Ancient wooden sticks


By Terry Johnson, Original Stix 

1800's - The first stick manufacturers emerge in Canada. At this time, sticks are hand carved from a single piece of wood.

1940's - The first laminated sticks are made out of many layers of wood glued together for a lighter and more flexible stick.
Old Northland stick

 

1950's - Manufacturers begin wrapping wooden blades with fiberglass for reinforcement, pioneering the use of synthetic materials in sticks.

 

fiberglass reinforcement
You can't eat this banana.
1960's - Players begin heating and wedging their blades under doors to create curves. Known as the “banana blade”, slapshots became wildly unpredictable and dangerous before the league put a limit on curves shortly after.
Koho wood stick

1970's - The sport continues to adopt synthetic materials as fiberglass is now used throughout stick blades and shafts, offering lighter and more durable sticks than ever before.

Kings screen shot

 

 

1980's - Aluminum shafts explode in popularity. While much heavier and stiffer than wood and fiberglass sticks, aluminum sticks offered unprecedented durability.

 

Easton Z bubble

 

 

1990's - Featuring the flexibility of wood and the stability of wooden sticks, composite shafts are rapidly adopted throughout the ‘90s.

custom-hockey-stick-flex_large.jpg

2000's and beyond - The one-piece composite stick is introduced, forever changing the sport. Superior to wooden sticks in nearly every category, players of all skill levels make the switch. By the end of the decade, wooden sticks are no longer used at the NHL® level.