What Should You Do With A Broken Hockey Stick

Due to the aggressive nature of hockey, you’ll likely have encountered a broken hockey stick.

But what should you do with a broken hockey stick? Well, you may be tempted to just throw it away and replace it. But you can also make basic repairs to keep your stick in good health.

Many hockey players are unaware that seeking either DIY or professional repairs can be a great, affordable way to extend the life of your hockey stick.

You no longer have to despair when your hockey stick breaks but rather see it as an opportunity to repair and revitalize your stick to make it more durable and longer lasting.

In this article, we will outline the various ways in which you can break a hockey stick and the various repair options you have.

We aim to equip you with some helpful repair options to save you money in the long run.

How To Tell If Your Hockey Stick Is Broken

Everything good does eventually come to an end. This is also the same for hockey sticks because the hockey stick will break after some time.

One of the greatest challenges is knowing if your hockey stick is broken as sometimes the damage can be subtle.

Well, some sticks can break instantly into two from a hard slap short while some break down over time. Therefore, how can you tell if your stick is broken?

If your stick has lost its stiffness or feels a little whippy, it could be broken. You can still be able to use it but it will not give maximum performance.

A break in your hockey stick may not always be a clean break because composite sticks can wear out internally making them ineffective.

Are Composite Hockey Sticks Repairable?

Whether you have CCM or Bauer hockey sticks, they can be repaired. Woven carbon fibers are used to craft the shafts of composite hockey sticks.

The fibers are wrapped in a mold and resin-protected and then baked in an oven.

The blade is then inserted into the shaft once the hockey stick is removed from the mold that leaves the middle of the hockey stick hollow. It is then left to cool and achieves a pleasing finish through being lacquered and painted.

Is It Worth Using the Shaft Repair System (SRS)?

Using the Shaft Repair System (SRS) is regarded the best approach to fix a broken hockey stick. This is because it uses the carbon fiber Air Core with Shaft-Lock technology to get a very strong and lightweight repair.

This internal repair system will allow you to start using the repaired hockey stick approximately three days after it has been repaired. This work on all types of hollow composite whether senior or junior.

SRS system is quite expensive and it is made for hockey shops that repair large volumes of sticks hence cannot be affordable to individuals.

Individuals who cannot afford the SRS system can repair their hockey sticks using epoxy, composite bar and hack saw for about $20.

How Do You Repair A Broken Hockey Stick?

A broken hockey stick can be fixed in the following ways:

1. Cutting Out The Damaged Area Of The Hockey Shaft

You can cut the damaged area of your hockey stick by using a hacksaw. Cut half an inch to one inch around the broken area.

You will then have 3 pieces left with you; the bottom and top of the shaft and the damaged chunk of the blade.

2. Install Shaft-Lock Grooves

This is the process that is used to prepare the interior walls of the shaft that is inside the hollow part of the stick.

3. Clamp The Two Pieces Together

All two pieces of your hockey shaft use a custom clamp. Then, to the bottom of the hockey shaft, insert a piece of Styrofoam. This should be inserted about 1.5 inches into the hollow part of the hockey stick.

Insert about 3 inches of the carbon fiber Air core Sleeve. The carbon fiber Air core sleeve is constructed of two layers of carbon fiber that surround the foam center.

It is inserted into the bottom part of the hockey stick which is hollow until it gets to the Styrofoam.

Then place over the Aircore Sleeve the top section of the stick. Then re-align and clamp them together then tape them to prevent epoxy leakage.

4. Pour Resin And Hardener Inside The Shaft

Now mix resin and hardener and pour them inside the shaft. Fill the foam center of the AirCore piece and foam to the shaft Lock Grooves.

This will help to conceal the stick and to fix it internally meaning you can tell if the stick has ever broken by looking at the exterior.

5. Cure The Stick

Curing is when you allow the clamped and sealed stick to undergo a curing period at room temperature until it completely hardens. It will take about 72 hours.

6. Snap The Stick

This is the final step when the repaired stick has hardened. You will apply flex to the stick until there is a breakaway of the repair insert from the inner shaft.

You can tell that the snap is complete when the inner shaft can freely float within the center and the carbon fiber grips well into the shaft-lock grooves.

This will allow the hockey stick to sustain a good kick-point and flex while it operates at high performance on the ice.

Affordable Alternatives To Repair A Hockey Stick Shaft

Sometimes your hockey stick breaks and you do not have money to use the Shaft Repair System.

The following method is friendly to your pocket:

1. Do a flat cut on the broken part of the shaft using a hacksaw.
2. Remove the broken section
3. Using epoxy adhesive, glue a composite bar into the lower part of the shaft.
4. Add some more epoxy adhesive to the other side and slide the other half of the shaft on.

This method will only cost you about $20. However, using this cheap fix method will not give you the initial feeling of the hockey stick. It will not feel like before.

Is It Possible To Mend A Broken Hockey Stick Blade?

In many cases, broken hockey stick blades can be fixed. The following items are required to fix it; oil, sandpaper, some vegetable oil, carbon fiber, epoxy, and carbon hybrid.

This process will take you about two days and the cost range from $15 to $30 which is much more cost efficient compared to replacing a blade using $50.

How To Fix A Hockey Stick Blade

There are several ways one can fix a broken hockey stick blade. Most methods are quick fixes but do not last long.

The Carbon Fiber or Kevlar method is best if you are doing it yourself and you can spend some time repairing it.

The Kevlar, Carbon Fiber, Epoxy Fix Method

If your carbon fiber hockey stick blade is starting to break down, the following steps will help to fix it:

1. Remove the blade tape
2. Using vegetable oil and a cloth, remove the tape residue.
3. To remove the final residue on your hockey stick use water and a cloth
4. On the next layer use very fine sandpaper grit.
5. Coat the damaged area using an epoxy
6. Patch up the damaged areas using strands of carbon fiber
7. On top of the carbon fiber strands, apply more epoxy.
8. Using thick electrical tape, tape up the epoxy and carbon fiber area.
9. To ensure that everything is bonded tightly together, use a couple of clamps.
10. Let it stay for 24 hours
11. Remove the tape and clamps
12. Sand off the tape marks with grip 80 then 200
13. For the blade, reinforcement applies a Kevlar or carbon hybrid patch with epoxy.
14. Ensure that everything is bonded together using a couple of clamps to tighten.
15. Wait for some more 24 hours
16. Then remove the claps, tape, and apply some varnish.

Are Hockey Stick Blades Replaceable On Composite Hockey Sticks?

Yes, hockey stick blades are replaceable. Did your hockey stick blade break? Or has it worn out over time or maybe simply broken down? If you want to replace your hockey stick with a fresh one, the following steps will show you how:

However, replacing your hockey stick blade won’t have the exact flex or feel it had before. Therefore, it is best to replace the stick. If you want to repair follow these steps:

1. Purchase A Similar Blade

Buy a blade that has the same pattern you were using it. The hockey stick companies usually sell individual blades with matching patterns if you a using a two-piece hockey stick.

You can get it online or from your local hockey shop. it costs about $50 depending on the type of blade you want to buy and where you are buying it.

2. Cut Off The Old Blade

After being your new blade, cut off the old blade using a hacksaw, and cut it off where the shaft becomes straight.

Determine where to cut the broken blade by looking at where the manufacturer originally inserted it. Determine where to cut the broken blade by looking at where the manufacturer originally inserted it.

3. Hollow Out The Shaft

Using a Dremel tool, hollow out the hockey stick shaft. Be careful when doing this so you don’t hollow out too much and damage the stick permanently.

4. Test The Size Of The Blade

Double-check if your new blade fits into the shaft and places it in to see how well it fits. It is okay if it is nice and snug.

If your stick is older the sizing can be slightly off, therefore, ensure that it fits properly.

The hockey stick should feel close to how it felt before while flexing and releasing. If feels like this then you have a hockey stick that is just like any other two-piece hockey stick.

Do Hockey Sticks Break Easily?

Unless you play with NHL, hockey sticks do not easily break. They are made of strong and durable composite materials designed to be flexible making them hard to break.

You will commonly find NHL players breaking their hockey sticks during the game but most non-professional hockey players do not break their hockey sticks easily.

How Long Should Hockey Stick Last?

Hockey sticks do not have real expiration dates. Hockey sticks’ lifetime mostly depends on how often you play hockey.

If you are playing high-level hockey 4 times a week, will go through two to five a season but if you play once a week you can have one or two.

The following are factors that come into play with the durability of the hockey stick:

• Manufacturer
• Stick construction
• Playing position
• Level of play

Final Words

Hopefully, you now know that fixing your hockey is possible and will save you money.

SRS has remained the best method to fix a broken hockey stick but it may not work for all repairs.

For the repair process to be successful, it is important to follow the right setup and work in the proper conditions.

For more complex repairs you should seek professional help to get an accurate, quality repair. Those doing home-based repairs should follow the step-by-step procedures outlined in this article.