One of the worst problems you can face, as a hockey player, is seeing your brand new twig break just past your 30 day warranty period. For some beer league players, this problem becomes even bigger because you may only use your new stick four times before the warranty period has ended.
For those who don’t have, or want to spend, the money on another new stick, there is an option for you: Integral Hockey. Integral Hockey has developed a composite stick repair technology which allows you to add new life to your broken stick. Additionally, Integral Hockey has franchised their system, allowing shops across the US and Canada to use this great technology to repair broken sticks or shafts.
When we broke our brand new Easton V9 hockey stick, we immediately turned to the first ever Integral Hockey Shop in the U.S. just outside of Denver, CO. Owned and operated by Ray Kokinos, we were promised quick service, and a stick returned nearly as good as new.
Upon receiving our one piece stick after having it repaired, I was quick to examine and look for any changes. Most notably, I found that the stick was now a couple inches shorter than it had been. I was warned that this might happen, and was due to the location and nature of the break. Additionally, the sticks can pick up anywhere from 10-30 grams of added weight from the fix. However, this stick actually felt lighter after being returned to us, probably due to the amount cut out during the repair.
When it came time to get the repaired stick back on the ice, I was pleasantly surprised. I was skeptical of the repair, and honestly not expecting much, but I made it through warm ups shooting snap shots and slap shots without any signs of additional cracking or breaking. I even leaned into the stick a bit just to flex it, and was surprised when it didn’t snap. Ultimately, however, warm ups were as far as I got with it because the loss in stick length really did make a difference for me out on the ice.
Since that time, this has been one of my main sticks for practicing at home with my shooting setup. The stick continues to flex and pop just as if it had never broken in the first place. The only real downside has been losing the length, and thus choosing not to use it on the ice again.
If you’re in a position where you can pay a bit to have a stick repaired, or have to shell out another $250 for a brand new stick, it’s probably worth it to just repair your broken twig, even with any loss of length. It’s easy enough to get over, but with a full length stick waiting on the bench, I simply chose not to.
Stick repairs will generally cost about $50, and with that you will receive a 36 day warranty. Blade repair can also be done, and will be priced around $50 or $60 and come with the same 36 day warranty.
If you’re in need of a solid repair on your broken composite, and are in the Denver area, I highly suggest you give Ray a visit. You can find his contact information, along with other Integral Hockey franchise locations, at http://www.integralhockey.com/#locations.
Hey Matt
Great review! Everyone is a little sceptical at first about using a repaired stick. I can tell you that we have done over 4,000 of them since 2010, and most of our customers come back time and again. So that is saying something. We are based out of Southern Ontario.
Thanks for the review Matt.
Yes, sometimes the damage is too great, and we need to cut away the fatigued material. Usually, you will lose 1/4 – 3/4 of an inch, and its too bad you saw the worst case scenario on the stick you reviewed. Next season Integral Hockey will have hollow carbon fiber extensions available to eliminate this problem. The most important thing is that we have the only hollow carbon fiber repair on the market, and do not use any “plugs” of any kind. This is the main reason that once anyone switches to Integral Hockey, they never go back to the other systems.
Thanks again Matt.
Thanks for the fantastic review Matt! There is now a franchise in Colorado Springs serving Southern Colorado. We are actually giving away one of the new Integral Hockey i-sticks on our Facebook page right now. Just search for ihsoco. And of course we can do all the repairs that you talked about.
Our three sticks broke that Integral fixed. Would never use them again
I’m always leery of negative posts for products by people who sound like competitors. Read the same type of thing when reviewing Ninja blenders. Terrible accusations which, when I did purchase a Ninja turned out to be total unfounded. If you want a recommendation I’d suggest talking to individual users, not to someone with possibly a stake in the game.
Hmmm, don’t know how this review became attached to this article. I wrote it in response to a very negative, inaccurate review of Integral some time ago, which I felt was just a slam by a competitor. Matt’s review is fair and honest, what businesses like Integral are looking for.