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Carey Price Gear Changes


TheGoalNet

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It's been well documented that Price has been testing gear and changing gear pretty regularly for the last 12 months: 

  • VH with Step and VH with Graf cutout last fall. Testing VH with Vertexx in background 
  • Bauer 1X gear as a "gear free agent" last summer 
  • VH with Vertexx to start this year, back to Graf cowling with cutout 
  • Mostly colored pads, back to mostly white 
  • Shorter Calf Wraps
  • Switch to Vaughn pants
  • Testing Warrior CR1 stick.. 

Here is an article from InGoalMag on the topic:

http://ingoalmag.com/gear/carey-price-talks-skate-stance-pad-changes/

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This is a particularly interesting thread, specifically with how much Price has been all over the place this year. I'd be curious to see if something like this can be compiled on a larger scale to document some more popular goalies changing all year. 

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I am really surprised that he has tried as many things as he has.

 I knew former pros that were peeved that they could not get the WinnWell helmet that eventually became the Cooper SK2000 and told me of scouring high and low to find them (much like Messier in his later years) and even took their supply with them when they were traded, paying for the lids to be painted by an auto body shoppe on their dime.  I asked one particular former player why that helmet and tube blades were so important and his answer was simply “I should be getting paid to play hockey, not getting used to new equipment”. This player quit when the supply of CCM tube skate blades were exhausted. He claims he could not skate in plastic Tuuks and even tried the updated CCM plastic tube blades and it was the same for him. Mind- he was a career minor leaguer with the occasional cup of coffee in the big clubs.

I bet we won’t find Price trying anything new for a long time as far as skates go. 

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All good points. I'm all for gear advancements, but it seems sometimes like it's only re-inventing the wheel. If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

One good example would be Dennis (Factory MAD). His stuff is straight simple, one model but with advanced internals and very much customizable.  

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Everything Price mentions in the article about the skates height and adjustments and hips/knee stress...I can relate to with my 700X. It does feel like you're further away from the ice. I don't "dance" (if you know what I mean) so easily with these as I used to with a traditional cowling.

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50 minutes ago, RichMan said:

Everything Price mentions in the article about the skates height and adjustments and hips/knee stress...I can relate to with my 700X. It does feel like you're further away from the ice. I don't "dance" (if you know what I mean) so easily with these as I used to with a traditional cowling.

I still think we’re in the beta stage with cowling/cowlingless. A pro like Price has a fair bit of pull on equipment. There were aspects of cowling-free that I loved, but getting up from the butterfly was harder for me in the cowling-free skates. Of course I wish the NHL would allow Overdrive Blades, and mainly for the groin injury aspect, not the “cheater” aspect. 

And the dancing aspect is much easier in cowlings, fo sho.

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I wanted to find out - out of all of you who switched to the cowlingless skates, have you had hip issues like tightness or soreness? Especially from the 40+ group?

I find that the past month and 1/2, whenever I bend forward at the waist, I feel a slight discomfort at the hip socket. Not sure if it's entirely related but the coincidence is apparent. I'm not talking about the usual strain from a forced stretch save or extended b-fly save. This slight pain is different.

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46 minutes ago, RichMan said:

I wanted to find out - out of all of you who switched to the cowlingless skates, have you had hip issues like tightness or soreness? Especially from the 40+ group?

I find that the past month and 1/2, whenever I bend forward at the waist, I feel a slight discomfort at the hip socket. Not sure if it's entirely related but the coincidence is apparent. I'm not talking about the usual strain from a forced stretch save or extended b-fly save. This slight pain is different.

Responding to the bolded portion.

Are you feeling a pinch?  I've been getting the same thing since I was in skates with cowlings.  It could be a tight hip flexor, glute, quad, IT band, psoas muscle...a lot of things.

Have you gained weight?

I've been doing a lot of mysofascial release before games at home.  Foam rollers and lacrosse balls.  If I get aggressive with it the pain is not noticeable. 

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8 hours ago, RichMan said:

I wanted to find out - out of all of you who switched to the cowlingless skates, have you had hip issues like tightness or soreness? Especially from the 40+ group?

I find that the past month and 1/2, whenever I bend forward at the waist, I feel a slight discomfort at the hip socket. Not sure if it's entirely related but the coincidence is apparent. I'm not talking about the usual strain from a forced stretch save or extended b-fly save. This slight pain is different.

I haven't noticed any hip issues. Ankles are always a bit sore after playing, but that was the case before switching though. I'm 33, 6'1, and 235.

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I'm 6'2, 195lbs_ish, been this for the past 3 years.

@Chenner29 I have laid off the myofascia release stuff for a bit. I tend to have tight glutes (har har har, before we all chime in) but I don't think it would be related. No IT band discomfort. It's this odd discomfort (not yet painful) at the hinges so to speak.

I'm just wondering if the slight extra height of the blade/runner i causing a stress overload by tilting my hip slightly more when bringing my skate up to recover into my stance from the b-fly position.

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21 hours ago, RichMan said:

I wanted to find out - out of all of you who switched to the cowlingless skates, have you had hip issues like tightness or soreness? Especially from the 40+ group?

I find that the past month and 1/2, whenever I bend forward at the waist, I feel a slight discomfort at the hip socket. Not sure if it's entirely related but the coincidence is apparent. I'm not talking about the usual strain from a forced stretch save or extended b-fly save. This slight pain is different.

http://ingoalmag.com/gear/carey-price-talks-skate-stance-pad-changes/

read down about 2/3rds or 3/4ths...

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  • 2 weeks later...
3 hours ago, RichMan said:

I didn't know where else to ask this but, it just dawned on me...

For those wearing the new Bauer skates, did you find the need to go to a longer stick or are you still comfortable with your current one?

Brings up a complex issue that’s discussed in that Price article. Basically being taller may or may not make you want to adjust your stance wider to feel like you’re in a comfortable position.  If you get in the skates and you end up taking a wider stance such that your upper body is in the same place, I would think you wouldn’t change stick height. If you don’t change your stance and end up a little taller, maybe not. 

This is the reason I’m looking for a solution to replace my VH Step holders with a cowling or other shorter holder.

Either way I think common wisdom now is to fit your stick paddle length to your butterfly, which wouldn’t change. 

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Lately, I have been getting minor muscle soreness in my ankle after skating. I have been really RVHing like crazy now that I comfy in 2S skates and fast from Optik. I had attributed this using new muscles. I am wondering if this actually from being taller and taller and putting different stresses on myself, like Price describes?

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16 hours ago, TheGoalNet said:

Lately, I have been getting minor muscle soreness in my ankle after skating. I have been really RVHing like crazy now that I comfy in 2S skates and fast from Optik. I had attributed this using new muscles. I am wondering if this actually from being taller and taller and putting different stresses on myself, like Price describes?

Bingo! That is why I'm still not 100% sold on these skates yet even though having played in them for 6 games. My b-fly slides aren't feeling natural and getting up on one leg takes a little more effort than it used to.

I'm keeping my options open for something like the Vaughn GX2 or some Grafs if I can figure out what model below pro is the lightest.

BTW, I got a crazy painful lace bite tonight in the last 5 minutes of play. @TheGoalNet - have you experienced this yourself. I know the 700X is the low end but there should be substantial padding in the tongue to avoid so. I'm gonna have to find a different approach to lacing them up.

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@RichMan I'm surprised you are even getting lace bite. I have S190's and I can't get them tight enough for the life of me around the ankle. I've resorted to using hockey tape to get the ankle tightness I want and it's kind of pissing me off at this point. I'm using waxed Elite laces and am wondering if I have to switch laces to get them tight.

Double knotting isn't helping either. I feel like I need to relearn how to tie my skates.:rofl:

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It's my first time getting lace bite in these, only my left ankle. I'm assuming it happened while I moved, the stress of it shifted something and BANG, that familiar pain that can ruin a game.

I'm going to experiment with my lacing tomorrow and see what comes out of it.

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@RichMan @Pauly35or00 - I have never gotten lace bite in my life! The only issue I had with 1S was blisters on the inner akle depending on my lacing tightness and how I laced the skates. With some patience, trial, and error, I worked around the issue. 

With 2S, the heel lock is way deeper and the inner gel is much more supple. No issues at all with pain, blisters, etc. I am also able to wear these skates a bit looser than 1S which I love. 

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8 hours ago, Pauly35or00 said:

@RichMan I'm surprised you are even getting lace bite. I have S190's and I can't get them tight enough for the life of me around the ankle. I've resorted to using hockey tape to get the ankle tightness I want and it's kind of pissing me off at this point. I'm using waxed Elite laces and am wondering if I have to switch laces to get them tight.

Double knotting isn't helping either. I feel like I need to relearn how to tie my skates.:rofl:

@Pauly35or00 have you tried this technique?:

I used to have a lot of trouble getting a tight fit at the ankle but this helped tremendously. Now that I’m in VH skates, it’s not necessary but I’m doing it anyway because it makes tying skates easier by locking in the laces once you tighten them.

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I have last years Bauer model, with cowling, and about two months ago upgraded to the step steel. Was amazed that that extra 1/2" or so threw off my stance. Made the adjustment in my stance to compensate and am now comfortable. The greatest thing I love about the step steel is that I can get a bite with B-fly pushes with my leg (overall) lower than before. Really want to get the new Bauer's without the cowling and give that a try but mine are only a year old. Can't really justify it. Yet.

I've also never had lace bite in either player skates or goalie skates. The way I tie my skates, the lace is pulling tight at the top of the eyelet/over the lip so the lace is not actually really touching the tongue.  My feet do hurt in my goal skates though but that's because I like them super tight. Really need to get some practice in with a loser skate. Problem is I've always had bad ankles and all ready being without the support that a normal skate has compared to a goal skate, has me worried. Still, really need to hit some stick and puck sessions and adjust as I go.

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