Best stick 2026
Senior composite stick · Review
Bauer Vapor Hyperlite 2
Bauer’s lightest senior stick to date — 365g of carbon engineered for an explosive release. Used by ~14% of the NHL including Quinn Hughes, Jack Eichel, and Trevor Zegras.
Weight
365 g
Kick point
Ultra-low
Flex (Sr)
65 / 70 / 77 / 87
MSRP
$339.99
Live price comparison
Senior, 77 flex, P92 curve, right hand — the most commonly stocked configuration. Switch flex/curve at each retailer for other variants.
Prices last verified May 21, 2026. Retailers update inventory daily — tap a “View deal” button to confirm the current price. How we compare prices →
What it is
The Bauer Vapor Hyperlite 2 is the second-generation flagship of Bauer’s quick-release Vapor line, designed for forwards who live and die by getting the puck off their stick before the defender can react. It replaces the original Hyperlite from 2022 and shaves 25 grams off — bringing total weight to 365 g, the lightest senior Bauer stick on the market.
Bauer’s pitch is simple: keep the explosive low-kick release that made the original Hyperlite a top-five NHL stick, then take weight out of the shaft and crank up blade stiffness. The result is a stick that snaps shots noticeably faster than its predecessor without sacrificing the puck-feel that lets you dangle in tight.
“Shots were lightning-quick off the blade with a level of precision that I hadn’t experienced before.”
— The Hockey Shop, in-depth reviewWho it’s for
Buy this stick if you take a lot of wrist shots from the slot, you change shot angles late, or you’re a defenseman who wants a quick-release option that can still snap pucks from the point. The ultra-low kick point favors snap shots and wristers over slappers.
Look elsewhere if you’re a stay-at-home defender who lives on slap shots and one-timers from the blue line — you’ll get more out of a mid- or high-kick stick like Bauer’s Supreme line or CCM’s Tacks AS-V Pro. Power-shot players also tend to prefer a slightly stiffer shaft than the Hyperlite 2 offers.
Used by these NHL pros
Verified via GearGeek and HockeyStickMan spec checks, May 2026. Pro stocks may differ from retail spec.
Quinn Hughes
Vancouver Canucks · D
Curve P88 · Flex 87
Jack Eichel
Vegas Golden Knights · C
Curve P28 · Flex 65 · 62″
Trevor Zegras
Philadelphia Flyers · C
Curve P86 · Flex 55 · 60″
David Pastrnak
Boston Bruins · RW
Rotates with Nexus Tracer graphics
Full specs
What we like, what we don’t
What we like
- Genuinely lighter in hand — 25g feels like more than it sounds
- HYP2RCORE blade snaps shots with a sharper, audible release
- XE taper preserves the puck feel that made the original Hyperlite famous
- Range of flex options covers junior-strong forwards through full-grown pros
- Available in P28 and P92M curves — the two most popular toe-curve options in the NHL
What we don’t
- Top-tier price — MSRP $339.99 is squarely flagship-stick territory
- Ultra-low kick is wrong for stay-at-home defenders who prefer slap shots
- 30-day warranty is industry-standard but unsatisfying at this price point
- Grip-finish blade can wear faster than matte after heavy stickhandling
Our verdict
The Hyperlite 2 is the best quick-release senior stick on the market in 2026 — faster shots than its predecessor, NHL-validated, and currently selling at 36% off at Hockey Monkey. If you’re a forward whose game depends on getting pucks away early, this is the stick to beat. Defenders who shoot more slap than snap should look at Bauer’s Supreme line instead.
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