the old Kohos) are way less limiting than other factors like the old equipment. The new skates, helmets(or no helmets!) and pads are much lighter and more protective for position players. I am not a goalie so I will let them chime in on the equipment , but my understanding is that they are even more affected by the new equipment.

My guess is the real limitations are industrial in nature. Manufacturing wood sticks requires a lot more manual input than composites. It might be possible to imitate the qualities of a composite with natural materials, but there’s no incentive for a company to put that much extra into the product just to imitate a better version that they’ve already developed.

(FWIW I think the league missed the opportunity to make MLB-style rules requiring natural materials in both sticks and padding, which fundamentally harmed the game down to the youth level)

 

[57special]

My guess is the real limitations are industrial in nature. Manufacturing wood sticks requires a lot more manual input than composites. It might be possible to imitate the qualities of a composite with natural materials, but there’s no incentive for a company to put that much extra into the product just to imitate a better version that they’ve already developed.

(FWIW I think the league missed the opportunity to make MLB-style rules requiring natural materials in both sticks and padding, which fundamentally harmed the game down to the youth level)

The BBCOR bat, and now the USSA bat have been vg ideas, as they dampen down the exit velo. The young players, especially pitchers, simply can't protect themselves against comebackers, and batters get a bad swing because all you have to do with the -10 bats is just square it up and it flies. They get quite the shock when they 1st use a BBCOR, nvm a wood bat.

AT our little local tournament a 12 yo pitcher lost his eye on a comebacker with those -10's. It was not pretty.

 

[Flukeshot]

Honestly I'd love to see a "retro" game where they went back to even just 1980s equipment. I think the current equipment aids players too much.

Yes I know I sound like a geezer. But I'd love to see goalies have to adjust to drastically smaller equipment and wood sticks would be a must have trade off to get them back to that.

 

[Siludin]

idk they should do it for heritage classic or something. for lulz

DO IT

 

[HarrySPlinkett]

I’ve thought for years that guys should carry a supply of wooden sticks for use on the PK.

You don’t need your fancy composite to ice the puck.

 

[iDangleDangle]

Contrary to popular opinion, the shots would be as hard. Guys like the Hulls and Lemaire hammered the puck. What would change is the type of shot. The wrister and snap shot take a different technique when using a wood stick. The drag shot would make a comeback.

I grew up with wood sticks, and am old enough to have tried to steam a curve into my old straight sticks. I got back on the ice as a coach many years later, and when fooling around on the ice grew frustrated with the new sticks, especially on the point shots, as the trampolining effect on the new sticks caused my shots to be unpredictable. I could never get the hang of the new style of shooting where you are actually just flinging the puck more like a lacrosse player.

IMO, forwards would be the most affected, but I have no doubt that a guy like Ovi would figure things out pretty quickly. I think Dmen might love the way they could keep the puck down with the old wood sticks, and I know net front players would rather be deflecting pucks coming in below their knees than worry about one coming in at neck level.

The biggest game changer to me was the the curve on sticks, rather than the material they were made out of. Goalies freaked out when Hull and Makita started firing pucks at them that rose, dove, and wobbled in ways they had never seen before, and at higher speeds.

This.

And it's not like the older players didn't grow up using wooden sticks. I was born in 1992 and started out with wooden sticks, think I got my first composite when I was 13 or so.

 

[LaVal]

Al MacInnis, Markus Naslund, and Miroslav Satan all used wooden sticks when everybody else in the league were using composites, and they did just fine.

 

[Filthy Dangles]

Have you seen lumber prices lately? It may bankrupt the sub $5mil/yr players.

 

[Leafidelity]

A lot of one handed control plays would cease to exist, as they didn't exist before the new sticks. Raw slapshot power would go up, stick handling speed would go down.