When did the NHL stop using wooden sticks?
Emily Sparks
Published Jan 13, 2026
There was a brief period in the 1990s when the majority of NHL players used aluminum sticks, but today nearly all players use composite sticks.
When was the last wood stick used in the NHL?
Marc-Andre Fleury of the Vegas Golden Knights is the last NHL goalie using a CCM wood stick. The change for CCM began in 2014, when it offered its first composite stick and 20 percent of their NHL roster switched. By 2016, it was close to 50 percent of the goalies that used CCM.
When did the NHL switch from wood sticks?
When they began using lightweight aspen wood reinforced with fiberglass. By the 1980s, aluminum sticks were being made. In 1981, they were made legal in the NHL.
Do any NHL players still use wooden sticks?
Fleury is one of three goalies in the NHL still using the old blend of wood with foam injected in the paddle and blade, a number that has dropped significantly since 2016. Five years ago, roughly half of NHL goalies were using what they commonly call a "foam core" stick, but by 2019 there were five.
Did Wayne Gretzky use a wooden stick?
Gretzky's sticks: from Koho to Titan to Easton Back to video
Former Canadien Patrice Brisebois was one of the last NHL players to use a wooden stick, refusing to give up his trusty Sher-Wood.
40 related questions foundWhat happened to Koho hockey sticks?
KOHO was acquired by CCM/Reebok in 2004. The KOHO was phased out and many features were incorporated into the Reebok brand of goalie equipment.
What type of stick did Wayne Gretzky use?
In his rookie season, Gretzky used a Titan TPM stick, Jofa gloves, CCM Supra pants, Daoust skates and a Jofa helmet. He used this gear for several years, setting several league records in the process.
Do goalies still use wood sticks?
(ISNS) -- Goalies in the National Hockey League overwhelmingly continue to use wooden sticks largely indistinguishable from those used decades ago by their mask-less predecessors.
Do NHL players take their skates off between periods?
Yes, some NHL players change jerseys between periods. As part of the cooling down process during intermission, players will take skates, jerseys, and pads off to try their best in dry out before having to put everything back on 3 – 4 minutes before the next period starts.
Does Jason Spezza use a wooden stick?
Jason Spezza, you see, still uses wooden hockey sticks. He showed up at practice yesterday with five of them, five wooden Sher-Wood sticks, all as carefully taped as freshly diapered babies, all nursed into the just-so position with blowtorch, rasp, file, sandpaper and prayer.
How old is the oldest hockey stick?
The timeline fit perfectly with the Moffatt family tree, suggesting the stick had been made for Dilly when he was between six and nine years old. And that made it the oldest known hockey stick in the world.
What happened to Northland hockey sticks?
Northland was slow to recognize that the new style of stick was making its heavier, solid ash handle obsolete, but it is now switching to the plywood construction.
Why do so many hockey sticks break?
This is usually due to the continued beating the blade takes on the ice. The constant force on the blade during a game, whether it is slap shots, stick pounding or just maneuvering the puck across the ice, weakens the blade through constant contact with the ice.
What is an ice hockey stick called?
The stick (also referred to as a pusher) for underwater hockey is relatively short compared to that for field/ice/roller hockey, and should be coloured either white or black in its entirety to indicate the player's team. The shape of the stick can affect playing style and is often a very personal choice.
Who was the first hockey player to use a curved stick?
The stick blade that controls the puck remained flat for the hockey stick's first 130 years. Then things, well, took a curve during the 1960s. Chicago Blackhawks legend Stan Mikita is often credited with experimenting with a bend in his blade to get more lift and velocity on his shot.
Why do hockey players eat mustard on the bench?
The mustard helps hockey players with cramps, Mark Letestu said. After Mark was caught sucking on a mustard packet in a 2019 Jets-Oilers game, the Alberta native explained his habit, saying the mustard gives him relief from muscle cramps. “Over the years, I've seen various guys do it on and off,” he said, per NHL.com.
Do NHL players share rooms on the road?
But in the N.H.L., where the average salary is just over $2.95 million, players on entry-level contracts still have to share a room during trips. Before the latest collective bargaining agreement, which was revised in 2013, most players had road roommates.
How much weight do NHL players lose in a game?
During the course of an average game, some players can lose as much as 5 to 8 pounds. This loss is mostly water, so players are concerned about making sure they keep enough fluids in their bodies.
Do any NHL players use the Bauer Sling?
Bauer custom made the new sticks for only seven players in the NHL, including DeBrusk, the Hurricanes' Andrei Svechnikov, the Senators' Brady Tkachuk, the Avalanche's Cale Makar, the Canucks' Quinn Hughes, the Devils' Jack Hughes and the Blues' Brayden Schenn.
How many NHL players don't wear visors?
Six seasons after the NHL and NHLPA made the use of face shields mandatory for every player entering the league, more than 97 per cent wear one, according to a study of rosters conducted by TSN. Only 19 of the 672 skaters to appear in an NHL game this season are skating sans visor.
What is hockey wax used for?
Wax increases the life of the tape and ultimately your stick by preventing water from settling on the tape. It also helps while you take shots, by reducing friction between the ice and your stick blade while striking the puck.
Did Gretzky use a curved stick?
Other superstar forwards like Patrick Kane, Pavel Datsyuk and Wayne Gretzky have also used mild curves throughout their careers... none of which had any trouble scoring.
How many sticks did Wayne Gretzky use in his last game?
"The last game stick was one of about forty sticks made and used during Wayne's last game. I personally made each stick with the stamped "99" on the hosel of blade. Each player, coach and trainer, equipment manager received a stick from Wayne."