"Mom! I need a new hockey stick!"

Renee ChinchillaPorras
Nov 15
3 min read

There are few words that will make a hockey mom audibly groan as readily as these words. And for me it's not just the cost involved, and the inevitable negotiating that I know will ensue. It's the researching, the shopping, the flagrant throwing around of brand names and terms that I don't recognize -- the flex, the color, the... It's enough to make any parent's head spin, especially if you're new at this.

So this is my attempt to explain hockey stick lingo, so that you can go into this conversation somewhat more educated than you might be right now.

Let's start with specs:

Materials - we started off with wooden sticks bought from Play It Again sports, and for kids trying out the sport, I highly recommend this route. But after breaking and wearing down 2 or 3 of these my kids began wanting something more high-end. Why? Because they're MUCH lighter and they make stick-handling, passing and shooting much easier. Hockey sticks may be made of wood, plastic, composite, kevlar, carbon fiber, and more. Generally, players want something as light and durable as possible.

Lefty vs. Righty - This may sound elementary, but the first time we were shopping for sticks online (which I have found is my favorite way to shop for hockey sticks), I totally forgot to consider righty or lefty. Go ahead. Shake your head. I felt pretty dumb. Fortunately I caught it before we purchased.

Length of the Stick and Flex - The stick should come up to about the nose on skates or on tippie toes. Forward player sometimes like their sticks on the shorter end. Defensive players like their sticks on the longer end, for more reach. The flex of the stick (the P number) goes along with the length of the stick, so while your athlete may talk about a certain flex they want, what's more important is the proper length, so you can smile and nod and not worry too much about that. Unless you're custom ordering a stick, the flex is going to be pretty standard according to the length. You can also cut a stick down, but we try to avoid this, since it changes the flex.

Here is a guide (thank you, chat GPT) on sizes, lengths, heights and flexes:

Youth Sticks

Length: 38"–44"
For players: Under 4'7"
Flex: 20–40

Junior Sticks

Length: 46"–52"
For players: 4'4"–5'1"
Flex: 40–52

Intermediate Sticks

Length: 55"–57"
For players: 5'0"–5'7"
Flex: 55–70

Senior Sticks

Length: 58"–63"
For players: 5'6" and taller
Flex: 75–120+

🏒 How to Match Stick Size to Player Height

Height → Recommended Stick Length (in skates)

Player Height	Stick Length (approx.)
Under 4'0"	38"–42" (youth)
4'0"–4'7"	42"–46" (youth/junior)
4'8"–5'1"	46"–52" (junior)
5'2"–5'6"	52"–55" (intermediate)
5'6"–5'10"	56"–58" (intermediate/senior)
5'10"+	58"–63" (senior)

💡 Quick Tips

If you cut the stick, flex increases.(1 inch cut ≈ +3–5 flex)
Defensemen tend to like sticks on the longer end.
Forwards usually choose shorter sticks for control.
Goalie sticks are sized differently - and that's an entirely different post

Phew! I hope this article has been helpful! Now that you know a little bit about what to look for, here are some reputable sites to start shopping:

Got any tips to share? Share in the comments below!