September 2022 – The Stanley Keg

Photo By Dan Zen Are aluminum hockey sticks good? Should I look into buying an aluminum stick for my beer league? Aluminum hockey sticks were valued when they first came out for their durability. Wayne Gretzky was one of the major influences responsible for bringing them into the spotlight. However, when compared to modern composite sticks Aluminum hockey sticks do not offer the same performance when it comes to feeling the puck, shooting, and being able to flex the stick. Aluminum sticks sound kinda cool. They have a certain interest to them. Read on and we will answer other questions that you probably have about aluminum hockey sticks, especially if you play in an adult hockey league and are curious if you should use one. Pros and Cons Of Aluminum Hockey Stick The major benefit of using aluminum hockey sticks is that they are extremely durable. Aluminum hockey sticks began to gain popularity in the 1980s when wooden hockey sticks were still being used regularly. Gretzky is actually the one that propelled aluminum sticks into popularity. He essentially ended his contract with Titan, which back in the day was a big player in the stick game, and moved to Easton which was offering Gretzky aluminum sticks. Only the shaft of the hockey stick was made of aluminum. The blades of the hockey stick were still made of wood. These were called aluminum two-piece sticks. The wooden blade was used because it was really hard to feel the puck on your stick when the entire thing is made of metal. Now, at the time when all people had was wooden sticks to compare the aluminum hockey stick to, aluminum hockey sticks were ridiculously light. This is not the case when you compare aluminum hockey sticks to today’s modern composite hockey sticks. It was a two-piece stick with an aluminum shaft. I loved it. It was still very stiff-a slap shot seemed to explode off the blade. But it was so light that all the weight was in the blade, so you could feel the puck better.Wayne Gretzky Modern composite hockey sticks are now incredibly light, more flexible, and give the player a much better feel of the puck. The flexibility of modern sticks is what really sets them apart. The flexibility of these sticks and the ability to be able to whip the puck off of your blade because of it is what allows you to get more power and snap in your shots and passes. So when comparing a two-piece aluminum hockey stick to a modern-day composite hockey stick the only benefit is that the aluminum hockey sticks will last longer. Aluminum hockey sticks are heavier and don’t allow you to flex them like modern composite sticks do. Advantages Vs. Disadvantages of An Aluminum Hockey Stick AdvantagesDisadvantagesMuch more durable than composite sticksHeavier than Composite SticksLess puck feel Than Composite SticksLess power on shots than composite sticks Do NHL Players Use Aluminum Sticks? There are no current NHL players who use an aluminum stick. I can’t seem to find the last NHL player to use an aluminum stick anywhere for sure but there are some threads about it on some common hockey forums. Some say Dan Boyle in the early 2000s and others say Tom Potti who retired in 2013. Image from the book Hockey's golden era, photo taken by Richard Bartlaga When Did Aluminum Hockey Sticks Come Out? Aluminum Hockey sticks began to hit the market in the 1980s but they reached their peak in popularity in the 1990s when popular hockey stars like Wayne Gretzky and Brett Hull used them. Easton was the company to introduce aluminum sticks to the game of hockey. Before they were in hockey Easton was killing it in the aluminum bat game and really made their splash with the signing of Gretzky and his endorsement. Are Aluminum Hockey Sticks Illegal? No. Aluminum sticks are league in the game of hockey according to both the NHL and USA Hockey. These common governing bodies say that sticks made of Wood or other material approved by the rules committee are legal in the game of hockey. That can mean a lot of things. What has the rule committee approved as “ok materials” to use? Some of the materials that are approved for the use in hockeys sticks are wood, aluminum, fiberglass, graphite, kevlar, and even titanium. If titanium is on the approved list I wonder what is on the banned list? Photo by Melissa Jonas Should I use an Aluminum stick in beer league hockey? If you have a curious personality and just want to find out what using an aluminum stick was like I’m not gonna be the one to stop that dream. You most likely won’t be able to find aluminum sticks in your pro shops at you local rink but you can find some on ebay and places like sideline swap. You can expect to spend between $40 and $150 dollars for an aluminum stick that you would actually want to use in a beer league game. But you will also find some aluminum hockey sticks in the $250 - $500 range. These are collectible sticks. Ones that have been used by amazing players and you would want to turn into an art piece. If you are on a budget and are really worried about breaking a stick, a $50 aluminum tank doesn’t sound that bad. Plus its like, considered retro now dude. You could be the trendy man on the team! The one major benefit of having an aluminum hockey stick is how durable they are. So aluminum sticks are safe bets if you value durability above longevity above all else. Don’t expect an aluminum stick to give you a wicked wrist shot or any superpowers on the ice. They are heavier than composite sticks and they are much stiffer. You will find aluminum sticks regularly with a flex rating in the 100s. So be ready to really put your weight into these sticks. You will probably be able to rip a decent slap shot with an aluminum stick as well. Did My hockey stick break? I can't seem to shoot anymore with it. Do I need a New Hockey Stick? Do hockey Sticks Actually Go Bad?