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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Hockey player using True Catalyst 9X stick on ice rink, wearing full gear, with visible True branding.

True Catalyst 9X Stick Review

Aim True. Get unparalleled accuracy with True’s newest stick The True Catalyst 9X is True’s lightest stick to date. Taking some components from the Project X...

Chad Purdy
Bauer Hyperlite hockey helmet close-up with green accents and performance slogan, TheHockeyShop.com

Bauer HyperLite Helmet Review

The Bauer HyperLite helmet will keep you feeling light, fast, and strong from the beginning of the game to the final buzzer. This revolutionary hockey...

Mac Colasimone
Hockey player in Bauer gear using Bauer Hyperlite stick on ice at TheHockeyShop.com rink.

Bauer Vapor HyperLite Stick Review

I was fortunate enough to try it out and I couldn’t get over the response and pop I could feel right away. If you’ve been...

Chad Purdy
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
Bauer Hyperlite hockey skates in action on ice at The Hockey Shop

Bauer Vapor Hyperlite Senior Hockey Skates Review

With a unique approach for your skating stride and packed with a ton of new features, there’s about a billion reasons to like what the...

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 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 in blue and white gear blocking net on ice at The Hockey Shop rink.

Bauer Vapor 3X Catcher & Blocker Review

One thing that Bauer has done a great job of in recent years is translating the features and feel of their pro gloves down to...

Chad Purdy
Bauer Hyperlite goalie chest protector in black with yellow accents, featured by The Hockey Shop

Bauer Vapor Hyperlite Chest Protector Review

For the Hyperlite chest, Bauer wanted to keep the mobility, range of motion and lightweight construction users of the 2X Pro liked while adding more...

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 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
Bauer white hockey goalie mask with cage, shown on black background at TheHockeyShop.com

Bauer Profile 960 Goalie Mask

With the new flagship Profile mask, Bauer kept the iconic 960 look while incorporating a number of changes to the shell and liner bringing the...

Chad Purdy
Hockey goalie in Warrior G5 Pro+ gear on ice in front of net, TheHockeyShop.com branding visible.

Warrior Ritual G5 Pro Goal Leg Pad Review

With the Ritual G5 line, Warrior has continued to improve on their already impressive track record of providing functional innovation. The G5 Pro series also...

Chad Purdy
Hockey goalie in CCM Axis gear on ice in front of net at TheHockeyShop.com rink

CCM Axis A1.9 Leg Pad Review

To ring in 2020, CCM introduces the new Axis line and moves away from Lefevre and the Premier line. Along with the Axis, CCM introduces...

Mike Ball