"The Blok" index finger protection

[Lucky Pucker]

My wife stumbled across this, and flipped me the article. I've never had "puck-up-the-paddle-crunches-index" myself, but I'm sure many of you have.

https://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/manitoba/blok-goalie-guy-st-vincent-1.5150717

 

It will be interesting to see if there is any real pro buy-in. I kinda also wonder what will prevent people from just coming up with their own solution to this problem that - from the article - appears to be the injury plaguing all goalies at all levels all the time...

Thoughts?

[bunnyman666]

An equipment manager could rig up something like that cheap and quickly. The amount of items in the storage room for equipment managers is scary! Cans of spray paint is one item in large supply. WD-40, Goo Gone, and many other chemicals were plentiful. Drill bits, sand paper and sanding belts, hacksaw blades were abundant.  Blade holders of many types, screws, bolts, cages, full itech shields (yes- they are THAT old and need the iTech logo removed!), foams, elastics, snaps, nylon, pad skinz, etc. They literally have everything to fix whatever goes wrong or adapt for an injury, and usually in time to start the next period! And they share with refs and even the visiting team. One factor that could have impacted the decision for road white was so things could be shared. Just speculation on my part...

I got to go in one NHL supply room in a practise facility a few years back, and it was mind blowing what I saw in there! Rolls of foam, boxes of new gloves, boxes of tape like crazy! You’ve never seen so much tape! Power tools new in the box, rubber gloves, glues and glue sticks and miles of hockey tape! You want to know where to find your favourite old holder for player skates that was made in the last 25 years? Go into an NHL equipment manager’s storage room! One ref preferred an ICM holder not made in 25 years, but many pro rinks STILL have that holder!  And the EQ manager lets go of few items, as they have the ultimate reason to use the phrase “I may need that some day”. 

The point of that story is to say that I can’t see a pro buy in for that product unless it was something that an equipment manager couldn’t make themselves quickly. Of course the other point of the long-winded story is that was one of the coolest things as a gear nerd I could have ever done! NHL equipment managers are the master jury riggers, and it usually doesn’t look rigged! But one may buy a couple for shits and giggles. Heck- an EQ manager or two may have already bought some. Edit: read the article, and I am betting a few will end up in a storage room. After reading the article, quick and easy would be the only reason why anyone would use that product. It borders on gimmicky. I have played long enough that the injury detailed has not been a factor; maybe I’m holding the stick wrong!

It’s not an awful idea, and I wish the person who invented that item all the luck in keeping his/her business afloat. I just hope it’s not the only item that business offers. It’s not like Tackimac where it would take a fair bit of knowledge and tooling to make one yourself from that material. If you have spare foam and hockey tape, you could make this item. If it interferes with paddle down or the balance of the stick, this would not gain much acceptance, especially if you could make it yourself. 

Modern blockers protect index fingers pretty well. I would take one of my rolls of foam and rig up something if I ever was hurt on my fingers as described. 

[cwarnar]

It does have a use for pros or semi pros practicing every day facing hundreds of high caliber shooters.

I'd be curious the weight it carries.  Where. The trend in composite sticks is weight reduction why add more weight to your stick