Top Shelf: A Hockey Blog

The Hockey Shop's latest blogs and articles featuring reviews of the most sought after hockey and goalie equipment. Detailed guides on the basics of hockey, and updates on current events in the world of hockey.

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CCM Axis 2 goalie leg pads in white, navy, and gold at hockey rink, The Hockey Shop

CCM Axis 2 Leg Pad Review

The original Axis may have been a test drive for CCM and what they could do with stiff pads—and now with the Axis 2, we’ve...

Katie Lakusta
CCM goalie blocker and catcher gloves on bench, hockey equipment at The Hockey Shop

CCM Axis 2 Catcher & Blocker Set Review

Prepare for a revolution; the Axis line from CCM is back in one of the biggest updates to a gear line yet, starting with the...

Katie Lakusta
Bauer Supreme Mach goalie leg pads and blocker on ice, hockey equipment at TheHockeyShop.com

Bauer Supreme Mach Leg Pad Review

You’ve likely seen and learned about the existence of these pads already, whether that be from sneaky NHL appearances, inside leaks, or the rather stealthy...

Katie Lakusta
Hockey goalie in green jersey using Bauer Mach Supreme goalie equipment on the ice rink.

Bauer Supreme Mach Catcher & Blocker Review

The brand new Bauer Supreme Mach catcher and blocker are set to carry us toward the future of goaltending with cybernetic graphics and unrivalled performance,...

Katie Lakusta
Vaughn white goalie leg pads on carpet, featured hockey equipment at TheHockeyShop.com

Vaughn SLR3 Pro Carbon Leg Pad Review

After a long wait full of leaked pictures, teasers, and pro gear sightings, the highly anticipated SLR3 Pro Carbon leg pads are finally here, and...

Katie Lakusta
Person holding white SLR3 hockey goalie blocker at The Hockey Shop equipment display

Vaughn SLR3 Pro Carbon Catcher & Blocker Review

We’ve known Vaughn was on the move for a while now—leaked pictures, teasers, and pro gear sightings have all led us to this fact. Now,...

Katie Lakusta
Bauer Pro goalie skate with carbon blade on black floor, TheHockeyShop.com hockey gear

Bauer Pro Goal Skates Review

A Revolution in Goalie Movement - With a number of upgrades over the Ultrasonic such as a redesigned liner, fit system and tongue, along with an...

Chad Purdy
Hockey goalie in Bauer gear lacing skates, GSX vs Elite comparison, TheHockeyShop.com

Bauer Elite and GSX Goal Skates Review

A Revolution in Goalie Movement - With the release of their newly condensed skate line, we wanted to take a look at the new Bauer...

Chad Purdy
Hockey goalie in red and white pads making a save on ice, featuring True TF9 skates.

True TF9 Goal Skate Review

After years of dominating the custom skate market with countless professional and elite goalies making the switch, True has finally brought a mid price point...

Chad Purdy
CCM EFlex 5 Pro goalie chest protector padding close-up at The Hockey Shop

CCM Eflex 5 Chest Protector

The new E-Flex chest protector features new design changes making it one of the best chest guards for mobility without sacrificing coverage. ...

Chad Purdy
CCM EFlex E59 and E55 goalie blocker pads comparison, yellow-black and red-blue designs

CCM E-Flex E5.9 and E5.5 Catcher/Blocker Review

One area where CCM has always stood above the rest is in their gloves. The E5.9 and E5.5 catcher and blocker feature a couple notable...

Chad Purdy
CCM Eflex 5 goalie glove and blocker in action on ice at TheHockeyShop.com rink

CCM Eflex 5 Trapper & Blocker Review

CCM took what was great about the E-Flex 4 and made the necessary tweaks to create an even better set of  gloves. ...

Chad Purdy
Bauer Vapor 3X goalie leg pads and stick on ice rink at TheHockeyShop.com

Bauer Vapor 3X Leg Pads Review

With the release of all the impressive new technologies and features in the Hyperlite pad, the midline 3X has been placed in the shadows. However,...

Chad Purdy
Bauer Hyperlite hockey goalie with stick and pads in front of goal at The Hockey Shop rink

Bauer Vapor Hyperlite Goalie Stick Review

DURABILITY + GRIP + CONTROL = THE BEST BAUER GOALIE STICK EVER MADE. Traditionally, the Vapor line of goal sticks has lagged behind the Supreme...

Chad Purdy
Bauer Hyperlite blocker in white and red, held by goalie on ice, The Hockey Shop equipment

Bauer Vapor Hyperlite Catcher & Blocker Review

When replacing a line as popular as the 2X Pro, Bauer had some big shoes to fill; with the new Hyperlite line they took what...

Chad Purdy
Warrior hockey goalie in RF1 Pro mask and white jersey from The Hockey Shop on ice rink

Warrior Ritual Goalie Masks Review

Warrior took the time to fully develop this Ritual mask line, learning from issues with other masks in order to build something capable of working...

Chad Purdy
Warrior RX3 Pro+ goalie pants hanging in hockey locker room at TheHockeyShop.com

Warrior Ritual X3 Goal Pant Review

Warrior’s pants are built like no other on the market, with a focus on coverage and mobility they’re able to offer a pant that has...

Chad Purdy
Warrior RX3 Pro+ goalie chest protector close-up, black and white padding, TheHockeyShop.com

Warrior Ritual X3 Chest Protector Review

The Ritual X3 is the first in a new line of chest guards that combines what was great about the G5 and GT2 to offer...

Chad Purdy
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