These days the majority of hockey sticks are made out of carbon fiber (graphite) materials. This results in ultra-strong, lightweight sticks which are made to last longer but come at a higher price than the older wood, aluminum, and fiberglass-reinforced models. In this article we’ll take an in-depth look at modern hockey sticks.
What are Hockey Sticks Made of Today?
The main ingredient of a modern hockey stick is a polymer known as carbon fiber (graphite), which can be woven to maximize its strength. This material adds strength and durability to the stick and is typically mixed with other materials such as titanium, Boron and/or Kevlar. Carbon fiber is a type of graphite that generally comes in long, thin sheets, similar to a ribbon of graphite.
These ribbons are then packed tightly together to create fibers which is how we get the name carbon fiber. The fibers are used as reinforcement materials which are known as composites since they have multiple components. Composites which are reinforced with carbon fiber are quite strong for their weight.
In fact, they can be stronger than steel even though they’re very light in weight and this is why they’re often used instead of metal for things such as airplane parts, bicycles, golf clubs, tennis rackets and of course hockey sticks. In addition, carbon fiber can be created with a polymer known as polyacrylonitrile via a complicated heating process.
Bauer and Boron
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The Bauer AG5NT hockey stick is reportedly the lightest model currently on the market at just 335 grams. One of the materials used to make the stick is an ultralight fiber material known as Boron. This element is applied as Boron filaments, which are similar to carbon fibers as it produces high-strength materials.
Boron is mainly used used in chemical compounds and fiberglass as an additive for structural materials and insulation purposes. It’s also used in lightweight heat-resistant polymers and ceramics for added strength and thermal shock resistance.
Boron is combined with carbon fiber to make the stick and the Bauer company advertises itself as being the only hockey brand which has exclusive rights with Specialty Materials Inc. This manufacturer is reportedly the only one in the world which fuses high-grade carbon fibers with Boron fibers.
Sherwood and Pyrofil Carbon Fiber
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The Sherwood hockey brand uses a Pyrofil carbon fiber which is manufactured by the Mitsubishi Chemical Group of Hong Kong for their Rekker Legend hockey sticks and several other models. This is a revolutionary durable, lightweight material which is based on synthetic high polymer chemistry.
Pyrofil features continuous filaments which are bundled together, making them ideal for various processing techniques including compression molding. Pyrofil carbon fiber is a high-performance filament which is made via high polymer chemistry and is ideal for hockey sticks and other types of sporting goods such as bicycles, race cars, and golf clubs.
CCM and Sigma STP Carbon
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The CCM hockey brand utilizes a weave known as Sigma STP Carbon in its FT6 Pro Sticks and Nanolite Carbon Layering for its RIBCOR Trigger 8 sticks among others. The Sigma STP Carbon weave improves the strength and durability of the blade which in turn provides a heightened puck feel.
The company’s Nanolite Carbon Layering is an advanced molding method which helps to eliminate excess resin and voids. It’s typically used in the shaft of the stick to improve the consistency, durability and quality of the stick while helping reduce its weight. The Sigma STP Carbon is a high-performance material which is created by an innovative weaving process for added resilience and strength.
How Are Carbon Fiber Hockey Sticks Made?
Not all carbon fiber sticks are made the same as it depends on the specific model and brand. Modern high-tech hockey sticks consist of a blade, shaft, and the butt end and can be manufactured as a one-piece stick or with separate shafts and blades, with one-piece being the most popular with NHL players.
1. Starting with the Basics: Materials and Moulds
Typically, the process kicks off with a cut and shaped synthetic cloth which has layers of carbon fiber (graphite) applied to it as well as compounds such as Nomex and Kevlar as reinforcement additives and resin for bonding everything together. The blade and shaft are constructed from moulds and long sheets of these composite materials are then wrapped around them and compressed with a machine.
2. The Moulding Process: Hydraulic Pressure
One way of making a stick is as follows: The mould of the shaft is placed inside of a duplicate mould with the outer mould being closed and then compressed via hydraulic pressure in hot rollers. This bonds the resin and carbon fibers together.
3. Vacuum Pressure and Inflatable Bladders: Alternative Shaping Techniques
Another method includes using vacuum pressure instead of a hydraulic press to shape the composite material into a formed mould. In addition, there’s another process which sees the inside mould being an inflatable bladder which is wrapped in the composite materials and placed into the outer mould. This mould is then is inflated to create the shape of the stick’s shaft.
4. Blade Creation
The blade is usually made with a lightweight resin-soaked, foam-like core which has sheets of pressed carbon fiber wrapped around it in layers in a specific pattern, just like the shaft does. Further down the road in the process materials such as polyester, nylon epoxy and urethane are adhered to the mould by adding oxygen.
5. Assembly of the Two-Piece Model
If it’s a two-piece model the blade is then fit into the hollow shaft and baked together for about 30 minutes in a compression chamber while inside of a mould. Air can be blown into the shaft to make sure it isn’t flattened.
6. Final Touches: Branding and Protection
Logos and paint are added to the creation and then a protective coating goes on the stick as well as a layer of grip with the process taking approximately two hours.
A lot of hockey stick manufacturing for specific brands is proprietary information, making some processes unknown. You can take a look at this video below to get an idea of what the carbon fiber hockey stick manufacturing process looks like. However, they do blur out some information.
The Evolution of the Ice Hockey Stick
| Decade | Development in Hockey Sticks |
|---|---|
| 1800s | The origins of the hockey stick date back to the 19th century, where artisans, notably from the Mi’kmaq community in Nova Scotia, handcrafted these sporting implements from hardwoods like ironwood and yellow. See this video on Global News of the Mi’kmaw hockey stick that is an exact measure from the Ontario Hockey Association rules of 1896. |
| 1900s | The typical hockey stick featured a flat blade; these were solid wood one-piece hockey sticks. |
| 1920s | The innovation of detachable blades emerged in this era, known as two-piece hockey sticks. You had the Hespeler stick company securing a patent for the two-piece wood stick design. |
| 1940s | The very first laminated hockey sticks were created. These were made to be lighter by gluing multiple layers of wood together so it was not as heavy. |
| 1950s | Hockey stick manufacturers began wrapping the blades of the sticks with fiberglass to increase the durability and strength of the stick blade. |
| 1960s | Hockey stick manufacturers began wrapping the shafts of the sticks with fiberglass to increase their durability and strength, along with reducing the weight of the entire hockey stick.
Players started curving their sticks, which was then known as the “banana blade“. The NHL needed to make curve rules because of wild shots going high and over the glass due to the curve. Stan Makita is credited as the creator of the hockey stick curve, and Bobby Hull was famous for using them. |
| 1980s | Popular stick manufacturers were: SherWood, Titan, Koho, and Canadien.
The aluminum hockey stick shaft becomes extremely popular after Wayne Gretzky used one in 1989. These were heavier; however, they excelled in durability lasting a long time. It wasn’t until the 90s aluminum was used by other players. |
| 1990s | Aluminum sticks are popular and many NHL players begin using them. Wayne Gretzky signed deal with Easton and was using the Easton HXP 5100 aluminum shafted stick.
The mid 1990s Paul Kariya and Joe Sakic evolved composite hockey sticks. |
| 2000s | Easton continued to pioneer hockey stick technology with the release of the Easton Synergy, the first widely embraced one-piece composite stick. Within half a decade, composite sticks dominated the NHL, a trend confirmed by the increased velocity and unpredictability of shots.
By the end of the decade, almost all NHL players no longer used wooden hockey sticks. |
| 2010s | Almost every NHL player uses composite hockey sticks; most use one-piece hockey sticks. Ryan Smith was the last player to use a wooden blade up until 2014. |
| 2020s | Hockey sticks are becoming lighter in weight, the Bauer AG5NT hockey stick is 335 grams and is the lightest hockey stick ever made. It uses carbon fiber and boron together.
Hockey stick technology is changing; sticks are becoming whippier, increasing the release speed of shots. |
Read our related post “What Type of Wood Are Hockey Sticks Made Of?” here.
Anatomy of a Hockey Stick
As mentioned, there are three major sections to a hockey stick which are the blade, shaft, and butt-end.
Blade
The blade incorporates things such as the curve, lie, size and shape. The pattern of the curve is located at the toe, heel or mid-heel and is designed for right or left-handed shooters. Straight blades are almost a thing of the past now. The lie of the stick is the angle between the blade and the shaft and it determines the angle of the stick’s shaft when the blade is lying flat on the ice. The toe of the blade is typically square shaped or rounded.
Shaft
The shaft of the stick comes in different widths and shaped and determines the overall length and flex of the stick. The shape of the shaft is typically round, rectangular, concave or tapered and is usually covered in a textured finish for a better grip. The flex in the shaft determines how much force and give the shaft has as it is either rigid or more flexible.
Stick Knob (Butt End)
The end of the stick opposite the blade is known as the butt-end or knob. Most players tape the knob or insert a plug into the hollow shaft to get a better grip. An extension plug/knob can also extend the length of the shaft. Also, if you prefer a shorter shaft you can saw it off at the butt end. Just be aware that if you cut the shaft to make it shorter it will usually affect the flex by making it slightly stiffer.
What is Hockey Stick Flex?
The flex of a hockey stick basically represents how much it will bend. The higher the flex number is the more rigid and less flexible it is and the lower the flex number is the more flexible it is. The flex number represents how many pounds of force are needed to bend the stick an inch.
For example, a 95 flex means it takes 95 pounds of force to bend the stick one inch. Some models may also include a metric measure of flex such as 45 kilograms. For more whip, bend, and a quick release, use a lower flex, and for more sturdiness, use a higher flex.
In general, forwards use lower flex sticks while defenders use a higher flex due to its stiffness. Forwards use lower flex for quick snap and wrist shots, while defense like higher stiff flex for slap shots. However, this all comes down to personal preference.
Are There Hockey Stick Rules for Players?
Yes, the NHL has specific rules in place when it comes to hockey sticks. You can find the equipment sticks rules under section 3 Equipment, under rule 10 of the NHL Rulebook 2023-24. Let me explain them for you below.
Player Stick Rules
The maximum length of a stick from the end of the shaft to the heel for a skater is set at 63 inches. However, if the player is 6-feet-6-inches or taller he is allowed to request a shaft of up to 65 inches in length.
The stick’s blade can’t be more than 12.5 inches from the heel to the end of the blade, but sticks may be made of wood or other materials which have been approved by the league. The height of the blade can’t be more than three inches or less than two inches at any point between its heel and a half-inch in from the mid-point of the tip of the blade.
The rules state that the blade’s edges must all be beveled. In addition, the curve of the blade can’t be any more than 3/4 of an inch. If a player uses a stick that doesn’t conform to any of these rules, the opposition may ask for a stick measurement and if found guilty he will receive a two-minute minor penalty for illegal equipment.
Goalie Stick Rules
There are also rules for goalie sticks as the NHL states that the knob must not be under a half-inch thick at the top of the shaft and the blade can’t be higher than 3.5 inches and at any point of the blade other than the heel where it’s allowed to be up to 4.5-inches in height.
The blade can’t be longer than 15.5-inches in length from the heel to the end of the blade either. In addition, the widened section of the stick which extends from the blade up the shaft can’t extend over 26 inches from the heel and can’t be over 3.5-inches in width.
A taller goalie who is at least 6-feet-6-inches may request to have a longer paddle up to a maximum of 26 inches but must do so in writing.
Stick Penalties
Hockey leagues such as the NHL assess penalties for specific infractions that come about when misusing your stick such as cross-checking, high sticking, butt-ending, hooking, slashing, spearing, illegal equipment and playing with a broken stick. However, a goaltender may play with a broken stick until the next whistle.
What’s the Difference Between NHL and Amateur Hockey Sticks?
Most amateur and recreational hockey players simply head down to the nearest sports store and pick a suitable stick off of the rack. They test the weight, length, curve and lie etc and then hand over their hard-earned cash if it feels comfortable in their hands.
Of course, the quality of the stick will usually be represented in its cost with better-made sticks costing more. When it comes to the pros and sometimes the top junior players, the stick is typically custom-made for the player to suit his or her style of play. This enables the player to design the shape, weight, lie, flex, finish, grip and curve etc and the manufacturer will design it to meet these exact specifications.
These sticks are produced separately at the factory in batches for the precise needs of the player and they’re all identical. Some manufacturers may mass produce these sticks however and sell them on the shelf with the player’s name attached to them.
For example, an NHL player may request a stick with an 87 lie with a custom-designed curve whereas regular sticks will be made with lies from such as 85, 90, 95 and 100 with a pre-made curve and you’re made to choose the one which suits you the best. In addition, many pros ask for a thicker shaft wall for extra strength and durability.
How Come Hockey Sticks are So Expensive Today?
Simply put, hockey sticks are so expensive today due to the materials and process used to manufacture them. We’ve all seen composite sticks snap like twigs during NHL games, but on the other side of the coin you may be lucky enough to have one that last for years.
The age and skill level of the player that the stick is designed for also affects the price and sticks which come with a warranty will generally cost more. And let’s not forget that retail markup and profits also affect the price. Most companies sell sticks in youth, intermediate, and senior models. These basically translate into budget, mid-range and expensive when it comes to pricing.
Some sticks are more popular than others due to the endorsements they receive from NHL players and these usually cost more as the endorsement fees need to be covered. Also, popular sticks may be harder to keep in stock due to supply and demand and this generally results in a higher price.
Read our related post “How Much Do Hockey Sticks Cost? (Why Are They So Expensive)” here.
Jamie is the founder of Hockey Response and he is the chief writer/ lead editor. Jamie has been playing hockey for over 20 years. He was the defenseman of the year in NL and has played Jr A level hockey. Jamie has coached several kids hockey camps and he was the assistant coach of the Western Kings.