CCM Jetspeed FT8 Pro Hockey Stick Review

Returning Skeleton+ Taper

The Skeleton+ taper has been a mainstay in CCM’s sticks for years now. This manufacturing technology applies to the taper area and reinforces durability, optimizes energy transfer, and provides a more consistent performance—while keeping the design lightweight. Carbon and other materials are compressed in the hosel to reinforce that area of the stick, which strengthens it and helps ensure smoother energy flow from the shaft into and through the blade.

ALPULI Composite Shaft Construction

We’ve actually seen ALPULI Composite used by CCM before in the VIZION stick. This new material combines thin aluminum plies with carbon layers, creating a revolutionary metal/carbon hybrid construction. The ALUPLI Composite's hybrid aluminum-carbon layers are positioned strategically along the shaft's exterior, forming a protective slash-resistant barrier that improves durability against impacts and fractures.

When put to the test, the VIZION stick showed an up to 8% improvement in the Slash Test, as well as a 20% reduction in visible damage and crack propagation—which is a pretty decent step up from their previous construction.

In the past, aluminum sticks took their place above wood and pure fibreglass sticks because of their lighter weight, but they were still heavier than carbon fibre, making them less appealing for today’s fast-paced game and hence why it didn’t last too long as a stick material. Where traditional aluminum sticks failed in weight and carbon fibre sometimes comes up short on durability, ALUPLI's smart material blend looks to deliver both slash-proof durability and high-calibre performance.

+1/4 Inch Blade Patterns

We’ve seen this added as a new blade pattern in the CCM VIZION stick as well. The +¼ inch blade pattern actually isn’t too different from anything you’re probably already used to—nothing on the actual curves themselves has been changed, but the height has been readjusted. The +¼ inch blade change adds a bit more height to the P29 and P28 blade curves, which then increases stability and control with the puck, particularly on face-offs and board battles. It functions similarly to MAX blade styles, which are designed to help players be stronger on their sticks while also enhancing the blade’s overall durability.

Relationship Between Blade Stiffness and Kick Point

Another new addition to CCM’s stick designs, as mentioned, is the soft-stiff EVO blade, which combines the tech from previous Jetspeed top-of-the-line sticks to create a blade that delivers even better puck feel and shooting performance than before.

Typically, sticks with a high or mid kick point would opt for a softer blade for greater flex, whereas low kick point sticks would have a stiffer blade to increase control while up close to the play. The blade choice is there to complement the stick, and because their respective kick point can “get away” with it—this is because the different types of sticks are all designed to transfer energy differently.

High and mid kick sticks flex in the middle or upper portion of the shaft, thus, the energy from the player’s shot is stored and released more through the shaft and less in the blade; a softer blade can allow the puck to absorb some energy and sometimes “flex” even more power into the puck when shooting. With the low kick point, it’s a bit different—low kicks flex near the bottom, so the energy transfers more directly to the blade. These sticks need a stiffer blade to handle that amount of force and stress, while additionally making shots and stick handling easier to control.

Hybrid Kick Point and Blade Stiffness

The Jetspeed line has a hybrid flex point, which means it flexes is a bit more dynamically; it will bend either higher or lower on the shaft, depending on the shot you are loading up and your hand placement. This adaptability makes the stick great for snipers, playmakers, and two-way forwards. But perfecting hybrid performance means blade stiffness can be tough to determine—you may notice that CCM has been readjusting the blade stiffness on the Jetspeed series often over the years, each tweak refining that energy transfer and responsiveness to find that sweet spot.

The FT8 takes a different approach. Rather than sticking to a regular, soft, or stiff blade throughout, it employs a soft-stiff EVO blade, which combines the FT6 Pro’s stiff toe and the FT7 Pro’s softer heel. The combination of a stiffer toe and softer heel in the FT8 looks to make it more versatile for a wider range of positions and shots.

Helicoid Technology

The stick also reintroduces Helicoid. We’ve seen this tech in other CCM stick families as well, at the highest level—Helicoid technology is designed to increase the blade’s durability and pop on the shot.

Using a helicoid design in man-made structures is based on research done on mantis shrimps, or specifically the “smasher” mantis shrimp. These crustaceans have hammer or club-like appendages on their arms, which they use to “punch” their prey with about 1500 N of force. For such a small creature (about 10-30cm long), that's insane. To produce that kind of force, their clubs have to have the power to withstand it as well, so studying their club’s natural build when researching new ways to create more durable structures became an obvious inspiration for high-performance sports equipment.

The strength is thanks to the helicoid structure observed within their clubs, which is made of fibres placed on top of each other in a rotating spiral pattern. This design helps dissipate energy efficiently, which then enhances durability and impact strength. CCM uses this same structural technology to bring these qualities into their top-end sticks, so the sticks can withstand more and last longer.