Did the NHL consider allowing only wooden sticks?

[Canukulele]

Was there any push to prevent aluminum sticks and other alternatives when they were first introduced? Baseball had no problem allowing only wooden bats. Composites are obviously an improvement for players, but they are more expensive, and just as breakable as wooden ones. Obviously, it is too late at this point to change the rules. Was there ever discussions or pressure to only allow wooden sticks in the 1990s or early 2000s?

 

[Hawksfan2828]

Was there any push to prevent aluminum sticks and other alternatives when they were first introduced? Baseball had no problem allowing only wooden bats. Composites are obviously an improvement for players, but they are more expensive, and just as breakable as wooden ones. Obviously, it is too late at this point to change the rules. Was there ever discussions or pressure to only allow wooden sticks in the 1990s or early 2000s?

In baseball only wooden bats are allowed in any pro league, which I find highly reckless considering wooden bats break and when they do they go flying every which way.

Weren't wooden sticks banned by the NHL for the same reason?

 

[Boxscore]

In baseball only wooden bats are allowed in any pro league, which I find highly reckless

Actually, wooden bats are 1,000 x more "safe" than aluminum bats. Have you ever seen the velocity of a baseball coming off an aluminum bat?! If a line drive struck a fielder off an aluminum bat it could be fatal. In fact, I respect the MLB a ton for not going the way of "newer is better." Good for them, holding firm. I wish the NHL had done the same thing.

 

[MS]

Actually, wooden bats are 1,000 x more "safe" than aluminum bats. Have you ever seen the velocity of a baseball coming off an aluminum bat?! If a line drive struck a fielder off an aluminum bat it could be fatal. In fact, I respect the MLB a ton for not going the way of "newer is better." Good for them, holding firm. I wish the NHL had done the same thing.

Aluminum/composite sticks don't fundamentally alter the sound/feel of the game for fans, though.

The crack of a ball on a wooden bat is a special thing, and hearing a 'clink' instead is awful. There is no similar effect from having more modern hockey sticks.

Scoring is low enough right now - imagine if the players were still using the wooden logs of 30 years ago.

 

[Brooklanders*]

Also watching a baseball game with the sound of an aluminum bat hitting the ball would drive us all nuts. Nothing sounds cooler than the crack of a wood bat.

Aluminum bats = DANGER!!! And would be unbearable.

It should be noted that today's wood bats seem more dangerous and break more frequently.

That being said you assume a certain level of risk in all sports.

 

[Morgoth Bauglir]

Also watching a baseball game with the sound of an aluminum bat hitting the ball would drive us all nuts. Nothing sounds cooler than the crack of a wood bat.

Aluminum bats = DANGER!!! And would be unbearable.

It should be noted that today's wood bats seem more dangerous and break more frequently.

That being said you assume a certain level of risk in all sports.

It's because the bat manufacturers make them with narrower necks than they used to in order to get more "whip" or bat speed into the swing.

Greater bat speed = more homeruns.

 

[mbhhofr]

Weren't wooden sticks banned by the NHL for the same reason?

Wooden sticks aren't banned by the NHL.

 

[Killion]

Wooden sticks aren't banned by the NHL.

No, perfectly legal. There was talk in certain circles of banning aluminum, fiberglass & composite sticks, more criticism (breaking at inopportune moments) than anything serious but I wish they would ban them, permit wood only... same with Tuuk & Plastic Chassis between blade & boot on the skate.... you get no kinetic feel with the ice whatsoever... go back to Tube Skates... all metal... leather boots... no plastics, ballistic nylons permitted.... soft cap elbow & shoulder pads as well.... lose the kevlar body suits.... and helmets....

 

[Caeldan]

In baseball only wooden bats are allowed in any pro league, which I find highly reckless considering wooden bats break and when they do they go flying every which way.

Weren't wooden sticks banned by the NHL for the same reason?

They weren't banned in the NHL, just manufacturers largely stopped making them as composites were more popular since they improve the shot of non-pros considerably. I'm sure that the profit margins were larger with composite materials than they were with real wood too.

A wooden stick I believe still will actually create a faster slapshot for top level players, and Spezza as a specific example was a large proponent of keeping wooden sticks as long as possible because he felt he could feel the puck better for playmaking purposes.

 

[The Panther]

Scoring is low enough right now - imagine if the players were still using the wooden logs of 30 years ago.

That doesn't make sense to me, but I may not be 'in the know'. Why would using wooden sticks limit scoring? Gretzky did all right with one.

 

[JoeCool16]

That doesn't make sense to me, but I may not be 'in the know'. Why would using wooden sticks limit scoring? Gretzky did all right with one.

Modern sticks allow for much harder shots, and although there were guys that could certainly hammer the puck with the old wooden sticks, scoring would most certainly go down unless player pads and goalie pads went back in time with the sticks.

 

[ForsbergForever]

The blades of aluminum sticks were still wooden, so the only difference I can imagine there being is that they were somewhat lighter and never broke. I remember Gretzky's chrome coloured Easton Aluminum, and Brett Hull having a gold one, pretty flashy stuff at the time...

 

[Morgoth Bauglir]

That doesn't make sense to me, but I may not be 'in the know'. Why would using wooden sticks limit scoring? Gretzky did all right with one.

From everything I've been told by people who have used both, that while composite sticks DO increase your shot velocity it also diminishes your accuracy. So it's a tradeoff. To my mind, at least, accuracy is better than velocity.....as Gretzky demonstrated over and over again.

 

[The Panther]

Modern sticks allow for much harder shots

I see. But does this really matter in today's game? Nobody can score on slapslots anymore, unless it's one that's randomly deflected or a teammate scores on a rebound. I don't really see that increased velocity is helping people score. I would prefer accuracy, at least in theory.

 

[Boxscore]

Modern sticks allow for much harder shots

Well, speaking from experience, the hardest shot I ever had with a hockey stick BY FAR came off the blade of an older (mid-90's), heavy, wooden KOHO stick that was a Scott Stevens pattern. I've been playing ice hockey since 1981 and have used pretty much every stick under the sun... wooden, aluminum with wooden blade, composites, you name it. I'm currently using a Warrior Wisniewski pattern composite - I like it a lot, but my shot is not as hard... and has never been with any one-piece, regardless of flex. Quite honestly, I think this is a case of "people use what they can get." If players were still using wooden sticks - at any level - they'd be just as good. I firmly believe that. Stick technology is more of a money grab than anything. I hate to say "smoke and mirrors" but...

although there were guys that could certainly hammer the puck with the old wooden sticks, scoring would most certainly go down unless player pads and goalie pads went back in time with the sticks.

The lack of scoring today has more to do with the size of goalie pads than it does stick technology. I think Patty Kane, Stamkos, Ovechkin and Crosby would do just fine with an old school, wooden TITAN twig. The bigger challenge is the guy they're shooting on is dressed up like the Michelin Man.

 

[Mayor Bee]

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[Killion]

If players were still using wooden sticks - at any level - they'd be just as good. I firmly believe that. Stick technology is more of a money grab than anything. I hate to say "smoke and mirrors" but...

The lack of scoring today has more to do with the size of goalie pads than it does stick technology....The bigger challenge is the guy they're shooting on is dressed up like the Michelin Man.

Oh ya, first paragraph, agree totally. So called improved technology not always an "improvement" in performance of ones tools. Especially in one so essential as a hockey stick. When the aluminum shafts, fiberglass with wooden replacement blades first came out I thought it a bad gimmick however, took hold. And now here we are, $300 composites. Ya, you get a faster release, but you lose that kinetic feel for the puck, not natural, and if it aint natural it aint good.

... as for the 2nd para, I do take some issue with this whole Michelin Man meme. While I agree chest & arm protectors, oversized catchers & blockers with sidewalls all pumped up to ridiculous sizes is pretty much over the top; pads rather than the old standard of app 2"'s above the knee with open toe now right up to the thigh with closed toe cap is really a bit of an optical illusion. Width is still the same as it was back in the day but because the pads are longer and Goalies themselves absolute Monsters, 6'3"-6'5" etc, combined with the way they play in full on BF, "blocking" as opposed to "saving", bit of a matter of perception. This has a direct correlation to stick technology, the composites (along with the way the games played of course), as todays goalies are facing shots that are released faster, the shots themselves heavier and so hence the bloated equipment. Goalie equipment changes a reaction to the aluminum & glass shafts, composites, cycle game.

They didn't break, but they would warp and lose their usefulness.

Aluminum shafts would, yes, as did all wood if it didnt completely bust first; rendered completely useless but to hold up tomato plants. I dunno. Gretzky, everyone switching, finding the perfect tensile & whip with an aluminum shaft affording them the reliability that with wood could be inconsistent I suppose an "improvement" on some levels however a bigger loss to my way of thinking on others. You just cant beat the feel of wood. Like boats. Theres nothing like cruising around in a nice old woody, you can feel the water, at one with it. In a fiberglass, steel or aluminum boat, your riding on it. Theres just no "feel". Might as well be cruising around in a bath tub. Yes, wood is more work, boats or hockey sticks, but well worth that effort.... guess Im just too old fashioned huh?

 

[Mayor Bee]

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[Viktri]

From everything I've been told by people who have used both, that while composite sticks DO increase your shot velocity it also diminishes your accuracy. So it's a tradeoff. To my mind, at least, accuracy is better than velocity.....as Gretzky demonstrated over and over again.

^^^ accuracy > speed when you have the mental capabilities to know where the puck needs to go

 

[Morgoth Bauglir]

^^^ accuracy > speed when you have the mental capabilities to know where the puck needs to go

I presume elite NHL scorers have sufficient hockey sense to know where the puck needs to go. If they don't then hockey IQs have seriously dropped over the last 20 years.

 

[Hawksfan2828]

Actually, wooden bats are 1,000 x more "safe" than aluminum bats. Have you ever seen the velocity of a baseball coming off an aluminum bat?! If a line drive struck a fielder off an aluminum bat it could be fatal. In fact, I respect the MLB a ton for not going the way of "newer is better." Good for them, holding firm. I wish the NHL had done the same thing.

I have also seen guys get hit by broken wooden bats..

Yeah the ball comes off a bat hard but at least you're expecting the ball coming at you instead of a flying broken bat.

The worst part is that wooden bats splinter and turn into flying spears and they could easily kill someone just by spearing them..

 

[Hawksfan2828]

Also watching a baseball game with the sound of an aluminum bat hitting the ball would drive us all nuts. Nothing sounds cooler than the crack of a wood bat.

Aluminum bats = DANGER!!! And would be unbearable.

It should be noted that today's wood bats seem more dangerous and break more frequently.

That being said you assume a certain level of risk in all sports.

Well I'm not going to argue about the sound of a ball going off a wooden bat. That crack is beautiful opposed to the "ping" of an aluminum bat...

The problem is that wooden bats break and go flying...

I broke a bat and it went flying into the stands and a poor woman was hit across the head and had to go to the hospital....

 

[Hawksfan2828]

They weren't banned in the NHL, just manufacturers largely stopped making them as composites were more popular since they improve the shot of non-pros considerably. I'm sure that the profit margins were larger with composite materials than they were with real wood too.

A wooden stick I believe still will actually create a faster slapshot for top level players, and Spezza as a specific example was a large proponent of keeping wooden sticks as long as possible because he felt he could feel the puck better for playmaking purposes.

I haven't seen a real wood stick in forever.... I've never seen one used.... Yeah fiberglass - not real wood.

 

[Killion]

My reasoning has less to do with feel and more the fact that I'm way too cheap to drop money on a composite since I'd be terrified of breaking it and needing a replacement. Nah, the old Titan has taken a hell of a beating but still works just fine.

.... ya, theres that as well. Thank God & I dont have any kids playing hockey today or over the past decade. Absolutely cringe everytime I heard him practicing his slapshot on the concrete driveway using a $300 stick.... And you just know they would, even if you bought them cheapo's, woodies,
end of lines or whatever for hacking around, road hockey, shinny etc.

I presume elite NHL scorers have sufficient hockey sense to know where the puck needs to go. If they don't then hockey IQs have seriously dropped over the last 20 years.

The elites do, yes, but.... everyone did at one time, took a look, looked for open net before letting fly. Watch any game, even the elites, heads down and bing. Dont look, just get it in the general direction of the net and on a dream and a prayer hope it goes in through traffic or nice juicy rebound. Not all of course but the vast majority of play, that pucks a live grenade, dont carry it, just get rid of it. About the only time you see them telegraph & aim is in the Shootout... and what if your like me and cant stand the Shootout? Do we too hope it ends in a tie including OT just so we can see what was once, you know, "normal"? Most annoying. So many goals we see today even just going back 15yrs let alone 25-40 yrs are what we wouldve called back then Garbage Goals.

I haven't seen a real wood stick in forever.... I've never seen one used.... Yeah fiberglass - not real wood.

You can still get them of course, limited runs. Heres an older article from 2004 about the Christian brothers of Minnesota...

www.wsj.com/articles/SB108500487301816201

 

[BraveCanadian]

I'd love to see them make a rule that players are only allowed to use wooden sticks.

It would be funny to see how many guys are relying on the ridiculous whip the sticks have now to give them a shot.