Skate Change?

[NJDevs430]

I was watching a re-broadcast of an old Rangers game from 1971 and I was looking at the skates the players wore. The blades on the boots looked like figure skating blades of today (though I didn't see of they had toepicks).
When did the league change over to the skates that we see today that are rockered?
}>

Click to read more...

 

[mooseOAK*]

I think that it was around 1975 or 1976 that the first skates with the plastic blade holders started being used in place of the tube skates. Guy Lafleur is the first player I remember having them.

 

[Wetcoaster]

I was watching a re-broadcast of an old Rangers game from 1971 and I was looking at the skates the players wore. The blades on the boots looked like figure skating blades of today (though I didn't see of they had toepicks).
When did the league change over to the skates that we see today that are rockered?
}>

Rockered blades are over 100 years old although many used straight speed skating style blades as well. Check out the bottom picture from the 1906-07 Eatons' catalogue.
http://www.civilization.ca/cpm/catalog/cat2207e.html#1221726

Here are some skates from the 1930's:
http://www.civilization.ca/cpm/catalog/images/ip/1221711_tn.jpg


I recall reading that the first rockered blade was manufactured in Nova Scotia in 1866. Here is picture of the patent application for that or a similar skate at that time - it fastened to your shoes or boots:
http://data2.collectionscanada.ca/e/e062/e001549444.jpg

By the time of the "tube" skate blade (around 1900), rockering was common.

 

[Wetcoaster]

I think that it was around 1975 or 1976 that the first skates with the plastic blade holders started being used in place of the tube skates. Guy Lafleur is the first player I remember having them.

The first NHLer to wear the Tuuk blade was Jim Roberts of the Habs in the early 1970's. Steve Shutt and Guy Lafleur then adopted them and they became the hot piece of equipment

 

[chooch*]

The first NHLer to wear the Tuuk blade was Jim Roberts of the Habs in the early 1970's. Steve Shutt and Guy Lafleur then adopted them and they became the hot piece of equipment

1976 or 1977