Ice Hockey - Hockey Stick

The ice hockey sticks are used to strike the hockey puck across the ice in their specific goalpost. The sticks are "L-shaped" with a blade positioned at 135 degrees approx. from the axis of the shaft. The goalkeepers use a different variant of the sticks which are wider in the lower part than the general one with a slightly curved blade and smaller angle.

Types of Ice Hockey Sticks

The sticks are manufactured with four common materials and hence been classified according to it. The material used for production aids a lot in its performance. Today carbon-fibre, fibreglass sticks along with the composite sticks are widely popularized due to their effective strike rate and contact with the ball and ice during the official matches and tournaments.

• Carbon fibre Sticks - Carbon fibre is the most commonly used material for ice hockey sticks manufacturing. The carbon fibre sticks are mainly manufactured as one-piece sticks. Composite Busch SA company in Switzerland produced the one-piece carbon sticks for the first time in 1992. The sticks are lightweight that makes them ideal for professional tournaments. Compared to other materials, the sticks are easily breakable and are relatively costly.
• Fibreglass Sticks - Fibreglass is the most commonly used composite material during recent years. Some sticks manufactured solely from fibreglass were also produced but now only used with other materials such as wood, Kevlar, carbon fibre and so on.
• Wooden Sticks - Wooden ice hockey sticks are manufactured by using multiple types of durable wood. These woods, after proper crafting, are laminated to make an appropriate plywood structure. In the end, the sticks are coated with a thin layer of plastic and fibreglass. Wooden sticks are cheaper and are only suitable for street hockey matches and training period.
• Aluminium Sticks - Aluminium is the first non-wood material used in the past to produce an ice hockey stick. The sticks have an aluminium alloy shaft with a composite or wooden blade attached at the end with the help of glue. In the early 1990s, the aluminium sticks were widely popularized. These have a rigid construction making them long-lasting compared to other materials.

The basic construction of Ice Hockey Sticks

• Shaft - It is the longitudinal body of the sticks, which is usually 160 cm long (63 inches). The shafts are flexible which aids in the performance of the players. Typically, the flex number on the stick describes its potential force to bend the blade per inch.
• Blade - It is the tilted region placed below the shaft at a certain angle of about 135 degrees. The blade is usually 5 to 7.5 cm wide and provides an L-shape appearance. Blades are used to drag, push and strike the ice hockey puck. The blades are generally 25 to 40 cm long and are usually wrapped with tapes to reduce the friction and increase the striking rate.
• Toe - It is the horizontal end of the blade which is usually left un-taped. There are two types of toe shapes preferred in ice hockey, round and square and both have their own advantages.

Evolution of Ice Hockey Sticks through the years

The ice hockey sticks were first manufactured in the 1800s from a single piece of wood. Later in the 1930s, the sticks were started to be manufactured as a two-piece or three-piece stick. In the mid-90s, the first composite blade was manufactured and in the later years, fibreglass and carbon fibre materials were preferred for manufacturing of the sticks.

The early sticks were heavier in weight but extremely durable in contrast to the sticks used in the modern age. The lamination of the layers of wood stick helped to increase the flexibility of the sticks as well. The new-age ice hockey sticks are little expensive as compared to earlier models, but their performance rate makes them an ideal choice in every ice hockey tournament.