Kukla's Korner Hockey
Category: Hockey-Equipment
A Look At Composite Sticks
by Paul on 04/13/10 at 01:27 PM ET
Comments (0)
from Wayne Karl at TSN,
TSN hockey analyst Pierre McGuire emphatically proclaimed – in an oft-repeated on air clip - that they “stink! Get rid of them!” and Martin Brodeur once said, “they should be illegal.”
Ten years later, the one-piece composite hockey stick is anything but outlawed – it has been embraced as the weapon of choice by almost all NHL players, and is one of the most significant success stories in the hockey business in decades.
All from a rather quiet introduction in the second half of the 1999-2000 season when Easton Hockey convinced then-New Jersey Devils rookie Scott Gomez to be the first NHLer to use “the most technologically advanced stick ever,” the Synergy.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Hockey Equipment, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Duncan Keith Looking For The Perfect Fit
by Paul on 03/29/10 at 05:56 PM ET
Comments (0)
from Tim Sassone of the Chicago Daily-Herald,
There’s no denying Duncan Keith’s play has dropped off since before the Olympic break.
Keith is minus-7 in the last 13 games, eight of which the Blackhawks have lost.
While Keith is not one to make excuses, the all-star defenseman did admit Monday he has not been happy with his skates since before leaving for the Olympics.
Skating is a huge part of Keith’s game and there isn’t a Hawk more particular about his skates and how they fit and feel and how they are sharpened.
Whereas Keith normally goes through three or four pairs of skates in a season, he said he already is on his ninth or 10th pair with the issue still not resolved to his liking.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Chicago Blackhawks, Hockey Equipment, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: duncan+keith
Testing Out Hockey Equipment
by Paul on 03/25/10 at 03:57 PM ET
Comments (0)
Product testers at Reebok-CCM tell us about the importance of testing their equipment, and how it is done.
Filed in: Hockey Related Stories, Hockey Equipment, | KK Hockey | Permalink
67,000 Hockey Sticks Recalled
by Paul on 03/19/10 at 02:41 PM ET
Comments (0)
Bauer Hockey Corp. is recalling 13 models of junior hockey sticks due to excessive lead levels in the sticks’ paint
Filed in: Hockey Equipment, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: bauer+hockey
Innovative Equipment
by Paul on 01/29/10 at 12:35 PM ET
Comments (0)
from Ryan Kennedy of The Hockey News,
The Let’s Play Hockey Show took place at the MGM Grand Casino this week and while the emphasis was naturally on companies making deals, the sport itself will stand to benefit from some of the products being pitched.
Naturally, concussions were covered off in a variety of ways and companies are really bringing the science.
TapouT mouthguards – associated with mixed martial arts, but invented for all contact sports such as hockey and football – was pitching its product based on a patented technology that allows wearers to re-boil their mouthguard. This is especially important for players with braces, since frequent tightenings at the orthodontist shift the structure of the mouth.
Filed in: Hockey Equipment, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Talking Protective Equipment
by Paul on 01/28/10 at 04:13 PM ET
Comments (0)
Ray Thill,Tampa Bay Lightning Equipment Manager, discusses the protective gear players wear.
Filed in: NHL Teams, Tampa Bay Lightning, Hockey Equipment, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: ray+thill
Kings Start Wearing The Kevlar Sock
by Paul on 01/18/10 at 10:40 PM ET
Comments (0)
from Rich Hammond of LA Kings Insider,
...I also talked to Kings head equipment manager Darren Granger and Terry Murray about the new socks, which the Kings have been wearing for approximately 10 days.
Question: How many players are wearing the new socks? Is it an optional thing for them?
GRANGER: “Obviously, it’s their decision about what they want to do. I think we have five right now. We had one player that was pretty exposed, where he was vulnerable to be cut, so he was sort of the reason it got started. That and, obviously, the injuries around the league. It’s been something that we’ve been trying to find for a couple years now, and now we’ve finally got a couple companies making them.”
Question: What does the sock do for them? It prevents them from being cut, right?
GRANGER: “The yellow part that you see is Kevlar, which is cut-resistant. Obviously if it’s punctured, like a stabbing motion, it’s going to go right through it. But what we’re trying to do is reduce the slashing of the skate, or like Cam Ward’s injury, where somebody slides into you, that type of thing….
Filed in: NHL Teams, Los Angeles Kings, Hockey Equipment, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Why Not Wear The Extra Protection?
by Paul on 01/06/10 at 04:07 PM ET
Comments (0)
from Ben Kuzma of the Vancouver Province,
Had Kevin Bieksa been wearing a protective Kevlar sock, the Vancouver Canucks defenceman may not have been sidelined three months after two tendons in his left ankle were severed Dec. 29 at Phoenix from a skate cut. Products are being marketed that feature a Kevlar lining knit inside a sports-mesh polyester outer shell to make socks cut-resistant, but something seems lost in translation as to how it can be adopted as regular equipment sooner rather than later.
Reebok is the official equipment supplier to the NHL and players must wear its items as part of the agreement. But what’s to stop a player from donning a Kevlar sock under mandated equipment — and not exposing a competing company’s logo — until the league and the Players’ Association make Kevlar socks mandatory?
Filed in: NHL Teams, Vancouver Canucks, Hockey Equipment, | KK Hockey | Permalink
I Feel Much Quicker
by Paul on 12/30/09 at 05:00 PM ET
Comments (0)
Knock at the door today, delivery for Mr. Kukla. Open the box and a beautiful pair of shoes courtesy of Reebok.
Who knew they made a Winter Classic Shoe, and the perfect size too?
Thanks Reebok!
See another image below…
Filed in: Hockey Related Stories, Hockey Equipment, | KK Hockey | Permalink
Tags: reebok,
winter+classic
Cuts Can Hurt
by Paul on 12/08/09 at 07:04 PM ET
Comments (0)
from Gare Joyce of Sportsnet,
Following the career paths of those named to the world juniors pales to following those who get cut….
Back in the mid-90s Dan Cleary was a heckuva talent at 15 and 16, and if somebody told me that he’d never play at the under-20s I would have wagered significant body parts against it. But Cleary was cut three times. My memory of him walking through the lobby after one of the cuts and it looked like he didn’t want anything to do with the game anymore. Yeah, top prospects have to become resilient to make it as pros but that’s stuff down the line….
I remember Mike Comrie and Matt Zultek tearing it up in the last exhibition game on the eve of the cut and yet they still got the early wake-up call. “Sour” doesn’t start to describe their reaction. Comrie has gone on to a pretty decent NHL career, although not one distinguished by team success and not one endorsed by the love of his team-mates….
Filed in: NHL Teams, Hockey Equipment, RBK, | KK Hockey | Permalink
« Previous ‹ First < 3 4 5 6 7 > Last › Next »
About Kukla's Korner Hockey
Paul Kukla founded Kukla’s Korner in 2005 and the site has since become the must-read site on the ‘net for all the latest happenings around the NHL.
From breaking news to in-depth stories around the league, KK Hockey is updated with fresh stories all day long and will bring you the latest news as quickly as possible.
Email Paul anytime at pk@kuklaskorner.com
