Best Hockey Stick for Defenseman (2024 – Actual Stock)

Choosing a hockey stick as a defenseman should not be complicated when you base the decision on your style of play.

In this post, I rank the top sticks for defensemen, economical alternatives and inform you how to choose a model that'll suit you best.

Here's a preview of the top 3 on my list. 

Over the years, hockey has evolved away from recruiting the biggest, most rigid defensemen to those that are more versatile.

Think of NHL elites such as Cale Makar, Erik Karlsson and Quinn Hughes.

Don’t get me wrong though - big body defensemen still have their place in the league (i.e. Zdeno Chara – who was 6’9).

They cover more ground, compared to their shorter counterparts.

But they just can’t be stiff like in the old days. That’s just too easy for the shifty forwards of today.

The idea is to play your strengths to the best of your ability.

Your choice in stick should reflect these strengths.

Not only does the stick selection depend on your size, but also on your approach to the game.

Are you an offensive-defenseman, stay-at-home defenseman or somewhere in between?

Do you take hard one-timers from the point or prefer a quick wrist shot?

Before we continue, you have the option to skip ahead to the list of recommended sticks for defensemen or figure out which one is best for you. 

List of Best Hockey Stick for Defenseman

Which Hockey Stick should you Buy?

As a defenseman, you probably want to know which shot type has the greatest success rate in the offensive zone.

More importantly, the focus should be in the area between the blue line and the top of the circle.

That’s because the defensemen cover the points during offensive zone play.

Based on my own study of NHL goals scored, 11.4% of all goals are scored from 40ft or more from of net. 

That represents just under 900 goals on the season for the entire NHL.

The 40ft mark overlaps with the top of the circle as can be seen in the image below.

Of the ~900 goals, most come primarily from a wrist shot, followed by the slap shot and then by snapshot.

Based on these numbers, defensemen should consider the wrist shot just as viable an option as a slap shot.

Although weaker in velocity, the wrist shot allows the defenseman to release the puck quicker compared to a slapper. 

In today’ game, defensemen have very little time to handle the puck.  

Therefore, they likely shoot or pass off the puck the moment it hits their blade in the offensive zone.

I think that slap shots more often come from a one-timer rather than a wind up in the NHL. 

So, defensemen need a stick that cater to both shot selections along with the occasional snapshot too.

Aside from the stiffness of the shaft, the key feature that players look for in their stick is the kick point.

You have three options: low, hybrid or high kick point.

The high kick point is ideal for slap shots, while the low is best for wrist shots and snapshots.

Since defensemen must consider shots from the full spectrum, it seems like common sense to go with a hybrid model.

And when you look up the top 30 defensemen in terms of points, 19 of them use the hybrid kick point, while 10 went with the low kick point.

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

List of Best Hockey Stick for Defenseman

2. Bauer Vapor Hyperlite 2 (US | CAN)

Used by star defenseman Quinn Hughes

4. Warrior Alpha LX2 Pro (US | CAN)

Preferred model for Erik Karlsson & Rasmus Dahlin

Which Hockey Stick should you Buy?

Choosing a hockey stick should not only be about shot preference, but also based on your experience.

If you play regularly and want the competitive advantage, then you couldn’t go wrong with any of the top 6 suggested above.

As a beginner, you need to figure out which model you’re most comfortable with.

While the kick point helps match your shot type, you still need to determine the ideal stiffness (stick flex) and blade curve.

Stick Flex

Stick flex is relatively easy to select.    

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. 

The lower the flex score, the less tense the stick is along the shaft. That said, the stick is more flexible and helps with loading up on wrist and snapshots particularly. 

Blade Curve

Blade curves can also impact your gameplay, especially for stickhandling and shooting.     

I prefer a toe or mid-toe curve, as opposed to heel curves.    

The blade curves I’m most comfortable with are the P29 (Crosby) for CCM, W03 for Warrior and P92 for Bauer.    

You can use the following curve chart to find comparable options for all stick brands.   

Beginner's Choice

If I were just starting out on defense, I'd go with the Bauer Nexus E40 (Canada Here).

Not only is it a solid twig, but it comes with a low sticker price.

Furthermore, it is similar to the Bauer Nexus Tracer model that comes in at #3 on our list. The main difference is the weight and material used to construct.

But the kick point remains the same.

It's a great option to test your comfort level without breaking the bank.

My Personal Stick Preference

If you were to ask me, I’m in favor of the CCM Ribcor Trigger 9 Pro (Canada Here). The CCM Ribcor Trigger Series has been my go-to option for many years now.

Keep in mind that I’m 5’7 and I play Center.

I know defensemen typically play with a more rigid stick.

Based on this information, I’d go with the CCM JetSpeed FT7 Pro (Canada Here) just because I’m a fan of CCM sticks in general.

It also was the most popular model for the top 30 NHL Defensemen.

Final Thoughts 

The development of hockey sticks has come a long way.

When I was growing up, the only choice was between wooden sticks and the two-piece aluminum with the blade insert. 

That two-piece model was popular for many years until the one-piece composite came to the market. 

But at the very start, there weren’t as many options for composites as there are today.

And I’m not just talking about brands.

The emergence of stick flex, kick point and the vast selection of blade curves is more recent.

The right combination of each can definitely bring your game to the next level.