Are PRO Reserve Sticks Here to Stay for Tage Thompson?

PRO Reserve hockey sticks continue to gain traction throughout the NHL and hockey world at large.

Over the past few years, a growing list of notable players have embraced the unique brand, including names like as Alexander Ovechkin, Jakob Chychrun, Pierre-Luc Dubois, and many others. Now, it may be time to add another star player to that conversation.

Could Buffalo Sabres forward Tage Thompson be the next PRO Reserve loyalist?

After his usage of the sticks during the Conference Semifinal round against the Montreal Canadiens, it is certainly a question worth asking.

This past series was certainly not Thompson's first experience with PRO Reserve sticks. In fact, followers may recall spotting the Buffalo star with these sticks on multiple occasions over the past two seasons.

Thompson first teased the brand over a year ago, briefly bringing the sticks into game action before ultimately returning to his usual setup. Since then, PRO Reserve sticks have continued to make appearances during Sabres’ practices, leading many equipment enthusiasts to wonder if a permanent switch could eventually be on the horizon.

Now, after the Canadiens series, that possibility appears more realistic than ever.

According to our records, Thompson made the switch to a PRO Reserve stick beginning in Game 3 of the Conference Semifinal. More importantly, he never looked back.

The Sabres forward continued using the sticks throughout the remainder of the series, suggesting that his comfort level with the product had reached a new level.

If the results are any indication, the decision most definitely paid off.

Over the final five games of the series, Thompson recorded an impressive eight points. That stretch included a dominant Game 6 performance in which he scored one goal and added three assists.

While no hockey stick alone creates offensive production, professional players are incredibly particular about their equipment. When a player finds a setup that feels right, confidence often follows.

For Thompson, the combination of continued usage and strong production could be viewed as a sign that he has found something he truly likes in the PRO Reserve build.

Of course, nothing is official just yet.

Players experiment with equipment all the time, particularly during practices and throughout the playoffs when they are looking for every possible advantage. However, the fact that Thompson committed to the sticks for the majority of a playoff series is noteworthy. Unlike a quick test during a regular season game or practice, playoff hockey tends to reveal what players trust most when the stakes are highest.

That trust may ultimately be the biggest takeaway from this story.

The potential impact of Thompson becoming a long-term PRO Reserve user would extend beyond Buffalo as well. Adding a player of his caliber to the growing list of NHL users would be a significant milestone for the brand. Thompson is not only one of the league's most recognizable offensive talents, but he also plays in one of hockey's most passionate markets.

Buffalo fans pay close attention to every detail surrounding their team's stars, and it is easy to imagine conversations beginning to pop up around the city and online.

"What is that new stick Tage is using?"

For PRO Reserve, that type of exposure is invaluable.

Interestingly, this is not the only recent connection between the Sabres and the emerging stick brand. Earlier this season, teammate Josh Doan was also spotted testing PRO Reserve sticks during the December and January portions of the schedule.

Those sticks were confirmed as built for Thompson, but Doan decided to grab a few and give them a try himself. Such equipment borrowing is extremely common throughout the NHL, where players frequently experiment with sticks from teammates and friends across the league.

As the offseason begins, all eyes will be on Thompson's equipment setup heading into training camp and, eventually, opening night in October.

Will the PRO Reserve sticks remain in his hands when the puck drops on a new season?

For now, we simply do not know.

What we do know is that Thompson has spent considerable time testing the sticks, used them throughout most of a playoff series, and enjoyed some outstanding offensive success while doing so. That is enough to make this one of the more intriguing equipment storylines to watch over the coming months.

Time will tell what ultimately comes of Thompson's relationship with PRO Reserve. But if he opens next season with the same setup he finished this postseason using, we may soon be able to officially label him as hockey's next major PRO Reserve ambassador.

Photo Credit: Minas Panagiotakis