Abstract: A method of making a hockey stick blade with a shank and a blade element having a front external surface and a rear external surface, the method comprising: (a)selecting a core made of thermo-expandable foam; (b) forming a preformed blade by wrapping the core with first and second layers of fibers pre-impregnated with resin; (c) selecting front and rear thermoplastic sheets for covering at least partially the second layer of fibers, for forming part of the respective front and rear external surfaces of the blade element and for increasing the impact resistance of the hockey stick blade; (d) placing the front and rear thermoplastic sheets and the preformed blade in a mold such that the preformed blade is between the front and rear thermoplastic sheets; (e) applying heat to the mold; and (f) when said resin is cured, removing the hockey stick blade from the mold.

Abstract: The invention provides a method of making a formable hockey stick blade, the method comprising: (a) providing a core having a blade element with a thickness, the core being made of expandable foam having a Poisson ratio of at least 0.33; (b) forming a preformed stick blade by wrapping the core with a layer of fibers pre-impregnated with a thermoplastic material; (c) placing the preformed stick blade in a mold; (d) applying heat and pressure to the mold for bringing the thermoplastic material to its amorphous form and for compressing the preformed stick blade such that the thickness of the blade element of the core is reduced; (e) cooling the mold such that the thermoplastic material is set; and (f) removing the formable stick blade from the mold.

Abstract: A method of making a formable hockey stick blade, the method comprising: (a) providing a foam core having a blade element with a thickness, the foam having a Poisson ratio of at least 0.33; (b) forming an uncured stick blade by wrapping the foam core with a layer of fibers pre-impregnated with a thermoplastic material; (c) placing the uncured stick blade in a mold; (d) applying heat and pressure to the mold for curing the uncured stick blade and for compressing the uncured stick blade such that the thickness of the blade element of the foam core is reduced; and (e) removing the cured stick blade from the mold.

Abstract: A hockey stick blade comprising a shank and a blade element having a front surface and a rear surface. The blade comprises a core of synthetic material extending along a longitudinal axis, the core comprising a blade element portion. The blade also comprises a layer of fibers recovering the core of synthetic material and a layer of thermoplastic material recovering the layer of fibers.

Abstract: A method of making a formable hockey stick blade comprising making a core of synthetic material; recovering the core with a fibers layer for forming a preformed blade; placing the preformed blade in a mold; injecting in the mold, at a pressure between 45 psi and 60 psi and a temperature between 350° F. and 400° F., a thermoplastic resin having a viscosity below 25 cP while maintaining a negative pressure of at least 200 mm of mercury in the mold; curing the thermoplastic resin; and removing the blade from the mold. The invention also relates to a method of selling a hockey stick blade wherein a blade is shaped in accordance to a curvature selected by a customer.

Abstract: A shaft for a hockey stick, having a wooden core and inner and outer layers. One of inner and outer layers comprises an array of roving filaments and a composite laminate strip extending along at least a portion of the shaft. The composite laminate strip is adapted to alter the bending characteristics of the shaft by rigidifying a portion of the shaft. The array roving filaments and the composite laminate strip are embedded into an outer molded plastic layer. A blade is secured to one end of the shaft.

Abstract: A hockey stick handle having a pair of opposed narrow sides, a pair of opposed broad sides, a rear end, a forward end portion, and a longitudinal axis passing through said ends, the forward end portion being configured for engaging a blade. The handle has a longitudinally extending sandwich composite member. The sandwich member has three longitudinally extending substance zones. The substance zones has a rigid plastic foam spacer zone and two wood side zones. The side zones are spaced apart by the spacer zone. The three substance zones are configured and disposed such that each side zone individually faces a respective side of one of the pairs of opposed sides of the handle and such that together the two side zones and the spacer zone each face both of the sides of the other of the pairs of opposed sides of the handle.

Abstract: The present invention, relates to a hockey stick shaft or handle having both a forward and a rear gripping zone. The gripping zones each have elongated opposed faces which are of different configuration from each other. For example each gripping zone may be provided with opposed concave and convex faces but wherein the faces of one gripping zone are disposed in reversed relative relation to the other gripping zone in order to accomodate the different gripping position of each hand of a user. A hockey stick provided with such a handle may provide a sense of a better or more comfortable feel on the gripped portion of the handle and/or a sense of a more comfortable and precise control of a blade which may be fixed to the end of such a handle.