Bill Lindsay takes you behind the scenes to learn why and how certain Florida Panthers players choose their sticks and what the varying curves do for them.
Highlights Include:
- Players send a mold or copy of their respective blade pattern to the manufacturer of their choice to produce a custom stick
- Defensemen typically prefer stiffer sticks for improved slapshots, while forwards typically prefer whippier sticks for improved wrist shots
- Karlis Skrastins: short blade in length for a defenseman, small/medium curve, which makes it easier to use on both the forehand and backhand
- Nathan Horton: big toe curve for improved wrist shots off the toe of the blade, but makes backhand control more difficult
- Brett McLean: heel curve (open wedge) to shoot off the heel of the blade; uses a longer blade in length and a very stiff flex
- Rostislav Olesz: straighter stick, which enables better stickhandling control on the forehand and backhand, but makes shooting more difficult
- In the end, hockey player stick selection almost always comes down to PERSONAL PREFERENCE!
Video courtesy of GrowlTV and “Inside The Panthers”
