7 Best Hockey Sticks of 2023 (and 2 to Avoid)

Every year, you have 50+ sticks released to the market represented by 5 major companies: CCM, Bauer, Warrior, TRUE and Sherwood.

While wood sticks are still being made, the vast majority of twigs are made of carbon fiber, using proprietary technology to make them light and robust.

Bauer went even further by tinkering with Boron fiber technology, which has twice the compression strength and stiffness than the standard carbon fiber. As a result, they released 2 of the lightest sticks to date: the 335g Bauer AG5NT (Canada Here) and 345g Proto R (Canada Here).

As a note, they no longer hold the title for lightest hockey stick made ever - that honor now belongs to Warrior with their 330g Super Novium (Canada Here).

With that said, let me present to you the top 3 sticks on our list:

These sticks are from the Pro line and sported by some of the top players in the NHL today. But there are more options available if you want to look outside of CCM and Bauer.

Furthermore, there are other options if your focus is particularly in power - best offered through mid kick sticks.

As a reminder, you basically have four differentiating factors when it comes to your preference in stick.

Kick Point

When choosing your kick point, note that there a 3 options available: low, mid and hybrid kicks.

Low Kick is designed for quick release shots, specifically wrist shots and snapshots. It's found in the lower part of the shaft, which causes the  stick to "pop" on shot release.

Mid Kick is designed for power, which is needed for slap shots. The mid kick point is found slightly higher compared to the low kick, and allows for greater energy transfer on shot release.

Lastly, the hybrid kick is an unique design offered from the CCM Jetspeed line. Players such as McDavid and Matthews use these sticks for a well-balanced approach to all shots.

Stick Flex

The choice of stick flex is slightly easier to decide on.

Simply, take your current weight in pounds (lbs) and divide it by 2.

For example, I’m 160 lbs and I fall right in between two flex options with a score of 80 (160/2). 

My choices are either 75 or 85 flex, but I’ve now settled comfortably with the 75-flex option. Hence, more stick flexibility (or whip) while loading up on a shot.

And just before we go into the full list, keep in mind to check out some of my other popular titles covering hockey sticks.

Blade Curve

As for the blade curve, you’ll be looking at either the toe or mid curve options. 

That’s because the farther away the blade curve is from the shaft, the easier it is to lift the puck on the follow-through.

Furthermore, it allows for better stick handling and seamless passing.

While the CCM Ribcor is my choice, any model detailed above would be just as good a choice.

Once you determine the features that best suit your game type, you can always test out a similar brand or model for comparison.

For each stick in my list, I recommend my preferred blade curves.

But you can refer to the full list from the following link. It includes cross brand comparisons as well.

Stick Weight

Sticks used by the pros typically weigh less than 400g. Just note that some sticks weigh less than others.

While the weight shouldn't impact quality of the stick, there are certain players who prefer the lighter option. 

But weightless sticks are not for everybody. For some, the extra load helps with controlling their follow through on both shots and passes. 

It's all a matter of preference and, for the average beer leaguer, price.

7 Best Hockey Sticks of 2023

Here are the list of sticks, based on a thorough review. Note that all these tried and tested by NHL players long before there release to market.

Two Sticks to Avoid

With so many more options available, I had to include my opinion on which sticks to avoid altogether. This might be controversial for some, but I wouldn't pay full price for these twigs at this point.

The Bauer AG5NT had many customer concerns with robustness within the 30-day warranty period. Making matters worse, users would also fracture their replacement stick. 

In fairness, there was a fair amount of NHL players that played with the AG5NT the last couple of seasons. 

But considering this is an aging model, and is being replaced by the Proto R, it doesn't make any sense to top dollar anymore.

As for the TRUE Catalyst 9X3, the major concern is its durability at the top end of the shaft. 

Normally, sticks break anywhere between mid to low shaft area or along the blade, but this one is a head scratcher.

I see TRUE Temper as the little guy, and it's important they keep the big boys (CCM, Bauer) in check. So I appreciate their effort in making a wide range of sticks, especially on the high-end side.

But they'll need to address this particular issue; it shouldn't be a such sensitive part of the stick.

I was also disappointed to see only one Catalyst 9X3 available at my local shop, and they have quite a healthy stick supply.