CCM Extreme Flex 3 Leg Pads Review

Re-engineered to be the most lightweight and explosive CCM pad yet.

A new NHL season is upon us, and with that comes new equipment being dawned by the pros. Since the World Cup of Hockey in September, up until now, you have seen many trademark goalies wearing the new CCM Extreme Flex 3 lineup. In late October, CCM hosted us for a product knowledge for their new 2017 equipment, including the E-Flex 3s. After getting to see the stuff in person, I’m writing to relay the new info to you about the newest and lightest pad from CCM!

Speed Skin Technology

Speed Skin Technology is CCM’s new external material for the E-Flex 3 pads and gloves. Speed Skin is intended to reduce friction between the pad and the ice, making for quicker, more explosive sliding.

Speed Skin is a synthetic emboss overlay on the pad, which is the same thickness as Clarino. CCM had both goalies for the University of Concordia Men’s Hockey team demo the E-Flex 3 prototypes with Speed Skin for a full season, and they reported back that Speed Skin performed better than Clarino and was just as durable.

Another little bonus with Speed Skin is that it cleans better than Clarino. Cleaning puck marks off pads has become a popular thing to do (I’ve never understood the purpose of removing puck marks, but to each their own) to keep you’re gear looking as new as possible. So, don’t be afraid to take the magic eraser the E-Flex 3s!

All in all, Speed Skin intends for goalies to have more efficient slides, while making less of an effort.

Optimized Weight Distribution

The Optimized Weight Distribution (OWD) Core System is the re-engineered foam core of the leg pad. With a slimmer thigh rise and the centre of mass located below the knee, no Extreme Flex pad has ever been more balanced and lightweight. At a size of 34+1, the E-Flex 3s weigh in at 5.2 lbs—the E-Flex II weighed in at 6.3 lbs., at a size of 34+2.

QK5 Strapping

In partnership with the University of Western Ontario, CCM has researched optimal equipment constructions and set-ups, as well as injury prevention for goalies. When it comes to closing the 5-hole in the quickest fashion without jeopardizing anything, they found that a certain strapping set-up yielded the best results. Aside from knee straps, a single top calf strap was the most important strap, because it allows the pad to properly rotate around the leg without any restriction from other straps.

Cowhide leather straps have been replaced with new, lightweight (and durable) nylon webbing straps; individually, these nylon webbing straps are roughly 10 to 12 percent lighter than cowhide straps.

In Summary

When it comes to goalie equipment, CCM is the model of consistency. Every year, both their pros and their aspiring pros know the type of performance they’ll get from their CCM equipment, and the Extreme Flex 3 leg pads are no exception to the rule. By incorporating new Speed Skin technology, and re-engineering the pad core, the Extreme Flex 3 leg pads exceed the benchmark of the E-Flex 2s.

Get fit for your CCM Extreme Flex 3 leg pads with us at The Shop, on April 28th, 2017!

CCM will also be releasing two price-point versions of the E-Flex 3s: E3.9 and E3.5. No matter what level you’re at, we’ll have you covered with the new Extreme Flex 3s!

CCM Extreme Flex 3 leg pads Gallery