froese

Gotta say it's nice to hear confirmation I'm not the only one who can't stand him or think it's outrageous that he posts his God awful in game play. Major, major cringe factor. He is ABOSULTELY in it for the free gear, there's zero doubt about that. The fact that True seems to have made a custom set for him just boggles the mind.

I would definitely watch this comparison video! I had actually bought both the ef6's and a pair of 9x3's to compare at home and then returned the 9x3's. Way stiffer than I expected, and I wasn't a fan of the short boot, if that makes sense. Also, was underwhelmed by the frs strapping system. BUT...very nice pads. Quality seemed top notch and I liked the nylon strap behind the knee. It was definitely a tough choice. Will be interested to see what you think of the px3's after skating with them.

Hadn't heard of Goalie Crease Guardian....will check him out.

Yeah I just can't handle it. It's really not good. And then has the audacity to throw his teammates under the bus and pump his own tires. I find it all pretty embarrassing (for him). Trav can be hard to watch as well...I'm pretty sure he's more interested in producing content than playing "pro hockey" as he relentlessly likes to remind people, but at least he can play at a high level. I think? Honestly the online goalie content, whether that's product review, on ice content, etc., is really lacking. I like that Bonesy guy - he just seems like a genuinely nice person and is legit. And I enjoy the InGoal content as well. Futureprogoaltending is good too.

This is generous and tactful. I admire your civility.

I've seen his reviews on this gear, and watched some of his other stuff as well. I would just say that my experiences do not match up with his, and generally speaking I don't put a lot of stock in what he says, or support some of his testing methods. I'll leave it at that.

Nice. Those employee discounts must be pretty sweet and come in handy. Maybe I should think about getting a part time job as well Yeah, you're always taking a risk with a new design, which sort of appealed to me. There's things about it I really like and I haven't used it enough yet to personally render a final verdict, and like I said yesterday was a huge improvement. It may work for me, we'll see. Have you officially given up on it? How much ice time did you have with the 581?

That is definitely unfortunate, but good to know. I'll admit I've opened up the customizer a couple of times and thought about ordering a 590 break. Not quite there yet though.

I had my second skate with the 581 last night and it did feel significantly better and more natural than night 1 so I haven't given up on it quite yet. I haven't had any of the issues that some others have had regarding closure and break in period and I really like the strapping system, especially the cross from strap, like you say. Very comfortable. If you order a custom 580, that's not an option? I hear you on the off angle stuff. Like I said, much better second time using it so I may get used to it, but it's a little finicky. And agree re: pads and blocker. I just have the standard strapping and fit, but I wear them pretty loose as well and they feel great.

I had my first skate last night in my new set. It was outrageously hot in the arena and the ice was freshly put in and extremely soft. Apparently their dehumidifier system wasn't working either, so if anyone watched the Hlinka/Gretzky tournament a few weeks ago that's probably a good comparable for the arena conditions (but definitely not the quality of play, haha). Pads: Felt really comfortable right from the beginning. No issues sliding, even with the terrible ice conditions. And when the ice was fresh they were lightning fast, at least relative to what I'm used to. In terms of fit and performance they actually felt like a stiff version of my v7's. Not a radical shift from what I was used to. Pads rotated great every time, and those knee blocks felt rock solid. Rebounds were a lot punchier than my velocity's. Strapping system is great. Blocker: Awesome. Great pop for rebounds, very comfortable a and lightweight. No complaints. Glove: Coming from a Vaughn V9 xp (590 break) was a HUGE adjustment and more than I anticipated. On the first few shots I was literally full on whiffing on pucks going underneath my glove because my brain was still falling back to where I'm used to the pocket being in space relative to my hand position, and the overall angle of the glove. It was better by the end of the skate, and thankfully I have a couple more ice times this week to re-program my brain. My glove history is Vaughn Legacy T1050 (my one true love), Koho 590, Vaughn V9 xp and now the 581. Anyone else have a similar path that ended in a 580 style break? And how did you find the adjustment? Thanks.

Not sure if this interests you, but I have a full right velocity V9 senior glove and V8 blocker available. Used for 1.5 seasons and in really good condition, very well cared for. Never had any issues with stingers. If you're interested let me know! Just looking for a good home for them. Haven't posted them anywhere yet.

Apologies if these are already out there, but I just noticed on CCM'S website that product videos by Kaylie Dankevy are now up for the ef6 glove and blocker. Also saw on CCM Goalies IG that tomorrow they'll be starting something called the "Eflex6 tech series". The marketing machine is really ramping up it seems. goalie_glove_6_en (1080p).mp4 goalie_blocker_6_en (1080p).mp4

Well, I only received it yesterday afternoon so these are extremely early impressions, haha. I've had it baked, have been working it a lot while sitting around, tied it shut, stretched it open, and had my nephew shoot a hockey ball at me in the basement. That's been the extent of my testing. BUT, even after that short period it's getting way more comfortable and worked in, and it opens and closes just fine. Some of the reviews and comments I've seen online are way over the top in terms of what an unusable glove this is, doesn't open or close properly, has zero palm protection etc. That simply hasn't been my experience. Everybody's experiences are valid and we all have our preferences but personally I'm optimistic about it. Again, I've had it for literally one day but so far I'm pleasantly surprised

We know we're special. And thankfully it doesn't take much to throw off bone head forwards. That is, if they even bother to take a break from having their head's down and actually look at the target.

I'm ready for that criticism as well. Nothing new there.

Come at me with your all white gear criticisms. I'm ready

V7 xf pro carbon, and prior to that V3 pro carbon. So I've always used softer pads, but as my style has evolved I've wanted to move into something stiffer. The Eflex has always been a set I had my eye on because it seemed like a good progression from where I was - a stiffer, more modern pad but not too stiff so as to make it a difficult adjustment coming from my Vaughns. I also ordered a set of 9x3's and Axis 2's, but the Trues felt too stiff and tbh I didn't like the strapping (FRS). I've always had my Vaughn's strapped really loose and the FRS system felt too restrictive and tight. The Axis set was nice, but the QMSS2 strap was too tight and too short (it seems CCM realized that and changed it for the Eflex6). So I returned both of those and went with the Eflex set which I'm really happy with. Stiffer than the Eflex5's, strapping system feels very comfortable, and they're incredibly light. Then of course I had to order a new matching set of gloves, haha. Those are arriving tomorrow. I know that glove will be a transition but I liked it a lot in the store - it fit my hand really well. I know that V10's are apparently an actual evolution of the Velocity line and supposed to be more stiff, but honestly stock is hard to find, and they're materially more expensive. So I decided to move away from Vaughn. The manager at Pro Hockey Life said that Vaughn is so far behind in fulfilling their orders that they're considering no longer ordering from them.

I did a lot of research prior to buying my eflex 6 set (lifelong Vaughn user), and it was pretty incredible to see how split people are on the whole CCM speedskin/weave/, and just in general "do these pads suck at sliding" debate! I haven't been able to get them out on the ice yet but at this point I just can't wait to try that first butterfly slide

@TheGoalNet I know that wearing it in the store isn't exactly game play, but I liked the feel of the glove and how they've implemented the finger loops. It felt like a good balance between freedom for your fingers while still giving you an anchor for your thumb and pinky finger. Definitely stiff though, that's for sure. My set is arriving in a couple days.

The unique strapping system is definitely one of the things that appealed to me, as did the compromise of finger stalls/no finger stalls. I've never used a True 580, or any 580 for that matter but I'm sure I'll have my own adjustment issues coming from Vaughn.

For anyone in Canada, today is the last day for Pro Hockey Life's "Goalie Month" sale - 15% off all gear. Technically there are some exclusions, but my local store told me that if something wasn't marked down they would essentially override the sticker price and give you the 15%. Sorry I'm late to this, should have posted this sooner, but I'm guessing most people already knew!

Appreciate the update. I'm coming from a Vaughn V9 so this will definitely be an adjustment, but based on my preferred hand position I think the break will suit me. I've tried it on multiple times in store and I am intrigued. It felt pretty good, actually. I'll definitely bring it into the store to have it baked when it gets delivered though (I'm full right so always have to order online!) Do you think you're having trouble getting all the strapping dialed in or is just a tight fitting glove?

Just curious if any of the 581 owners have any additional feedback or thoughts on how they're liking the glove? Recently picked of a set of eflex 6 pads and am considering replacing my gloves as well. How is the break-in process going? Thanks.

I'm 6'1 and use a 24" CCM Axis, (yes, intermediate!) I agree with one of the previous posts re: it's more important to have a proper paddle length when you're in the butterfly, or at least for me it is. I don't want my stick getting in the way or being any sort of hinderance to my downlow play. And for post play I'm in a low enough stance that it isn't off the ice and I'm still able to intercept crease passes, etc. I realize I'm in the minority with a shorter paddle and have experimented with longer lengths but just don't feel comfortable. As others have said, there are many different factors involved like personal preference, style and stance!

Just a couple of tweaks that have really improved the feel of my v7's: 1. The knee channel is just too narrow if you're wearing knee pads to run the elastic strap directly behind the knee so I go down the calf. But I didn't like the angle or how low the velcro was so I had an additional patch added above it, near the top of the calf wrap so it's kind of a happy medium. Higher up, but also more of a horizontal angle for the strap to attach to. 2. I only use the lower strap that feeds through the outer part of the knee block (does anyone actually use two, like it comes with? I'm assuming we all have removed one. Or both), and have had a piece of stiff elastic from my old mask harness sewn in, in place of the stock nylon strap. That allows me to run the strap a bit tighter, but have a bit of give. It keeps my knee in place a bit better and assures I land nicely on the knee block. I like my toe ties and everything else fairly loose so this acts as a good anchor point while keeping the lower pad feeling nice and free. Anyway, that's it. Just thought I'd share! The stock strapping on the v7 xr pro carbons always felt slightly antiquated and these tweaks have been helpful for me.