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The Story Behind Haggard Hockey: Performance Without the Price Tag

Posted on by David Elliott

Haggard Hockey is a brand driven by a passion for the sport, focusing on providing high-quality, high- performance carbon fiber hockey sticks without the traditional high price tag. We believe that top-tier equipment should be accessible to every player, from the pond to the pros.

🏒 Our Origin: Passion Meets Precision in Minnesota

Haggard Hockey was established in Moorhead, Minnesota, in 2015, right in the heart of the “State of Hockey.” Our mission was simple: to craft gear that goes beyond expectations and helps players “unleash their full potential on and off the ice.”

We recognized a significant gap in the market. Many players, especially young ones, were forced to choose between heavy, outdated sticks or expensive, ill-fitting composite sticks. Haggard Hockey stepped in to offer a better solution, focusing on professional-grade construction, proper fitting, and unbeatable affordability.

⚙️ The Engineering Difference

Over the last ten years, we have poured our expertise into product development and putting the right high quality stick in our customers hands. Our foundation is built entirely on advanced engineering:

The True One-Piece Advantage

The main feature that defines a Haggard stick is our construction: the “True One-Piece” carbon fiber design. Unlike most competitors whose sticks are made in two pieces and fused together, our sticks are created all at once in a single mold.

Why this matters: This continuous construction ensures superior energy transfer from your hands to the puck, resulting in a better overall feel, a more powerful shot, and greater accuracy. We prioritize this method because we know it’s simply “the right way” to build a top-tier stick.

Pushing Weight Boundaries

We are obsessed with performance weight. Our engineering team has repeatedly pushed the limits of materials, resulting in Haggard Hockey twice launching our stick as the lightest in the market. This lighter weight allows players to handle the puck faster and shoot with more velocity than ever before.

💰 Top Performance. $100 to $200 Less.

Here is the Haggard promise: Our sticks are engineered to be comparable to the biggest name brands’ current top-end models. The only difference is what you pay.

We focus on eliminating unnecessary marketing and pay-to-play costs—we don’t pay leagues or professional players to use our gear. This means you receive the exact same high-performance construction and weight advantages, but you save $100 to $200 per stick. You pay for performance, not advertising.

🛡️ Our Guarantee: The Longest Warranty in the Game

We back our quality and performance with a commitment to getting you back on the ice quickly. Haggard Hockey sticks come standard with a 45-day manufacturer’s warranty (30 day warranty on Team and Deal sticks), making it the longest warranty period you’ll find on the market. More importantly, we respect your game time. While other brands leave you waiting for a month or more, we commit to turning around your warranty claim and getting a replacement stick shipped out within 5 business days. Less waiting, more playing.

🥅 Commitment to the Next Generation

Our commitment extends especially to junior and youth players. Understanding that a proper stick fit is critical for development, we have simplified the process by offering sticks specifically designed for kids with flex ratings as low as 17.5 flex. This ensures young players can properly load and flex the stick, allowing them to shoot the puck harder and develop their technique correctly.

Join the Haggard Hockey family and experience top-end gear designed for the player, not the price tag.

www.haggardhockey.com

Understanding Hockey Stick Fit: Flex, Length, and More

Posted on by David Elliott

After a decade of fitting countless hockey players and witnessing countless weekend tournaments, it’s become evident that many parents misunderstand the importance of proper stick fitting, particularly regarding length and flex.

Many parents mistakenly believe that buying a longer stick will make it last longer. However, this often leads to negative consequences. In two years, when your child outgrows that longer stick, it will likely break or become obsolete as they desire the latest model on the market.

Ultimately, purchasing a stick that’s too long can hinder your child’s development on the ice. It’s crucial to prioritize finding the right fit and avoid the temptation to overbuy.

Determining the Right Length:

  • Without Skates: The stick should reach your nose.
  • With Skates: The stick should reach below your chin.

Proper stick length is crucial for optimal performance. An improperly sized stick can significantly impact:

  • Shooting Accuracy: Incorrect length alters the stick’s lie, affecting your ability to aim accurately. A stick that’s too long makes it difficult to lift the puck, while a stick that’s too short can diminish power and accuracy.
  • Puck Handling: An improperly sized stick can hinder puck control. A stick that’s too long can be cumbersome to handle, while a stick that’s too short can strain the player’s back and force them to bend over excessively.
  • Confidence and Enjoyment: Ultimately, we want our children to succeed and enjoy the game. The stick is a fundamental piece of equipment, and the right fit is essential for building confidence and fostering a positive playing experience.

The Evolution of Flex:

In the past, NHL players favored extremely stiff sticks (110+ flex). However, the trend has shifted dramatically in recent years. While 85+ flex was once the norm, today, 70-90 flex is more common. Johnny Gaudreau, known for his exceptional speed and agility, famously utilized an extremely low flex stick, often in the 55-flex range. This unconventional choice allows him to maximize puck release speed and quickness, perfectly complementing his dynamic playing style.

Why is Flex Crucial?

Flex in a hockey stick is crucial for maximizing shot power and accuracy. It refers to how much the stick bends under pressure. When a player shoots, the flex allows the stick to act like a spring, storing energy and then releasing it upon contact with the puck. This stored energy translates into increased shot velocity and accuracy, giving players a significant advantage on the ice.

Finding the Right Flex:

A general guideline is to select a flex that is less than half your body weight. For example, a 100-pound child should ideally use a 40-flex stick or even lower (e.g., 50 flex).

Important Note: Cutting a stick increases its stiffness. For every inch cut off, the flex increases by approximately 5 points. This is crucial to remember, especially when fitting younger players.

Curve and Kick Point:

Curve: For youth and junior players, P92 or P28 curves are generally recommended. These open curves facilitate easier puck lifting.

  • P92 Curve: Recommended for players who can easily lift the puck.
  • P28 Curve: A good option for players who may need a slight advantage in lifting the puck.

The kick point of a hockey stick refers to the area where the stick flexes the most. This significantly impacts shot release and power.

  • Low Kick Point: Flexes closer to the blade, promoting a quick, explosive release ideal for wrist shots and snap shots. Favored by players who rely on speed and agility, often found near the net.
  • Mid Kick Point: Flexes in the middle of the shaft, offering a balance of power and quickness. A versatile option suitable for a wide range of players and shooting styles.
  • High Kick Point: High Kick Point sticks flex closer to the handle, maximizing power for slap shots and powerful wrist shots from distance, making them ideal for strong shooters, especially defensemen. However, modern hockey emphasizes quicker puck movement, leading many defensemen to favor mid-kick point sticks that offer a balance of power and speed, enabling faster shot releases and quicker decision-making.

The ideal kick point varies depending on individual playing style, shooting mechanics, and position. Experimentation is crucial to find the best fit for each player.

Determining Handedness:

  • Simple Test: Have your child grab a broom or stick. The hand they naturally reach towards the top of the object indicates their dominant hand.
  • General Rule: In recent years, the trend has been to place the dominant hand on top of the stick.

Key Takeaways:

Proper stick fitting is crucial for optimal performance. Understanding flex, length, curve, and kick point will help you select the right stick for your child and maximize their on-ice success.

Haggard Quick Fit System

Posted on by David Elliott

Haggard Hockey has made it even easier for you to make sure you are getting the right size stick.  Every stick on our website now has a Quick Fit length. This is the length of the stick when put flat against the wall giving you the true length from nose to toes without skates on.  If the stick says 52″ then you know it’s the right length if your son/daughter is 52″ from floor to nose without skates on.

Posted on by

I’m reaching out to request your support as we prepare for our 10th Annual Guns-N-Hoses Charity Hockey Game on February 20th. Guns-N-Hoses events are organized by the Lino Lakes Volunteers in Public Safety (LLVIPS), a nonprofit dedicated to supporting local first responders through educational and charitable initiatives.

The Guns-N-Hoses Charity Classic began in 2017 with a simple vision shared by two police officers who were passionate about hockey and giving back to their community. What started as a friendly competition between local police and fire personnel has grown into a major annual fundraising event. In our inaugural year, we raised just a few hundred dollars—but in the years since, we have proudly generated more than $300,000, consistently drawing 1,500 passionate fans to the International Sports Center Super Rink in Blaine, Minnesota.

Every dollar raised goes directly toward supporting Minnesota’s first responders, whether through direct assistance or in partnership with aligned non-profit organizations.

This year, we’re hoping you’ll consider contributing an in-kind donation for our event raffle. Items of all sizes make a difference, and this generosity would directly support the first responders who serve our communities every day. We are also looking for content of 40 player swag bags, if you have branded items that may be included. We are further looking for corporate sponsors to partner with as monetary donations have the greatest impact and we would love to have a conversation if you have an interest in this opportunity.

For more information, feel free to contact me at Jschwartz@LLVIPS.org. You can learn more about our organization at www.LLVIPS.org and find additional event details at www.GNHnow.com

Thank you in advance for your consideration and for helping us support Minnesota’s first responders. I am happy to talk to you at your convenience about the event and our request.

Julie Schwartz, Co-Chair
Lino Lakes Volunteers in Public Safety
GNHnow.com (for event details)
LLVIPS.Org (for Non-profit details)
M: 651-245-5091

Posted on by

Hello,

My name is Jered Parmeter. I have a son who plays Peewee hockey for Proctor, MN Peewee age are 11-13 year olds, and Proctor neighbors Duluth, MN. Every year for our home tournament we seek donations from local businesses for gift cards, products, or pretty much anything else they’d like to donate. These items typically go into “baskets”, in which guests can buy raffle tickets for and place their ticket into the basket to try their luck at winning. This year, our tournament is January 2-4.

Usually, we receive lots of gift certificates and not a whole lot of products. I looked at our tournament registration to see what other teams will be coming this year. The majority are from the Twin Cities area, one from the St Cloud area, and our team. All teams except ours are traveling quite a distance. I assume not many of the parents from these teams will be interested in getting certificates for our restaurants, vehicles service credits, or sports day camps that they would need to travel two plus hours for. I’ve been trying to stick to physical items that are sold online by Minnesota companies so that they could also benefit, and/or certificates people would travel back to the area for and spread by word of mouth.

I’ve come up with a few baskets that I think would drive interest from the away teams. One of them I named “Never Enough”. This basket would include all sorts of off-ice training tools. Nets, shooting pads, synthetic ice tiles, balance boards, off-ice pucks, stick handling balls, resistance bands, jump rope, tarp goalies, backstops. Pretty much anything off-ice hockey we can get our hands on. I came across your website while searching for nets made in Minnesota.. Odd. However, something caught my eye. That USA hockey stick! That thing is sick, and I think people would go nuts over it!

Proctor Amateur Hockey Association is a registered MN non-profit organization, so any donations could be used for tax purposes. If you were to decide to donate, I can supply a PDF receipt for the donation. What we typically do with the funds raised is spread them out between the families to help pay year end assessments. Assessments pay the costs of referees, ice times, hotels for coaches, pay coaches, etc. These are costs on top of registration fees. With the eight teams at the tournament, we’re estimating around 300 people will be in attendance. Every company that donates will be listed on our “wall of sponsors”, and I plan to make booklets at each basket. Made either from company provided pamphlets and flyers, or my own created flyer from their website.

I would love to see Haggard Hockey on our wall of sponsors! If donating a stick, or really any of your products interests you, please let me know.

Either way, I thank you for your time.
Jered Parmeter

Score Big Savings on Top-Tier Hockey Sticks at Haggard Hockey!

Posted on by David Elliott

Equipping yourself for the ice doesn’t have to break the bank. Haggard Hockey’s dedicated Deals Page is a treasure trove for budget-conscious players seeking top-quality hockey sticks at incredible prices. From last year’s models to sticks with minor cosmetic imperfections, these sticks offer significant savings without compromising on performance.

Why Shop Haggard Hockey’s Deals?

  • Unbeatable Prices: Enjoy substantial savings on high-performance sticks.
  • Wide Selection: Discover a diverse range of sticks from popular brands.
  • Expert Guidance: The knowledgeable staff at Haggard Hockey can help you find the perfect stick to match your playing style and skill level.
  • Quality Assurance: Even at clearance prices, you can be confident in the quality of the sticks offered.

Don’t Miss Out!

Haggard Hockey’s Deals Page is updated regularly, so check back often to discover the latest bargains. With incredible savings on top-tier equipment, there’s no better time to upgrade your game and experience the thrill of the ice.

Visit Haggard Hockey today and unlock the power of their Deals Page!

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