Blade 13
Known As:
Warrior W71 (Pacioretty)
Description:
Blade 13 is a very deep mid curve with a long blade and a fairly open face
Looking for Something Similar?:
Blade 1 has a similar overall shape, but is not nearly as deep and is slightly more open. Blade 11 comes close in terms of depth, but is a shorter blade and has a bit more toe hook. The closest match is probably the old Coffey curve, but it has a square toe and is tough to come by these days.
What it’s Good For:
Blade 13 is a great slapshot pattern, especially for one timers because of its large sweet spot to shoot off of. The large blade also is good for tipping pucks in front of the net. Blade 13 also features an open face to help raise the puck, and the extra deep pocket makes it easy to hang onto the puck when stickhandling.
Downsides:
The uniquely deep midsection on this curve makes backhand shots extremely difficult to effectively utilize. Many players will also find it not very forgiving on wrist shots and snap shots, which if not executed perfectly, tend to flutter high and wide.
Pro Players Using This Curve (or Similar):
Quite a few NHL players opt to use some sort of a deep mid custom curve, the Blade 13 stock curve is pretty rare to come across. One of the few steady users would be Travis Dermott, though there are a number of ECHLers who use Blade 13 as their preferred pattern as well.
Our Take:
The super deep mid on Blade 13 makes it a modernized version of the Coffey banana curve that many players grew up loving. Great for protecting the puck and smashing home one timers, Blade 13 is an excellent option for players who think that sounds like their style of play.