Recap Of Old Bauer Stick Graphic Sightings

Over the past six months or so, hockey equipment enthusiasts have been treated to a few pleasant and nostalgic surprises in the NHL. That being a string of random, unmistakably old Bauer hockey stick graphics appearing in practices and even games.

In an era where most NHL sticks have a custom build hidden beneath the latest retail cosmetics, these sightings felt both jarring and oddly comforting. They served as a reminder of a time when stick graphics stuck around longer, and perhaps when fans could more easily identify what a player was actually using.

The most surprising and conversation-starting moment came last March, when Sean Couturier of the Philadelphia Flyers stepped onto the ice during a regular season game with what appeared to be a Bauer Nexus 2N Pro. Not just the build, but the actual 2018 black-and-blue graphic.

This immediately raised eyebrows. Yes, many NHL players are known to use Nexus 2N Pro builds even today, often masked under modern Nexus Sync or Tracer graphics. But this was different. In 2025, seeing the original 2N Pro look in a game setting felt almost unreal.

What made Couturier’s case even more unique was how believable it was that the stick was genuinely a 2N Pro build as well. The 2N Pro has long been praised for its performance, dampened feel, and predictable release, traits that fit Couturier’s game perfectly.

Unlike many graphic throwbacks that hide newer internals, this situation felt authentic. Sure enough, Couturier continued using that stick through the remainder of the 2025 season, effectively reviving a graphic that had not been seen at the NHL level in quite some time.

Fast forward to November 2025, and another unexpected Bauer blast from the past surfaced, this time in Edmonton. Trent Frederic of the Oilers was spotted using a stick dressed in the original Bauer Vapor HyperLite graphic, first released in 2021.

While the exact build of Frederic’s stick remains unclear, the visual alone sparked immediate intrigue. The Vapor line has since moved on to newer cosmetics, including the FlyLite, making Frederic’s choice stand out even more.

What made this instance particularly interesting is that NHL players do not need to use old graphics to get an old feel. If Frederic wanted a specific shaft geometry, kick response, or blade feel, Bauer could have easily wrapped that build in the newest Vapor graphics.

Instead, he opted for a throwback look and stuck with it for several games. Whether it was superstition, comfort, or a simple preference for the familiar, Frederic clearly felt something had a chance to work. He only switched back to a FlyLite branded stick, just recently now in early December.

As if on cue, the sightings did not stop there. Just days after Frederic’s throwback run, Sean Monahan was seen at a Columbus Blue Jackets practice using, you guessed it, another Nexus 2N Pro graphic stick.

Then, not long after, Patrick Kane showed up at a Detroit Red Wings practice with a stick wearing the original Vapor HyperLite cosmetics.

While neither Monahan nor Kane were spotted using these sticks in actual games, the timing was too perfect to ignore. It almost felt like an inside joke among these Bauer athletes, or perhaps a quiet rebellion against constant graphic updates.

Naturally, these sightings raised plenty of unanswered questions. Were these players chasing nostalgia, testing an old blade construction, or revisiting a feel they remembered fondly?

Or were these sticks simply pulled out of storage during practice and coincidentally noticed by sharp-eyed fans?

We may never know. What we do know is that seeing multiple older Bauer graphics resurface in such a short window was both funny and a bit refreshing.

For equipment enthusiasts, this stretch felt like a mini time capsule, proof that even at the highest level of hockey, comfort, superstition, and personal preference can outweigh marketing cycles.

Also, for a brief moment, it felt like the NHL turned the clock back, one Nexus 2N Pro and Vapor HyperLite at a time.