MJSB: The Hockey Product Part 1

My journey through the stick development process took some comical turns, I have to admit.

My first effort began in ’96 or ’97, can’t remember which. I started by searching the web for an unbreakable material. There weren’t a lot of choices back then, but I found one called Azdel, which is used mainly in the automotive industry. I made a few calls until I found one place that was willing to sell me what they could. Unfortunately, no sheets as big as I needed and nowhere the thickness I needed in order to make things simple. The stuff arrives and now I’m presented with my first obstacle — how do I turn this into that? I need someone that has the tools to cut this stuff into the necessary shape(s) and for that I need a machinist. I find one willing to do the work for a small fortune, but I want/need to see if my idea has any worth to it. I take the material over, we discuss an approach. I tell him I’d like to see some slots in the paddle and holes in the handle to reduce weight, cut down on drag and make it look cool in the process. Time passes and he’s done and I bolt over to see what has been created.

I already feel a little like Dr. Frankenstein only without the skill to assemble my own monster. My feeling wasn’t unfounded because when he brought “it” out, I was thrilled, yet if I had been honest and not blinded by my ambition, I would have seen the stick for what it was — an abortion! By hey, it was my first idea turned into a reality. I dragged the weighty “thing” back to my lair to show off to my wife. Her reaction was one that a person unattached to it would have. “That’s nice.”, she offers, but I don’t her that, I hear, “Wow, you’re a genius and it’s so pretty!”

Off to the rink I hurry. I can’t wait to display my intellectual property and see how well it performs. While out on the ice, we’ll call him a friend, Bob Teti makes the first remarks, but he’s a gruff bastard as it is, so his comments fall on deaf ears since it wasn’t what I expected to hear anyway. So I’m lugging this thing around when a puck slides my way (remember, this is warm-ups) and I’m eager to play that puck and I do but, it doesn’t go anywhere, but there is a reaction to my efforts — the thing bends and stays bent! Why? Because we ( and by “we”, I mean the machinist) had to add a spine of aluminum the length of the stick. That is, from tip to toe. Holy shit!, I think, maybe even said it out loud and boy am I embarrassed. I try to return the stick to it’s unbent shape before anyone notices. Not unlike tripping over uneven sidewalk and trying to make it appear as if you meant to take that little dance step.

I quickly return the monster to the bench and grab a ‘normal’ stick I had brought just in case. The game gets played, but I’m distracted by thoughts of where I went wrong and which direction do I take now. On a positive note, I learned a valuable lesson. Aluminum and Azdel make for a heavy bendy stick and I need new materials.