RichMan

Expensive for a used unit. I wish I had inside connections

That's odd. Looking at the HL2 and the Mach side by side, the Mach seems built longer in the torso. As for the arms, I'm guessing the HL2 has more flex given the materials and structure which could make them feel longer. Just guessing.

This topic of mine will cover a few things. I will talk about the concept of a chest and arm protector, the application or its purpose and the adaptability to the human frame. To say that creating a chest protector is a science is somewhat accurate. It does touch on the art form as a visual idea but the basis of it is primarily asking ones self, how and why. A chest and arm protector (c/a) has the principal role of protecting the upper body and its limbs, ie arms. In a simple way, we aren't talking about taking up space but more so shielding the body from on-coming pucks. The thickness of its padding, the choice of materials (foam density and plastics), as well as new space age materials based on either physics or chemical reactions. Once the composition has been chosen, then the focus will be on where should the protection be focused on and which materials where and how thick or thin and/or combinations. This is the basics. Then we start thinking about space. how can all the materials and fundamental placement of them can be maximised, legally or not, to occupy as much room as possible to further block pucks coming in. In essence, this is kind of cheating if you think of it. If you know where to be on shots and get there on time, having larger units (wings, shoulders, arm floaters) shouldn't be a priority. then again, we are not all superheroes or gods to think that this will happen every time. There was something to be said about our stand-up ancestors but they weren't facing the same type of game we see today. We can't forget to mention the fact that there are kind of 2 types of goalies out there: the acrobatic type and the blocking type. The later has taken the forefront in my opinion yet the manufacturers still produce 2 different styles of c/a, and even more, the NHL tries its best to downsize the c/a to increase scoring chances "as they say". This of course has brought lots of debate and complaints from the professional goalie community. We all witnessed the Kennesky PP1 introduction to the show, taking advantage of a golden opportunity, but the jury was out and although size restrictions were met with success, protection was a miss. The advent of the CCM AB18 had seemed to correct this and has been the staple since. Yes there are other brands that cater to other goalies based on their preference but they are the few exceptions. Coming into the next discussion, whether you choose a blocking model c/a or a more streamlined mobile one, not all are created equal respectively. Speaking from my own experiences, having worn multiple brands over the decades, having tried on several different ones new and used in stores, other than choosing the right size and level of protection, I found that my body structure or geometry is best suited to only certain makes and models based on the design, the fit, the comfort and the type of game I play. For example, what has seemed to work well for me so far in my career are both the straight body designs, ei Brown 503, Heaton H5, Reebok P1, Mckenney Pro-Spec, Warrior GT2 etc, and the other is the more traditional pear shape like my Bauer 2S. I haven't had the chance to try on the older Vaughn 5500 or the 2200 which kinda resembles my 2S. I've just recently tried on a used Vaughn V7 XR in Large, what I would clearly call a blocking type c/a and despite seeing the level of protection being adequate, it just felt like too much in the shoulder/wing area.The amount of velcro adjustment in the shoulder/arms/traps area was just overwhelming and it would of taken hourssss to maybe find the right fit. Just a couple weeks ago I tried on the V9 and V10 at my local shop, in size Large and although I didn't fiddle for hours to get the fit perfect, I found the bodies to be unusually long for the size in comparison to say the Bauer Elite S23 in the same size. This leads me to wonder why is there no standard across the line? I understand that these units are built in sizes that are based off of statistical data and accumulated feedback and basically adopting the clothes industry formula (small = 5' to 5'4, medium = 5'5 to 5'8, etc). Given that each and everyone of us has a different body dimensions (torso length, shoulder width, chest circumference, arm length), I understand the need for multiple adjustments on these units, but despite this, I strongly feel that it won't necessarily make it fit you better, at least not perfectly. Getting a tailored unit like a dress suit would be awesome and as far as I know, only Brown and Kennesky offer this option. Sitting at a table with a group of people to come up with an idea that will offer protection, reasonable coverage, be light yet sturdy and still have mass appeal is not an easy feat. In conclusion, for myself, if I had to choose a c/a for the rest of my playing days, I would be torn between the Reebok P1 (aka CCM AB Pro) and the Bauer Pro Series (aka 1/2S, NXG) simply based on their simplicity in fit and adjustment. They sit well on me, they offer good coverage but nothing exaggerated, they are very mobile, very protective, have simple nylon straps to adjust the height of the neckline and have been well proven amongst the piers. *This was a long topic and a little scrambled in my head as I wrote it. I apologise for the flow of thoughts, or there lack of I should say

Didn't know they had 2 different ones. Does this help?

If I had the coin

2 original, one non-certified, the other certified but has a ding in it. You can hack it into a full cat-eye or not. The white one is a custom open mouth cat-eye from Anges Gardien made for the Reidic. Asking 200$CAD for all 3 + shipping I'm In Gatineau Québec

New, unused. Asking 10$CAD + shipping I'm in Gatineau, Québec

Good shape, missing the bottom strap clips. Asking 5$CAD + shipping I'm in Gatineau, Québec

Like new, senior size, barely used. Asking 20$CAD + shipping. I'm in Gatineau, Québec

The bungee and tie wraps. Brand new. Asking 5$CAD + shipping. I'm in Gatineau, Québec

Limited and rare. They stopped producing them. Made in Europe. Asking 20$CAD+ shipping I'm in Gatineau, Québec

I much prefer the wings on the AB18. Having bought and tried a used one, the arms are like brick walls. Amazing that he had to improve on the forearms like that. Dude looks like a Santa as an untuck

Any c/a that is built on a 3 panel model will work well for still a reasonable wrap of the ribs, ie Warrior or Bauer Hyperlite or CCMs.

I was gonna mention Bjorn but then I remembered he past away and would be even more oblivious to those kids lolll

They didn't even mention the size and 99$ shipping!!?

A few are going on sale and I want to get feedback if they're worth it.

And then who enters the dressing room but Mats Sundin and says "cool gear kid" to your son while giving everyone else the death stare

Sold to the man in black . Thanks brother.

If you wanna bring up Jofa in the discussion, here's a rare gem, although I wouldn't call it goalie worthy but they were rock solid as was pretty much anything Jofa made.

So Lefevre (True) has once again entered the "Unicorn" valley?

Crazy good price. Wish they had a Habs edition https://www.goaliesplus.com/p/vaughn-ventus-slr3-pro-senior-goalie-pant-special-edition/

All I'm seeing everywhere are XLs. I need a Large. The search goes on. @pfeiffjay54 the Hyperlite is quite a different build in the body. Were you just curious to try something different?

I know that on occasion there was mention of a "unicorn" in respective threads but I thought it might be fun to bunch it all up here in one unique thread. So for the young ones or the newbies, a "unicorn" is?... No Definitely not! A "unicorn" in the goalie world is that one special piece of gear that has been whispered of in arena hallways or Pro Shop backstores but rarely if ever were viewed by the regular public. Luckily with the advent of locker room photographers, a new light was shown on these rumoured equipment and thus began several sightings and special gear hunters were born. The words "pro-return" were coined and the world of pro goalie equipment as we knew it was never the same. Certain pieces that were rare, were eventually produced by companies for mass consumption such as the Premier chest and arm protector aka The P1. Other pieces like the HPG12A and harder to find HPG14A pants came into the light. The Luongo thigh boards while his time in Vancouver. The Swiss knee protectors Hiller made famous. Recently the CCM AB18 chest and arm protector that was well documented from sports video clips and photographs from in the change rooms during the recent goalie gear sizing rule changes the past couple years has been showing up on used equipment stores and forums all over the web. Now it's not uncommon to find a regular piece of equipment that we can buy in stores but have been used by pros and simply beefed up for their own protection at their level. But in my opinion, these are not truly qualified as a "unicorn", meaning one of a kind, only produced for the pros and not available to the general public. Clearly this is changing as we heard of CCM releasing the AB23 c/a as an available purchase order to any goalie out there shopping for high end gear. So, now what? What, if anything, right now in goalie gear can be considered a "unicorn"? Has the industry come to grips with the pressure and demands of the public outcries "NO MORE...WE DEMAND THE SAME PROTECTION AS THE NHL PROS!!!...even though we play division d in beer league or as ankle benders at your local rink" Are there no more secret products that we eagerly try to discover as the next cool thing to own before anyone out there?

How are the units holding up gang?

@OldSchoolGoalie Here's my take: I think that when you decided to come back, you expected to take off where you left, on a championship and high performances. That's clearly what DIDN'T happen. There's a huge difference between beer league games and pick-up/shinny. BLG means performing, dealing with pressure and team chemistry and emotions. Pick-up is no stress, no trophy, just some good banter and occasional bragging rights. As spring is here and the season unwinds, you could take a break as @dreadlocked1 mentions, gather your thoughts and recalibrate. You could embark on a training program (strength, mobility, flexibility and mental preparation) 2-3 days a week until September comes around. Or you could jump into something completely different like softball or soccer or basketball or cycling or running and change the whole scenery. If you're like me, very competitive, letting go of BLG will be difficult. Despite the pressure, i love the challenge. But, if the stress is too much and you bring that shit back into your personal life, maybe it's time to let go and just enjoy shinny time. And when you play shinny, it doesn't have to be so serious. You can mess around, try new things, joke and poke fun on the ice, be a MAFOMGBBQ!!!!. He's a pro but still manages to enjoy the moment, win or lose. Don't say it's over until you're actually ready