from Fluto Shinzawa of The Athletic,
CCM, Bauer and Warrior supply the majority of NHL sticks. Aside from proprietary differences, the three companies, in general, follow similar design and production processes. Based on informal feedback from several equipment managers, there are no significant variances in quality of performance between the brands. Ten of the Bruins use Warrior sticks: Miller, Marchand, Noel Acciari, David Backes, Zdeno Chara, Ryan Donato, Torey Krug, Sean Kuraly, John Moore, and Tuukka Rask.
Some players have individual sponsorship deals in which they are paid to use certain sticks. Connor McDavid and Auston Matthews, for example, signed agreements with CCM and Bauer, respectively, even before they played their first NHL game.
But teams pay for most of their players’ sticks. Budgets can vary from $300,000 to half a million annually. Pittsburgh, guessed one equipment manager, is probably spending the most on sticks of any team in the league. It is up to the player to decide which company is best for his needs.
A stick is a player’s most personal piece of equipment. It is a musician’s instrument, a painter’s brush, a chef’s knife, a writer’s pen. The right stick tucks goals in nets and assists on blades. Wins follow. So do raises.
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