Ice hockey sticks have come a long way since their first manufacturing in the late 1880's. At first, you could only buy wooden sticks that which are heavy. The sticks back then did not have much of a curve either, as you could not lift the puck very well. The toe of the blade was also longer and was square which made puck handling easy. Today, you can get sticks costum made by contorting how much flex it has, what blade you want and the length. The most popular stick type being used today is a composite stick made with carbon fiber.

            Ice hockey was becoming popular during the later 1880's. At this time, the first rules for the game were established along with the manufacturing of hockey sticks. The NHL was created in 1917 and rules were made on how long sticks could be along with the shape of the stick in 1920. The first two piece stick was created in Montreal, Canada in 1928. Until 1928, all hockey sticks were made of one piece. The blade and the shaft were separated into two sections, giving the stick more strength and the option of changing the blade if it broke.

            The blade itself has gone through many changes as well. During the 1950's, Andy Bathgate tampered with his blade to give it a curve. He discovered that a curve would make his slap shot behave in erratic ways. Pretty soon more people started to do the same thing and it caught on to the manufacturers. Sticks were now being produced with a 3in curve in the 1960's. The 3in curve caused the puck to lift, something that has never happen before. The players called it the "banana blade". The players loved the new results they were getting, but the goalies did not like it at all. Goalies did not wear helmets back then, and they began to complain about the danger they faced, literally. In 1967, a rule was made that the curve on a blade could be no more than 3/4in. If a player is caught with a curve that is more than 3/4in, they will serve a 2 minute minor. Goaltenders also began to wear to wear helmets. By the time the 70's came around, manufacturers were experimenting with a new version to stick making. They began to laminate to wood in order to cut back on the cost of making them and it made the sticks lighter and stronger. Wooden sticks warp easily which changes the flex and stiffness in the shaft. Each production is never the same either, when you break a stick you will never find another just like it. This decreased the velocity and accuracy on wirst shots ad snap shots.

              The hockey stick has made leaps and bounds of  improvements to get where they are today. They have extraordinarily precise "flex patterns" which aid in power and accuracy of wrist and snap shots. The CCM U Crazy Light is one of the lightest sticks on the market. CCM came out with this model around 2009. At first, the U CL was not popular because they broke very easily. In 2012, the new models of the U CL have become much more durable. Bauer also has a line of composite sticks that are also very popular. The main problem that sticks face today is that they have a short life span. These sticks do not usually last more than one or weeks with the pros. They also cost much more than a wooden stick.

          

            Sticks are not the only thing that has gone through many changes. Skates have come a long way as well. The U+ Crazy Light skates by CCM are the lightest skates on the market. I have these skates and they are the lightest skates I have ever owned. CCM makes the best skates for speed and quickness. Skates that were made 30 years ago were made with a blade and leather like boots. They did not have much protection like they do today. If you got hit with a puck back then in the foot, you would get a bad bruise or a broken foot. Today you can block shots with your feet, it still hurts but it's not as bad as it use to be. Skate sharpening is another aspect of hockey that is evolving. NHL players are now getting what is called "flat bottom" sharpening for their skates. This new sharpening improves control, agility, stops and starts. I began to use this new sharpening and I have noticed a difference in the way my skates dig into the ice. It gives you a much better push-off and it really does feel like you are gripping the ice when making a tight turn. All of these improvents have made ice hockey a much more competative game. It has also made it a lot of fun to watch as well. If we did not have curved blades, we would never shoot to go "top shelf" on the net. If costomized sticks never ecixted, Zdeno Chara would have never been able to do this...