STICK ARE DIFFERENT NOW
Hockey sticks use to suck. Wood, aluminium, fibre glass? Awful. They’re heavy so you have a slower release, they’re stiff so you can’t flex the stick and let the engineering of the stick do the work for you by amplifying the power of your shot (think of it like a bow and arrow). They had heel and mid curves (we’ll get into curves another day) which means the time from you hitting the puck, having it roll down you blade and the finally releasing the puck on target is slow. Players could get a stick on your puck and goalies had more time to react to your short. Modern hockey sticks have a crazy amount of engineering put into them and truly have the capability of dramatically increasing the speed of your release, the power and accuracy of your shots as well- but only if you have the right flex. Too stiff? That engineering isn't going to help you at all. You may as well be using a 2x4 plank. Too whippy? Not as likely, if Mitch Marner can play in the NHL with a 65 flex hockey stick, you can play beer league with the same flex. Back in the day we had to try and kill the puck with brute strength to get a good shot off, now that will cause the stick to "whip out". Technique over power!
THE AVERAGE FLEX IN THE NHL IS 85 FLEX
Hockey sticks now are light, responsive and amplify your power (though they are more fragile). Flexes across the NHL are dropping, most of the league was 95 flex and up, now the top scorers are between 65 and 85 flex (with the exemption of defence, many still use a stiffer stick). Owning a pro stock shop, I see the majority of players are using 85 and 87 flex. Both Nathan MacKinnon and Connor McDavid are using 85 flex hockey sticks. The younger players rising through the ranks tend to be using 70, 75 and 77 flex such as Macklin Celebrini.
BEST FLEX HOCKEY STICK FOR ELITE MALE PLAYERS
The game is going lower and lower in flex, Connor Bedard is using a 70 flex, so is William Nylander. Heck, 8 of the top 10 draft picks to the NHL in 2024 were using 77 flex and lower. The next generation is seeing most its elite forwards using 65-77 flex with aggressive toe curves such as the P28. The elite defence are typically using 85-95 flex with a P29/P92 curve. This is your best general range.
BEST FLEX HOCKEY STICK FOR ELITE FEMALE PLAYERS
In the PWHL and NCAA D1 we see most athletes using 50-70 flex. I would say this is a good range for most female players and has largely to do with height so find a stick that's between the bottom of your nose and the bottom of your chin. Don't cut a stick over 2 inches or extend it over 2 inches as it will effect the lie too much beyond that. Natalie Spooner is a beast of an athlete and one of the heaviest and strongest girls in the PWHL and is using a 70 flex.
BEST FLEX HOCKEY STICK FOR BEER LEAGUERS
Read the sections above for elite players, you can still use these guidelines. If you want even more durability and don't care much about the quality of your shot, you can opt for a stiffer flex to improve durability. Most older players (40+) grew up with stiffer flexes that they are comfortable with. I would encourage all players who are use to extremely stiff sticks (100 flex+) to experiment with trying an 85 flex. You may be surprised just how much better your shot is once you get use to the whip of the stick.
BEST FLEX HOCKEY STICK FOR TEENAGERS
Don't be in a rush to move up from Junior, to Intermediate to Senior. I was a kid once too and I know how good I felt that I was finally old enough for an adult stick. Moving up too quickly will ruin your game. Too stiff of a stick will ruin your shot and too tall of a stick will ruing your stick handling and your shot. All the top scorers in the NHL are using an in-tight release snapshot (think of Bedard) and you just can't do that with a massively long stick. If you're snapping a lot of sticks and you're young, it may be time to move up in flex. Puberty is tough, some people will be tall and skinny, or some will be short and stocky. Height comes first, then adjust flex from there. When in doubt you're always better in the modern game to be 5 flex lower than 5 flex higher. 50-75 flex will be right for most teens.For girls 40-65 is probably the correct range.
BEST FLEX HOCKEY STICK FOR KIDS
This is the only time I agree with body weight divided by 2. When in doubt, give your kid a whippier stick than you think they need if they're in-between sizes. They aren't strong enough to break sticks yet but it is crucial for shot development to learn how to shoot properly by using the flex of the stick to shoot and not flicking the puck. Too stiff of a stick in their youth can set your kid up for some uneccisary bad habits as they progress. 10 flex-50 flex is for kids. As above, height is what matters first and foremost. Between the bottom of the nose and bottom of the chin on skates. Don't buy them a stick that's 4 inches too long saying "they'll grow into it" especially if they're playing high level hockey. Get them the right stick so they can learn to shoot properly.
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