Evolution of Hockey: The Stick

Like the rest of the game, the hockey stick has also seen much change throughout the years. Until the 1930's sticks were made solely of wood. Since then, stick material has changed drastically throughout the years. From aluminum to graphite to composites such as carbon fiber and fiberglass many different materials have been used to make modern hockey sticks. Although it is primarily a players personal preference what kind of stick they use, a lighter stick is easier to carry and produces a quicker, harder shot. Composite sticks also incorporate more strength while being much lighter than wood. This is a huge improvement over wooden sticks because a broken stick means time lost and a possible scoring opportunity for the opposing team.
Along with the sticks material, the rules involving the stick also have changed. In 1927 Cy Denneny experimented with curving the blade of his stick using hot water to shape the wood. This blade curve would quickly catch on in professional hockey because it allowed a more accurate, harder shot from forwards. Although this new stick style did have its advantages, it was not picked up by all players because it had a negative effect on stick handling and backhanded shots. In the 1950's players began curving there sticks to decrease the predictablility of their slapshots. This unpredictablilty was good for the shooter because the goalie then had to guess where the puck was going, which often resulted in a goal. This unpredictability also gave rise to injuries because not only did the goalie not know where the shot was going, but neither did the shooter. Because of these injuries the NHL limited the amount of curve on a blade to 1 inch in 1967 and then to 1/2 inch in 1970. The length of hockey sticks was also limited to 63 inches by the NHL in order to prevent injury.