Ice Hockey Goalie Sticks
An essential position played in ice hockey is the goaltender. Goalies use a variety of equipment unique to their position, with the goalie stick serving as one of the most important pieces of equipment they use to protect the net. There is a lot to learn about goalie sticks and the various types, sizes, and materials they come in.
What are goalie sticks used for in ice hockey?
The goalie stick is a specific type of hockey stick used by goaltenders. The goalie stick itself is different compared to normal hockey sticks because of its wider shape. Goalie sticks have a skinny handle and a wider base, called the paddle, leading into the blade of the hockey stick which is the part that touches the ice. This particular stick helps goaltenders maximize their chances of stopping pucks from getting into the goal. In addition to a different shape, goalie sticks are slightly heavier than normal ice hockey sticks. In fact, the average goalie stick will weigh 25.15 ounces while a normal ice hockey stick weighs 15.7 ounces. However, goalie sticks will come in a wide variety of lengths and weights based on the height and stance of a player. It’s essential to find the right size for the best protection.
Things To Consider
When looking for a goalie stick, you'll want to consider the following:
- Do you want a wood or composite stick?
- How much are you looking to spend on a goalie stick?
- What size goalie stick should you get?
- Are you right-handed or left-handed?
Types
Ice hockey goaltenders will primarily use a composite or wooden goalie stick to help stop the opposing team from scoring goals.
Composite
A composite goalie stick can be made from a few different materials such as carbon fiber, graphite, or fiberglass. They will often come wrapped in nylon in order to increase durability as well. These sticks are popular because of their lighter weight. However, they are more expensive than wooden sticks.
Wooden
The wooden ice hockey goalie stick is made of laminated wood from a birch, aspen, or ash tree. In order to increase durability, a layer fiberglass is wrapped around the paddle and blade of the hockey stick. Wooden sticks weigh the most among other kinds of goalie sticks but also are the cheapest.
Materials
Ice hockey goalie sticks are built for durability with materials such as carbon fiber, fiberglass, and wood.
- Carbon Fiber: This is a very strong material made of carbon filaments. It is stronger and lighter than steel, which makes it very effective when used to make sticks.
- Fiberglass: This material is a type of strong plastic that is made with glass fiber. When combined with resin, fiberglass can become a strong material for creating hockey sticks.
- Wood: This material is taken from all kinds of trees. Wooden hockey sticks are not as common anymore due to their heavier weight and decreased durability.
Brands
Three of the most popular brands of goalie sticks are Bauer, TRUE, and Warrior.
- Bauer: Bauer started selling hockey sticks in 1927. They offer different composite sticks that have smaller paddles and blade sizes. In addition, the sticks have a blade stiffness that allows for more rebound control.
- TRUE: This sport equipment company has sold more than 2 million hockey sticks in the past 100 years. The newest TRUE sticks offer a ViscoElastic layer around the blade and paddle, which allows for better absorption of the hockey puck.
- Warrior: This brand offers some of the best overall composite goalie sticks in the industry. All of their sticks have advanced anti-vibration technology. In addition, the brand implements slide grip technology, which allows players to have better grip on their sticks.
Considerations
When contemplating whether or not to buy a goalie stick, it’s important to take durability, cost, and size into consideration.
Durability
Composite ice hockey goalie sticks are the most durable due to the strong materials of carbon fiber and fiberglass thare are used to make them. On average, professional players can go through as many as 2.65 hockey sticks per game. The most durable composite sticks can deteriorate over one week or last more than a year.
Cost
The cost for a goalie stick will vary based on the brand and type of materials used. In general, participants can expect to pay at least $100 in order to have a quality goalie stick. Some of the most expensive sticks will cost around $300. There are a variety of brands to choose from with their own specific price points, however Bauer is generally considered the most expensive brand.
Sizes
Goalie sticks will come in a variety of sizes including youth, junior, intermediate, and senior. The table below breaks down each size by the recommended player height and paddle length.
| Size | Player Height | Paddle Length |
|---|---|---|
| Youth | < 4’ | 18” - 20.5” |
| Junior | 4’ - 4’9” | 21” - 23” |
| Intermediate | 4’9” - 5’4” | 23.5” - 24.5” |
| Senior | > 5’5” | 25” - 28.5” |
FAQ
How much does a goalie stick cost?
The price of a goalie stick will depend greatly on the materials being used to make it. Composite sticks use more complex materials like carbon fiber, which will make the product more expensive. In the National Hockey League, goalie sticks will cost about $185 or more. Top manufacturing brands including Bauer, TRUE, and Warrior offer goalie sticks at a few different price points. However, Bauer is typically the most expensive brand.
What are the kinds of goalie sticks?
The three kinds of goalie sticks are wooden, foam core, and composite goalie sticks. Wooden sticks are made entirely out of wood while composite sticks are made out of carbon fiber. Foam core goalie sticks are a combination of wood and glass lamination. These sticks are cheaper than composite sticks but allow stronger performance than wooden sticks.
What are the benefits of a composite stick compared to a wood stick?
A composite stick is lighter and more durable than a wood stick. This is largely due to the fact that composite sticks are made using carbon fiber. A lighter stick means goaltenders can move their arms faster and have a better shot at stopping the puck. In regards to durability, composite sticks are made from stronger materials compared to wooden sticks. In addition, wooden ice hockey sticks are worn down more easily by water from melted ice.