Jeremy Laura: What’s your tape job?

I wasn’t so particular about my tape job. As long as it was cloth and waxed, it didn’t matter to me. I was very particular about the curve and had a family member who was in pre-prototype manufacturing, build me a jig. I’d then heat up the sticks with a heat gun and clamp it to the jig. Obviously this was in the wooden/fiberglass era. I wasn’t good enough for the manufacturers to build them for me, so I had to do it myself. I remember my dad driving me to a hockey shop in Niagara Falls and we’d buy two dozen at a time. I seem to remember it was about $300 total, which is the cost of one high end stick today. I had a number left over but my kids ruined most of them playing street hockey. I still have four unused Bending Branches sticks (old guys will remember them) that I’ve kept for no particular reason other than nostalgia.

I use double sided Gorilla tape. I find I hold onto the puck much better since I started using it.

I wasn’t so particular about my tape job. As long as it was cloth and waxed, it didn’t matter to me. I was very particular about the curve and had a family member who was in pre-prototype manufacturing, build me a jig. I’d then heat up the sticks with a heat gun and clamp it to the jig. Obviously this was in the wooden/fiberglass era. I wasn’t good enough for the manufacturers to build them for me, so I had to do it myself. I remember my dad driving me to a hockey shop in Niagara Falls and we’d buy two dozen at a time. I seem to remember it was about $300 total, which is the cost of one high end stick today. I had a number left over but my kids ruined most of them playing street hockey. I still have four unused Bending Branches sticks (old guys will remember them) that I’ve kept for no particular reason other than nostalgia.
- bluelineenforcer

That’s awesome! I saw an interview with Bobby Hull. He used to stick them in a toilet but the curve would disappear as the game went on.

I use double sided Gorilla tape. I find I hold onto the puck much better since I started using it.
- danimal6777

Ok, that’s genius. Do you have to re-wrap during a game, or will one application get you through?

I thought it was interesting how Bobby Orr only had a single wrap of tape on his stick but in the days of fiberglass on wood blades, I couldn't afford such slight protection on my sticks.

Tape it once and leave it until it falls off or gets cut with a skate haha

My son plays U11, and all the kids are drawing pictures and words on the blade tape. Bedard can be credited for this new trend.

Ok, that’s genius. Do you have to re-wrap during a game, or will one application get you through?
- Jeremy Laura

Thanks. Just one application. It doesn’t make for a real quick release though🤔.

Nothing on the blade, on the knob I would start with a medium knob and swirl tape it 6 inches down, then back to the top again. Allows the glove to slide up to the knob a bit quicker with the overlay not catching at the bottom of the tape job. I still use carbonfiber shafts with blades from an aluminum. Sometimes, if I can get a wooden or composite blade from a broken shaft, I try to shave it to fit the composite hollow shaft and use it until it breaks.

Sorry for the change of subject. Here's a link to an article regarding Bally Sports and negotiations with NHL and NBA franchises for TV rights this upcoming season.

https://cordcuttersnews.c...start-of-the-2023-season/

WAAAAAAY back in the day (mid-80s.....), I used wood, had Gaffer's tape (used to tape down wiring in film sets, etc...) and cover the blade. I was ambidextrous, so the blade was kinda straight with a slight bend to the left as I had more power when shooting that way. My daughter now uses Gaffer's tape for her Irish Dance hard shoes!!! Funny how things come back around..... Being ambidextrous, I had other players try to get me to settle on the right as I had more power (supposedly....) and of course let me use their twigs to see what worked. Had a guy who had Peyroni's Disease of the his hockey stick but it was a rec league so no one really cared; that thing had a HUGE left-handed curve.....and he could blast a slapper but couldn't control it too well (I think he had Trouble With The Curve ).

I taped the top of the stick about 3" down from the top with a boat-load of white cloth tape (guess it was medical tape or some such...) so I could grind the top of the stick into the ribs of guys I didn't like. Heard Lordy Gordie did the same thing, so I figured if it was good enough for him, was good enough for me. I also taped my knuckles because....well, I was a kid in a men's league and things happened; until I was caught and "invited to leave"........

Never played w/composite twigs; always CCM sticks, usually 2d-hand, became great firewood after a few weeks. I watch the flex on the sticks of today; I know that our old wooden twigs would disintegrate if players today had to use them.

Nothing on the blade, on the knob I would start with a medium knob and swirl tape it 6 inches down, then back to the top again. Allows the glove to slide up to the knob a bit quicker with the overlay not catching at the bottom of the tape job. I still use carbonfiber shafts with blades from an aluminum. Sometimes, if I can get a wooden or composite blade from a broken shaft, I try to shave it to fit the composite hollow shaft and use it until it breaks.
- PrinceLH

I always preferred the shaft-blade combo. Way less bounce when receiving passes and stick handling .