What's With All the Broken Sticks?

[bluetunehead]

The whip action on modern sticks makes a huge difference in release and speed. They're definitely more brittle than wood, which is why they break so often. The players don't have to pay, so they'll take the shot benefits and let others worry about the $400 price tag.

It's a bummer for families with kids. Even low end carbon fiber sticks start at $50 in youth models. Granted super young kids are more likely to grow out of one than break it, but it just shouldn't cost that much. Once your kid hits the point of junior and intermediate models sticks are starting at $100 if you're not bargain hunting.

[TAFKAP]

The whip action on modern sticks makes a huge difference in release and speed. They're definitely more brittle than wood, which is why they break so often. The players don't have to pay, so they'll take the shot benefits and let others worry about the $400 price tag.

It's a bummer for families with kids. Even low end carbon fiber sticks start at $50 in youth models. Granted super young kids are more likely to grow out of one than break it, but it just shouldn't cost that much. Once your kid hits the point of junior and intermediate models sticks are starting at $100 if you're not bargain hunting.

My nephew plays for St. Peters, he'll start high school next year. They were at a tournament in Wisconsin and my brother had just bought him a new composite stick. It lasted 3 shifts in the first game. This kid 2 hand tomahawked my nephew and it shattered. My bro said never in his life did he want to murder someone else's kid, until then.

[HighStick]

Remember a few years back when Parayko broke his stick everytime he took a shot? I just figure these guys are all bigger and stronger and shoot a lot harder then they used to. Stick technology can't keep up.

[Tony Palazzolo]

Sticks certainly are the stupidest part of youth hockey. My son is 18 and just finished his youth hockey career. He typically went through 4 or 5 sticks a season. The even bigger issue....nearly all sticks are manufactured in China.

[moose-and-squirrel]

I kept my aluminum and graphite sticks till the end of my playing time

no way in the world was I paying hundreds of dollars for a brittle stick

[bud white]

Regarding the main topic ...

All sticks / brands are manufactured overseas from a select core of factories (IIRC - 3 factories). Sometimes you get a bad batch in manufacturing or an issue during shipping occurs that compromises the sticks. Sometimes it can be an issue with raw materials... other times it can be worker error (QC during Covid was terrible because of the constant interruptions with quarantine, workforce, etc. If 1 postitive test showed up in the supply chain - seamstress, dock worker, delivery driver - the entire district was shut down for two weeks.)

As for the sticks themselves, I've known situations where a guy gets slashed on the stick early in a game and the next time he shoots the puck it breaks apart at the impact point. I've also known situations where the UPS driver drops something on the box the stick arrives in, and it breaks on the first shot. These sticks just don't bend like the old woodies did and they are not as durable as aluminums.

Similar to tennis rackets. Same factories pump out Head, Prince, Wilson. The dyes are swapped out and the specs change per brand / model - but the factory is the same.