Well, it's that time of year again. With the start of hockey season on the horizon, we've started seeing some of the newest models of both released and unreleased sticks being used by the top players in the world.
While models such as Bauer's Vapor Hyp2rlite and CCM's Jetspeed FT6 already being officially released, there are still more to come from these manufacturer's as well as True and Warrior, respectively. Let's dive into it below and see what stick is at the top of your wishlist this year.
Bauer
With sightings dating back to late last season, the Hyp2rlite (Hyperlite 2) was officially released on July 28th. Weighing in at 365g, this newest Hyperlite model weighs 25g lighter than the original Hyperlite. While the factory graphics on this stick are pretty sweet, we think the custom colors on the Hyp2rlite are the coolest we've seen in a while.
With the release of the Hyp2rlite, all eyes are now on the unreleased AG5NT R, the second rendition of the AG5NT stick. The original Agent was a Low Kick stick much like a traditional Vapor series stick, but it seems like the AG5NT R is going to be a Mid/Hybrid stick much like the Bauer Nexus series. While it's rumored the AG5NT R will not feature the five-sided ER Spine technology, we'll have to wait and see to confirm. With the mid/hybrid kick 2N Pro XL being the most popular build in the NHL, we're excited to see how many pro players try the AG5NT R.
Expected Hyp2lite Release: Available Now!
Expected Agent R Release: October
CCM
As is standard practice for CCM, The new Jetspeed model, the FT6 Pro, was released on June 30th. We saw this stick in the hands of many players during the playoffs, most notably Matthew Knies of the Toronto Maple Leafs. With a revamped blade making it the stiffest and lightest blade CCM has ever produced, the FT6 Pro is going to be one of our favorite sticks we'll see this year.
The Ribcor Trigger 8 Pro has also been spotted a handful of times, including in the hands of Connor Bedard when he appeared at a hockey camp the day before the NHL draft. CCM pivoted hard from the tried-and-true green theme of the Ribcor line when the Trigger 7 Pro was released with purple graphics. They seem to be sticking with that theme as all initial imagery of the Trigger 8 Pro features purple graphics as well. We love the purple on the Trigger 7 Pro, so we can't wait to get our hands on the newest addition to CCM's Low Kick line, the Trigger 8 Pro.
When other manufacturers such as Bauer began producing models like the AG5NT, you knew it wasn't going to be long before CCM caught on and produced one of their own. The CCM FT Ghost has a nice ring to it. News surrounding the release of this stick has been pretty quiet, but it sounds like it will be released late October. Interestingly enough, the graphics appear to be very similar to the Ribcor Trigger 6 Pro.
Expected Jetspeed FT6 Release: Available Now!
Expected Trigger 8 Release: September
Expected Ghost Release: October
Sherwood
We recently wrote about Connor Bedard and what stick he'll be using when he makes his NHL debut this fall. All signs point to Bedard joining the Sherwood family and using the currently unreleased Sherwood Rekker Legend Pro. The release of this stick is highly anticipated as Sherwood reshaped the shaft for increased feel and built the blade with 25K carbon to both reduce weight and create superior balance throughout the stick. Already having both Matthew Tkachuk and William Nylander on their roster using the Code TMP Pro, Bedard will be the first big name using Sherwood's new top-end Low Kick stick.
Expected Legend Pro Release: August
True
As seen throughout the majority of the 2022-23 NHL season, True's next big release will be the Catalyst 9X3, their new pro model Mid Kick stick. Weighing in at 350g, the 9X3 is True's lightest stick they've ever produced, surpassing the Catalyst PX released in 2022. If all the custom colours look as sweet as Tyler Bertuzzi's black/grey graphic, we're in for a pretty cool looking new twig from True.
Expected Catalyst 9X3 Release: Available Now!
Warrior
Last but certainly not least is Warrior with two models we have eyes on, the first being their new Mid Kick stick, the Novium Pro. Currently their lightest stick available weighing in at 360g, the Novium Pro should be a popular choice amongst the pros as they love their Mid Kick sticks.
The Alpha LX2 Pro was one of the more popular unreleased sticks used by NHL players during the 2023 Stanley Cup Playoffs. With a Hybrid Kick that is standard for the Alpha line, the LX2 Pro weighs a mere 377g, making it the lighest Alpha stick ever. The custom team colour graphics on Tomas Tatar's red LX2 Pro look unreal, we can't wait to see more of these.
Expected LX2 Pro Release: Available Now!
Expected Novium Pro Release: Available Now!
The HockeyStickMan is all about saving you money on top of the line sticks, so we get really excited when new gear announcements come out so we can offer them to you. Stay tuned for these twigs to be added to our site next year once players start getting their hands on them, and buy them for yourself for the best price on the web.