How Much Do Hockey Sticks Cost? Hockey Stick Prices 2023
Are you looking to buy a new hockey stick and wondering how much to spend to get the right one for your level of play?
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How much can a hockey stick cost?
Hockey sticks cost between $30-$350 depending on the quality and design. Wood sticks are the cheapest, followed by lighter composite and carbon fibre sticks that offer more powerful stick flex when shooting on the net. You’ll benefit more from a more expensive hockey stick the better you are at the game.
Our 3 best hockey sticks for 2023:
Budget: Warrior Covert
Designed with key features to provide energy transfer that aid in quick releases, despite a budget price.
Mid-Tier: Bauer 3X
Weighing in at 430 grams (SR), it is the lightest stick at this price point. Also has high durability.
Upper-Tier: CCM FT5
One of the most durable upper-tier sticks. Lightweight, one-piece, with exceptional feel.
What makes a hockey stick so expensive?
The bulk of a hockey stick’s cost will come from the material it is made of. Wood is the cheapest, but composite sticks made of fibreglass or carbon fibre are more expensive material-wise, so they will cost more money for the consumer.
There is also an element of technology inside sticks from stick producers that leads to higher prices—technology in terms of weight distribution, blade design, grip, and more.
Are expensive hockey sticks worth it?
For the average recreational and even semi-competitive player, no, expensive sticks will not be worth it. Generally, the better you get at the game and the more competitive hockey you’re playing, the more benefit you’ll see from an expensive hockey stick.
Lighter sticks can add a few miles per hour to your shot, a quicker release, better puck control, and even better capabilities when passing and receiving a pass.
But being in a recreational or house league, is this worth the cost? Especially considering it takes a single slash to the stick or a slapshot to break the stick.
How do you know if a hockey stick is good?
Generally, some of the best sticks are used by NHL stars. So, if you’re looking at a hockey stick and notice that professionals use it, it’s likely a solid one overall. In today’s age, it’s straightforward to watch Youtube videos or read consumer reviews regarding products, hockey sticks included.
Strong due diligence is needed before buying a hockey stick, and often feedback from the community and professionals will give you an idea as to whether or not a stick is solid.
However, that doesn’t necessarily mean the stick is right for you. You have to consider the curve, lie angle, flex, and grip to see if it is the right stick for you.
What hockey stick is suitable for beginners?
If you’re new to hockey and just starting, look for a budget hockey stick below $100. These sticks are typically heavier and have no advanced features. Still, they will be perfect for learning stickhandling and shot technique.
Another significant benefit to learning with a budget stick is that you won’t need to invest as much before deciding how much time and life you want to commit to the game.
Look for a wood stick if you want to go rock bottom regarding your budget. These are typically the heaviest sticks but often the cheapest. You can find a wood stick, like the CCM Ultimate, for around $36.
I find that for composite sticks, especially those in a budget range, Warrior makes many solid ones. They will be more than the wood sticks, but you can get a Warrior QRE for around $70, even less when they’re on sale.
If you’re willing to spend a bit of money but still not break the bank, look for top-of-the-line sticks that are now 2-3 years old when it comes to technology. I use a CCM Jetspeed 475 in my recreational league. It comes in at a very affordable $119.99.
Sure, it’s not as fancy as the Jetspeed FT5, which retails for nearly $350, but at this stage of my hockey career, I’m not really looking to break the bank.
The pros of a budget hockey stick:
- Cheaper, often in the $30-$100 range
- Replacement value is reasonable if they break
- Playing with heavier sticks early in your career can help with skills later on
The cons of a budget hockey stick:
- Slower shots
- Stickhandling difficulty
- Often bulkier and less flex, which results in the two above issues
- With the market moving to more expensive sticks overall, your quality choices are limited
Mid-Range Hockey Sticks
Over time as you develop as a player, you can upgrade and move towards lighter, more expensive sticks – you’ll appreciate the weight saving and the enhanced feel of the puck.
Mid-range hockey sticks suit most hockey players who have been playing for years and benefit from the better pop and whip that you get with these sticks.
Mid-range sticks are lighter and made from materials that offer a player to stickhandle better and take faster and more powerful shots.
The stick alone won’t magically make you a better player – but combining good technique with an excellent mid-range stick will improve your game and make you a more competitive player.
A lighter stick helps you poke check faster, win puck battles and take faster, snappier shots on goal inside the blue line.
Mid-range sticks come in a greater variety of flex and are made from varying mixes of composite and resin.
Unlike a cheaper wood stick, durability does suffer. This mid-range stick can be more prone to breaks and knocks and needs replacing if you play regularly or with high intensity.
This is something you do have to consider. Breaking a budget stick is a simple replacement. Spending a couple of hundred dollars on a mid-range composite stick only to have someone slash it during gameplay and break it is a tough pill to swallow.
Regarding recommended sticks, the Bauer Vapor 3X is a solid mid-range stick, typically priced in the $150 range. If we want to go to the upper range of prices and quality, the Warrior Alpha DX is one of the best-rated mid-level hockey sticks out there, but it will cost you around $250.
The pros of a mid-level hockey stick:
- More flex options, allowing players to customize their style of stick
- More curve options for those looking to develop different shots
- Lighter than budget options
- Practically all are made of composite
- A wider variety of choices, probably the price range of stick with the most extensive variety
The cons of a mid-level hockey stick:
- Better quality comes at a price ranging from $100-250
- For those having to pay for sticks, the replacement value is very high
- Not as durable as wood, and some budget composite options due to lighter weight
Top-End Hockey Sticks
These are the most expensive hockey sticks that are the lightest and packed with the most advanced features. They range in price anywhere from $300-$450.
These sticks are for experienced players looking for a vital competitive edge in their game or intermediate players who want the best equipment.
High-end hockey sticks have the best pop and are made with more care and higher-quality composite materials. They’re the lightest sticks on the market and are one-piece, which means less energy and strength are required to pass and handle the puck.
This translates to quicker hands, harder shots and less fatigue throughout the game.
If you’re looking to purchase a top-end hockey stick but still want to save some money, looking for an option that is a year old may be best. A top-end hockey stick retailing for $450 during the first year of its release could drop to under $300 once it becomes a year-old model.
The pros of a top-level hockey stick:
- The lightest sticks on the market
- One piece over two-piece, allowing for better handling
- Advanced technology inside blades
- More durable than a mid-level stick
- Less energy is required to do the same things compared to a mid-level stick
The cons of a top-level hockey stick:
- Pricing, retailing anywhere from $300-$450
- Replacement costs. It is a tough pill to swallow replacing a $300 stick if it breaks
Cheap vs expensive hockey sticks
The more you pay, the lighter your stick and the more features it will likely have. More expensive sticks are not, however, more durable and are more prone to chips and breakages.
While price doesn’t always correlate with quality – in most cases, it does lead to a ‘better’ stick in terms of pop and energy transfer. Whether or not you need this is another topic for discussion.
What stick is right for you?
Choosing the right hockey stick can be a minefield for some. There is a massive choice of sticks from top brands like CCM and Bauer to smaller brands offering unique blade curves and materials.
Here are my simple guidelines for choosing the level of stick for you:
- If you’re brand new to hockey, choose a budget or low-end stick under $60-100.
- If you’ve played hockey regularly, choose a mid-range stick over $100.
- If you’re a competitive player or simply have the cash, go with the high-end options.
For most players, a mid-range stick will perfectly balance price and features.
Do NHL players pay for their own sticks?
NHL players do not pay for their sticks. There’s a good chance they could be paid themselves to use sticks. NHL teams can spend upwards of multi 6 figure dollar amounts on sticks for their players.
Playing in the best league on the planet, NHL players have the benefit of not having to pay for any of their equipment. It’s either given to them by the team or supplier.
What size hockey stick should I get?
What size you pick for a hockey stick generally depends on your height. Typically, the length of your stick will vary from touching your nose when you’re on skates to touching your chin.
Shorter sticks are good for those looking for added functionality regarding puck handling, which would be handy for a forward. However, longer sticks have been known to help reach and shot, which would be handy for a defenseman.
Does cutting a hockey stick increase flex?
No, it does not. Cutting a hockey stick down will decrease the stick’s overall flex. This is very important to factor into buying a hockey stick. Often, newer sticks will come with a standard flex and highlight cut lines on the stick itself, associated with the new flex the stick would be if you cut down to that height.
Best time to buy
To save money when buying a new stick, it’s a great time to buy at the end of the hockey season when brands are looking to shift the rest of this year’s hockey stock and move on to selling their new model.
