Stick figures

CEDAR RAPIDS – All hockey sticks are not created equal. Even if they were, players would find a way to make them unique.

There's a reason you see a workshop outside the Cedar Rapids RoughRiders locker room. It's the team's stick preparation area.

You've got saws, a sander, an acetylene torch, a vice grip, glue, spray paint, all types of tape and other implements. They are used to tailor make the most important piece of equipment a player uses.

'It's all personal preference, which is something you develop over the years,' said defenseman Charlie Curti, whose team plays Friday and Saturday nights at Youngstown.

In a way, you can equate this to finding the right baseball bat, only tenfold. Hockey players must decide the length they want their stick, how firm the shaft is (called flex), the size and curvature of the blade and the overall grip.

Choosing whether there is a knob on the end and how big you want that knob is even a consideration. It's all about feel and what fits your specific game.

'I mean, you have the lie of the blade and the curve, all that stuff,' said RoughRiders forward Dylan McLaughlin. 'I think it's probably more (involved) than everyone thinks.'

Way more involved than the average fan thinks.

'Everybody likes a certain size,' said defenseman Clark Kuster. 'So you either cut a stick down or put a plug in it to make it taller. Obviously there are different flexes to a stick. If you are a bigger, stronger guy, you will use around a 100 flex. If you are a smaller guy or like a lot of whip, you'll use about a 75 flex. There are a lot of different things that go into a stick, and certain guys like them certain ways.

'You'll see grip tape on some sticks. Some guys say they can't use white tape on their blades, or they can't use black tape on the blade. Everybody is real specific.'

Virtually the only similarity in the sticks the RoughRiders use is the brand. The club pays for all equipment, and the United States Hockey League has a deal with CCM/Reebok, so that's what players get.

There are, of course, different models and specifications to choose from. Some guys like sticks that are one piece, others prefer two-piece sticks in which they can pick and choose what blade goes with what shaft.

Even then, shafts and blades can still be altered for better grip, handling, receiving and shooting the puck. That's where the saw, torch and sander come in.

'When I get a new stick, I'll cut mine to right about my nose area,' said RoughRiders forward Casey Jerry. 'So when I'm on skates, I'll be up a little higher on it.'

Sticks used to be made of wood but are of carbon fiber, aluminum and other composite materials now. The average price is about $200.

Trainer/equipment manager Chris Ipson is in charge of everything stick related for the Riders and figures he sends out some kind of new order to CCM/Reebok about every week. It varies, but it's common for guys to break around a dozen twigs per season.

'Over the years, you kind of develop a certain liking to different kinds of patterns,' Curti said. 'Personally, I like shorter sticks. I know a lot of defensemen like longer ones, but not me. I feel like it helps me handle pucks better.'

A check through the team's stick rack, courtesy of Kuster, showed defensemen Bryce Hatten and Logan Von Ruden use the longest sticks.

'I was always a taller kid on the team,' said Hatten, who is 6-foot-2. 'I don't know why, (the stick) just always happened where it would end up at my nose when I stood up. I got used to it. My stick used to be a lot shorter, but I messed up one time and just stuck with it.

'Plus, as a defenseman, it's pretty good to have a long stick for reach and stuff. That's why I have it. I've gotten pretty used to it for my shot, too. It's a little different because it's so big. But I think I've handled it pretty well.'

Hatten said he adds a four or five-inch extension to every one of his sticks. McLaughlin, on the other hand, cuts his down immensely.

A shorter guy at 5-foot-10, he also skates and plays stooped lower to the ground than the average player. As a center, controlling the puck is his biggest thing.

'I was always told that your stick needed to come up to the bottom of your chin,' he said. 'I think I'm the only one of the team that uses a 75 flex. That's just a little bit whippier. But I use that because I cut my sticks so low. So it really turns into, like, an 85 or 90 flex. The lower you cut it, the stiffer it gets.'

Game days generally see a flurry of action around the workshop area. That's when players want to make sure their sticks are perfect.

It's a ritual for them to re-tape their blades, in particular. It's kind of a superstition as much as anything.

'Every guy on this team gets a new tape job before a game,' Curti said. 'Sometimes that happens before practice, too, though I don't really care about practice.

'There's a saw out there, so a lot of times before games, you'll hear that thing going, see the torch going. You know, it's a little bit of a process, kind of a pain in the butt when you break a stick to have make a new one. Some guys really rattle them off.'

l Comments: (319) 398-8259; jeff.johnson@thegazette.com