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.
Interesting switch I noticed from Will Smith tonight. He's using a Bauer Hyperlight 2 stick. For most, if not all, of the season, he's used a Bauer Tracer stick. Including tonight, Smith has just 3 goals in his last 23 games. The Tracer is a mid-kick point stick (kick point is…— Max Miller (@Real_Max_Miller) February 28, 2025
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.
WILL SMITH TOP SHELF FOR THE LEAD 🚨
pic.twitter.com/XCFGOlkaAn— Sharks on NBCS (@NBCSSharks) February 28, 2025
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 said he's been happy with his stick selection over the last year and change. Since he's switched sticks last February, he's been scoring like crazy.
"The stick is the most important thing in your equipment. I feel good."— Sammi Silber 🏒 (@sammisilber) February 23, 2025
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.
Don’t forget to read more on Sharks Hockey Digest posts with the links below! Make sure to bookmark the page and follow Sharks Hockey Digest on Twitter @SharksHKYDigest!