The Evolution of The Hockey Stick. The Hockey stick goes as far back as the 1800s. During this time, it is said that sticks were carved from a single piece of wood. Initially, the Mi’kmaq carvers from Nova Scotia were credited to sell their handcrafted sticks, which were made from birch and hornbeam trees.
In the 1920s came the advent of the two-piece hockey stick. The Hespeler stick company were the innovators behind the design. They made a stick with a detachable blade. By the 1950s, hockey stick manufacturers began wrapping the blades in fiberglass to add strength to the blade.
During the 1960s, hockey fans were introduced to the curved hockey stick. The curved hockey stick’s invention goes to the legendary Chicago Black Hawk centreman and Hockey Hall of Famer Stan Mikita. During practice one day, Bobby Hull noticed Stan Mikita taking shots with a curved stick. When Hull approached Mikita, he excitedly explained that he could shoot the puck harder, faster, and more accurate than he could with a straight blade stick. Bobby and Stan began altering the blade of their hockey sticks by running the blades under hot water and bending them under a doorjamb to curve the blade. This innovation became wildly popular, and it changed the game of hockey forever.
By the 1980s, the most popular hockey sticks were Koho, Sher-Wood, Titan, and Canadian.
By 1990 aluminum hockey stick shafts became increasingly popular. In keeping with Bobby and Stan of the 1960s, this time, it was Wayne Gretzky himself who signed a deal with Easton to use an HXP 5100 aluminum shafted stick. By the mid-’90s, the first composite blade was introduced.
At the start of the new Millenium, Easton has become the leader in tech innovation, introducing their Easton Synergy one-piece hockey stick. Within five years, 90% of NHL players use composite stick technology, much to the chagrin of goalies around the league. Shots have now become harder and faster.
Our most recent update in hockey stick technology comes from Bauer. As in a previous article on this website, you can read all about it in my Equipment Reviews. Bauer Nexus ADV Grip Senior Hockey Stick.
Which hockey sticks are better. Well, that depends on your personal preferences. As a user of both composite and wooden, I prefer the composite stick. Composite sticks are lighter and have more flex giving the user a faster, harder shot, and for this reason, I prefer them. Wooden sticks are not without their own selling points, namely that they are far cheaper than a composite stick. I personally prefer a composite stick because a wooden stick is much heavier, and it has a less consistent flex due to variances in wood grain.
Well, there you have it, my friends, a summary of the Evolution Of The Hockey Stick. Please feel free to post in the comments below as to your hockey stick preferences.
P.S. When on the Ice, I don’t always take a slap shot, but when I do, I use a Bauer Nexus ADV Grip Senior, stay slappy, my friends and ALWAYS KEEP YOUR STICK ON THE ICE.http://The History Of The Hockey Puck
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