San Jose Sharks rookie forward Will Smith made a stick change tonight against the Montreal Canadiens, but did it actually do anything?
Smith uses Bauer for all of his gear. While he didn’t switch companies, he changed the stick’s specs. He had been using a mid-kick point stick, Bauer Tracer, and swapped to a low-kick Bauer Hyperlite 2 stick tonight.
The rookie made it count with his first goal in eight games tonight. He also had an assist in the 4-3 overtime loss to the Canadiens. Smith finished with four shots on goal for the Sharks.
The 19-year-old has 11 points (three goals, eight assists) in the last 12 games. He has points in two straight and three of the previous four. He’s looked strong out of the 4 Nations break with multiple high-quality chances every game.
Smith was asked postgame if the stick change did anything, but the rookie didn’t explicitly say.
“I am always into that stuff. I’m a bit of a stick geek. I like using the new stuff, so I thought I’d try it out,” Smith told reporters postgame. “It didn’t do too much, to be honest; it’s just a stick.”
While the Sharks rookie played it off, the kick-point change is significant, where the stick flexes/bends can determine whether a shot is blocked or scored.
Smith has toyed around with different tape jobs for his stick during practices but has remained consistent with how he tapes his twig during games.
Washington Capitals forward Alexander Ovechkin is chasing down Wayne Gretzky for the most goals scored by anyone ever in the NHL. Midway through the 23-24 season, the Great 8 changed his stick and hasn’t looked back.
Ovechkin is 12 goals away from passing Gretzky’s 894 record. The 39-year-old has 30 goals in 43 games.
If the greatest goalscorer of all time says a hockey stick is the most important piece of hockey gear, then the entire NHL should be listening.
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