AdamL

Just now, seagoal said:

Same, yep.  I'm 5'10 too, 172 lbs.  Similar weight for you too?

Pretty damn close.  I was 175 this morning. 

16 minutes ago, seagoal said:

Right on, fair enough on the anti-inflammatory.

I definitely relate to the bold highlight part.  I'm 40 but feel as strong and fit and fast and athletic as I ever have in goal.  I played pick-up last night and played really well and felt great the whole 90 minutes.  I think part of it too is since playing goal since I was 12 or 13 years old I feel like I understand the position in a more cerebral sense and I have gained the wisdom and discipline to play smarter and more efficiently.  I relied on my athleticism and reactivity way too much in my younger days and for too long I was too inefficient and wasteful with my energy.  I need to conserve more now and that has changed my approach for the better.  I'm moving up 3 divisions this summer so it's paying off and is really fun now.  I just need to pay really close attention to my body now and take extra care for it's durability and functionality.

I was getting there.  I'm 5'10" and was always one of those old-school, heels 12" outside the crease, kill-em-with-quickness kinds of goaltenders.  I made up for a lack of actual goaltending talent with honestly pretty elite skating, and I was a total rubber band in my teenage year and early 20s and relied on that to save me in situations where I had a lot of ground to cover.  I play a more reserved style now, but in those scrambles like the one where I got hurt, my brain still seems to think I can do the things I did during my high school and college days, and tries to put limbs in front of pucks to make stops I don't really have any business making.

I went to a couple public skates while I was doing all of my rehab and felt 0 pain.  I was using the boards as my post for entries and exits, skating all over the crease, dropping into extended saves from a standing position - all of it felt totally fine.  But it was in that moment where instinct kicked in and I tried to get something, anything, in front of that puck, that I got hurt.  And that's the problem.  I can play under control the vast majority of the time, but I'm not confident I won't try to battle and do something stupid again even if I get back to a point where I'm pain free.  There's real damage in there, and it's just not worth the risk anymore.

Thanks, I'll crack a beer for us in spirit and mumble to myself about my gear.  

On the anti-inflammatory front, I haven't tried any this time around, but generally I don't find success with them unless it's to knock down a fever.  This is just my approach, but even if my body did respond better to them I'm generally not in favor of taking those kinds of medications as I'd rather feel what my body is trying to tell me.

I'm 34 quickly closing in on 35, which isn't super old but definitely old enough to have the miles on my hips.  Otherwise I feel just about as fit and athletic as ever, though.  I played pickup games for several years with a group of older guys, mostly 40s and 50s but a few in their 60s, and it was a ton of fun!  It might not be in net, but hopefully I'll be out there at those ages too. 

First I just wanted to come back and thank you all for the kind words.  It's nice to have some other goaltenders who are familiar with the physical stresses of the position and stories like these to offer some words of encouragement.  I think my wife sees me doing all of these other physical things and looking healthy, and just can't understand why playing goal is so different.  

6 days out and the hips are still cranky, though.  Not sticky or immobile, it's just a nearly constant, dull, 1 out of 10 pain.  Frankly it feels different than anything I've ever felt before, I was always pain-free unless I hit that range of motion where I was getting some impingement.  That has me a bit worried, honestly.  I'm heading back to the physical therapist next week, so hopefully at least during my off-ice physical activities I can get back to 100%.  She specializes in helping ballet dancers, who are probably one of the only other populations who put their hips through stresses equal to goaltenders, and combines the manual therapies with dry needling and Pilates.  She's fantastic.

I've also scheduled a virtual appointment with the Steadman Clinic, where Dr. Mark Philippon works, who if you read around has done arthroscopic hip surgery on a lot of NHL and other high level goaltenders.  If those guys trust him, I can too.  I'm mostly curious to hear about rehab times and processes, have them look at my MRI to see if they can tell how bad it is, that sort of thing.  If they think it's better to do it earlier, I might just find a way to get out there and get these things cleaned up.

For what may be an exit interview for the V9s, I can summarize by saying the pads are fantastic.  My biggest problem the first time out was the quickslide, so I did a second pass scuffing up the crease to start the game and had zero issues from the first drop.  Related to that, though, I noticed basically zero drop-off in how they slid from the beginning of the game to the end, which is quite a different experience from playing with the older style Lefevre pads with the rounded roll. 

I think if I had to do it all over again I'd be really torn as to whether or not I'd keep the stiff upper and stock boot flex combo versus going with a softer build and doing the stock thigh rise and soft boot.  It's not that I can't play in these, but for me I'm not sure if the benefits of the stiffer thigh rise outweigh the mobility I might gain if I had a slightly softer build.  We're talking degrees here, not a night and day sort of difference, but I'm used to softer pads and these are definitely not.  That said, by the middle of that last game my skating amazingly felt back to 100%, and I perceived zero mobility issues in these, despite being taller and stiffer than any pad I've worn before.  

From someone who hasn't actually worn much else that's on the market today, I think the build I did most closely compares to the 12.2.  Aside from maybe weight I can't imagine my V9s are missing anything those pads bring to the table, and these have the benefit of Quickslide.  The thigh rise is solid, they seal beautifully and are stable on the ice, offer stellar mobility, and Vaughn's professor strap approach is second to nobody, IMO, if you like that secure feel.  No real updates on the glove or blocker.  Both are traditional Vaughn, and both are stellar.  

45 minutes ago, SaveByRichter35 said:

Ah man that blows.  Are you now leaning towards surgical?  I am unsure of your age but if you are leaning towards surgery just keep the gear and hope to make a comeback when healthy again.  Talk to @BadAngle41, he had a hip issue surgically repaired and is still kicking now.

I'm 34 now, and I'm definitely leaning toward surgery now before playing another game in goal.  I don't plan on having surgery within the next couple years, though.  I have 14 month old twins and a nearly 3 year old son, and I can't be laid up in bed or taking all of my free time doing rehab - my family needs me.  It's hard enough finding an hour nearly every day to do the mobility drills and other workouts in the shutout academy programming.  I'll give it a couple more days and if I feel back to 100% I might give it another go, but I'm assuming I'll be playing out for the next 2,3,4 years and then evaluating surgical options.  

56 minutes ago, Lucky Pucker said:

Man - I feel devastated for you! I can’t imagine… Not sure of the injury (I’m not a doctor; I just play one on TV) but any chance that if you can’t return to the crease, you could still play out as a skater? Most rec teams I know would take an ex-goalie over a life long skater any day; we’re like wicked smaht as playahs 

I'd definitely plan on playing out.  99% of the time I have no hip issues, except seemingly when I play goal.  I can run, jump, cut, bike, lift, etc., I just can't do the internal rotation + flexion that the butterfly position and RVH and such require.  

Well, if anyone is interested in this set let me know.  Not 100% sure just yet, but unless or until I have hip surgery my days in net might be over.

I’d had some mild left hip pain for a couple years, but early in 2020 I started incorporating a couple exercises into my workouts that involved really deep A2G squat positions, which aggravated the condition. I went to see a physio and got an MRI on both hips and it turns out I have cam impingements and torn labrums on both sides.  I went all-in on non-surgical remedies - I did Strategic Mobility for Goalies 2x through, joined the shutout academy, and have been diligent with those workouts for the last few months.  But midway through my second game back there was a broken play, where the pass was going from the left corner below the goal line to the low slot on the ride slide, so I began a slide to meet the shot to my right.  The pass was deflected, and landed right on the tape of another player low on the short side.  I didn’t have time to plant and move back to my left, so I stopped my momentum and extended my left leg and reached back at the same time, and in that moment my hip let me know it was very unhappy with being put in that position, despite Maria’s training putting you in those kinds of positions regularly.
 

Anyway, three days later and that hip is still sore, and that’s probably all I need to know about whether I should be continuing to play.  I’m beyond disappointed, after all of the work I’ve put in and all of the improvements I’ve made in strength and mobility, to be feeling this kind of lingering pain after two games back.

6 minutes ago, seagoal said:

Awesome review, thanks for the update.  I'm glad to hear you enjoyed the gear....and sounds like you need an epsom salt bath today.

Oh, here, I summarized your first experience for you:

"The Quick Slide is great.  It's Quick and it Slides, yep."

https://media.giphy.com/media/fYYpNdX624AAU/giphy.gif

https://media.giphy.com/media/uos5sW7pBy5W0/giphy.gif

*Dang, I was hoping those showed up in the post. Oh well, you get the point. *

That was 100% me every time I went to my knees early in the first period.  

I did start to get the hang of things as the game went on and the ice got a bit more scuffed up, at least.

Well that was rough.  Last night was my second time on skates in 16 months, and it showed.  My skating was terrible.  I try to keep up with conditioning off-ice, but nothing I do can replicate the stresses of this position and my legs didn't seem to do what I wanted them to do starting around the middle of the 2nd, and I'm totally wiped out today.  It didn't help that the team I subbed for last night absolutely stunk, but I didn't hold up my end, either.  

As far as impressions go, I'll start with the easy stuff with the glove and blocker.

The blocker is just awesome - it presents really well, the board has a ton more pop than my XLT did, and felt really light and natural on the hand.  Nothing to nitpick at all, it's perfect.  I had one decent snap shot come from my glove side but he went far side on me, I just extended to meet the puck and the rebound went out completely out of the zone.  The glove is similarly great, I had ton of confidence in it, made some nice catches, and playing the puck with that reinforced tee was really nice.  I do think the seal when flat on the ice may not be perfect.  I had one moment where I had to reach behind me to cover the puck and pulled it back toward the center of my body to cover it with both hands, and the puck flung out from under the glove.  Might just need some more break-in time so it has a flatter seal, because when I put it face down on a flat surface with enough pressure it doesn't seem to have any holes.

The pads.  Whoah boy - these are going to take some getting used to, but I think most of that comes down to quickslide.  I was ALL over the place, especially when we first got out there and the ice was still wet.  I didn't get a chance to skate in them first before this game and it was way too much to adjust to in 3 minutes of on-ice warmups.  I'd try to move to a spot and be set as much as possible, but inevitably I'd end up out of position for the shot while dropping down without having completely stopped my momentum.  Not having skated much in 16 months played a big part in this, because I didn't feel as quick and stable as I used to, and so I wasn't in position as early as I should have been.  Still, I wouldn't have been as out of control in a pad that didn't slide so quickly.  

All of that is user error, though, and otherwise the pads are phenomenal.  The seal is fantastic, post integrations and exits are far easier in these than in my X28s, they kick out rebounds fairly well, although nothing Bauer level, and overall just play unobtrusively.  Moving in them felt extremely natural even though I'd never skated in them before.  I'm in love with the Ventus style professor straps.  The pads stay right where they are supposed to be and give me that connected feel I'm looking for while still allowing the pads to rotate quickly.  The boot break was soft enough to get me leaning forward and the pads sit high enough to allow enough attack angle for pushes from my knees.  Between the slightly taller knee stack, the calf pillow, and the new toe ties, my butterfly is a good 3-4" wider than in the X28s as well.  It's gone from slightly narrow to more of an average width, which is awesome.  

Overall I'm quite happy with the set top to bottom, it'll just take some time to get back into hockey shape and really take advantage of the performance of these pads.

19 minutes ago, seagoal said:

Nice set-up, well done.  Looking just like mine will, minus the slack, with different colors.  I think you'll love the no-boot strap with snug toe-tie setup, it's simpler with the exact same effect just more efficient.

I'm excited to hear about your first impressions and experiences on the ice.

Thanks, and yeah, it feels nice. It feels like I have more ankle mobility both in a stance and down in the butterfly, and just makes moving easier.

I forgot to mention I took the glove to get baked today. It freed up really nicely, especially that reinforced tee, and opens nice and wide now and snaps shut much easier.  I wouldn’t call it “fappy” just yet, but it’s totally usable and I’ll keep working on it.  Some sweat and heat from my hand I’m sure will help too.

I’m excited to have some impressions to give on the whole set. I’m hoping to sneak out to a public skate tomorrow or Friday if the work schedule allows, but we’ll see.

Hybrid Pro Laces are on with just a bit of slack, and I removed the boot straps.  I played around with a couple different setups and this was my favorite, at least as much as I can tell imitating crease movements on the carpet in skate guards.  First game is Sunday, LFG!

1 hour ago, seagoal said:

Yeah, it varies from retailer to retailer.  I was told by my retailer for my V9 set they would "eat" the uncharge as a courtesy for the leather/buckle wrist strap on my glove, which was a nice touch.  Same for embroidery....although I'm not certain Vaughn is still unchanging for names on custom gear like they used to 

Very smart with the pics.  Reducing the likelihood of error is always good.

Didn't help with my knee strap.    Thankful they owned up to the error and fixed it quickly with no expense on my end, though.  Folks around this place seem to poo-poo Vaughn a lot, but my experience was pretty great.

16 minutes ago, seagoal said:

It's not a specific,  standard custom option so it's not really something they can qualify and offer gradients of reinforcement like they now offer on pad thigh rises.

You'd probably just write "reinforced, stiffer sidewall" then they will inevitably ask you to explain what you mean.  Most likely there will be an upcharge for this too since it's not a standard option.

Others’ experiences may vary, but I was going to be charged nothing extra for the options I chose until I opted to go with the SLR2 layering in the face of the pad.  That was an extra $100 or so, but that was it.

53 minutes ago, bildeer said:

@AdamL Could you tell me what you had put on the order form for the reinforced sidewall of the blocker? My V5 is on its last leg after nearly 8 years of use. (best $175 I've ever spent!)

I actually didn’t fill out the order form myself. I let Dennis and Mike at Goalies Plus know I wanted a firm sidewall and they took care of rest.  Probably not the most helpful answer, but the conversations about what kinds of options I went with were back-and-forth, rather than me just filling out an order form without feedback.

59 minutes ago, seagoal said:

Hey @AdamL

can you do me a favor?  On your pads, can you let me know if it is possible to connect your toe ties and then loop them over that bottom piece with jenpro edge so that it would stay put when walking and carry the pads? 

On my VE8 pads I just tuck the velcro tabs of my Pro Laces into the boot strap housing so the toe ties don't dangle when I am carrying my pads .  On my V9 pads though I ordered them with no boot strap so I assume the housing won't be there and I am wondering about how I can get the toe ties to stay put somewhere and not dangle.

The piece I am talking about on yours is black with white jenpro at the bottom and has your boot strap housing. I know that piece is loose and disconnected from the larger calf wrap pieces and I think it might work.  

Thanks man and bonus points for you if you snap a pic

It works with the stock Vaughn toe ties, if the ProLaces are close to the same length it should work.

2 hours ago, creasecollector said:

Great looking set, best of luck when you hit the ice. Once every piece is broken in nicely, you're going to love these.

I appreciate it!

On 4/23/2021 at 2:32 PM, thebigm said:

I had the exact same issue with my VE8 glove I actually took my seem ripper and took it off and re-stitched the trim back on.  Did it wall by hand but it gave way more mobility.  When you order the glove you can ask for that piece to be removed.

Thanks, that's definitely something to consider.  

No real updates just yet, but I managed to get a spot in a summer league here, which starts up June 10, and I'm subbing on 5/23 and 6/6, so I'll get a couple skates in before the season starts.  Hoping to get the glove baked and broken in this week, and I also have some standard toe bridges with centered and offset holes and some hybrid ProLaces on the way.

With the 12.2 launch I'd been sort of kicking myself for not waiting, but now that I have a spot secured in less than a month I'm glad my set is already here and that I'm going to get a chance to skate in them a few times before the games start.  The wait times are crazy and I'd be going nuts playing in my old gear.  Can't wait to get out there!

On 4/13/2021 at 3:22 PM, AdamL said:

Thanks!  I'm looking forward to some on-ice impressions as well.  I just dropped off the pads with FedEx this morning.  

One week exactly to get them back, FedEx just dropped them off. Can’t wait to get them in the ice!

2 hours ago, SaveByRichter35 said:

I spec'd both my V4 and my V6 with all nylon leg channels for more durability and better rotation.  I always figured that a slick nylon channel 'should' rotate better than the channel with the m2h4(or whatever that material was called back then).  This was before they started using the air mesh stuff.  What are you talking about when you mention the aerospacer?

It will forever bug the shit out of me that Vaughn still insists on making the glove logo upside down

 Vaughn calls the air mesh “aerospacer” on the customizer, I just parroted that here.  I’ve now been properly educated and will henceforth call it air mesh.

1 hour ago, Chenner29 said:

Thanks for posting in-depth, it's always fun to check out other people's specs and see their thought process., and it looks like you were able to put together some pretty sweet modernized gear with their custom options.

I don't follow Vaughn lines enough to know if this is an evolutionary leap from the V8, but the V9 logo looks worlds better!

Is there any reason why you didn't elect to eliminate the air mesh in the shin?  For me, I've always found that material to be lacking from a durability standpoint.

Big props on the reinforced T, I think you'll find some significant gains when shooting the puck as it transfers energy better straight to the stick.

Thanks.  I think it’ll be a nice combination of familiarity from having played in V1s for so long, but enough modern features to really notice the performance improvements. 
 

I considered getting rid of the air mesh in the leg channel as well and may regret not having done that, but I guess we’ll see.  It’ll definitely see friction, but it’ll be against my socks, so nothing sharp or rough.  I have a VE8 C&A with the air mesh on much of the front and it’s holding up well so far, for what it’s worth.

13 hours ago, mik said:

Good info and photos, thanks. Looking forvard on on-ice review. 

btw. great colours!

Thanks!  I'm looking forward to some on-ice impressions as well.  I just dropped off the pads with FedEx this morning.  

38 minutes ago, bildeer said:

I couldn't believe that they weighed what they did, but I think part of the reason my 2 newest pairs weighed more was because I had the 7800 V5 knee block and sliding surface, so that was likely what added the weight. I'm also quite certain that part of the reason they weighted less was because I did a fair bit of modification to them when I was still using them, so while they were stock when I got them, I had removed parts of the leg channel and knee lock by the time I was done with them. I also recall hearing many years ago, probably in 2014, that the V4 was lighter than the V5, for whatever reason. I think I read that somewhere on the GSBB.

Did you by any chance use a V1 blocker? I've always been interested in hearing how those were with the flatter board profile.

I did not, I had an Eagle glove and blocker back in those days. 

22 minutes ago, seagoal said:

By the way @AdamL , why didn't you just order SLR2 pads with V9 graphics?  Why order a Velocity pad built like an SLR2 pad?

The core is still a Velocity core - I wanted that bit of torsional flex and the softer boot break and bit of boot taper of the V9.  I’d have to get more information from Vaughn about exactly what they did, but what I’d asked for was just to layer the face of the pad like the SLR2 so those rebounds come off hotter. Basically I was trying to do what CCM did with the max rebound face in the new EF5.

On 4/10/2021 at 12:06 AM, bildeer said:

Excited to hear about how they are on the ice! I was torn between the V9 leg pads, and a third pair of V4's (I like V4's). 

Interesting to hear about the weight, it does make sense that it would weigh more, but I had no idea that it would weigh that much more  than the standard V9 leg pad. My 2010 V4's came in at 4.8 lbs (34+3) 2017 V4's that weighed 5.1 lbs (35+2) and a brand new 2021 pair that I I just have sitting around until I get around to purchasing the matching blocker and a glove that weighs 5.7 lbs (35+1.5) each. Oddly enough, they are softer than my 2017 pair was when I got them.

The velocity blocker's have pretty much been the same since the V5, which is what I have been using for the past 8 years, so a V9 will likely be the replacement. 

You had a set of V4s come in under 5 pounds??  I played in V1s for 15 years (yep!) before I got the X28s I'm replacing now, and the X28s felt like feathers compared to my old V1s, I wonder now how heavy those were.