Patent ID: 8801550

Claim:
A hockey stick comprising: a shaft having a proximal end and a distal end opposite the proximal end; and a blade connected to the proximal end of the shaft, the blade having opposed rear and front faces, and the front face having a heel portion proximate the shaft, a toe portion spaced apart from the shaft, a centerline extending laterally along the front face from the toe portion to the heel portion, a central portion intermediate the toe and heel portions defining an upper central portion extending from the centerline to a top edge of the blade and a lower central portion extending from the centerline to a bottom edge of the blade, the toe portion defining an upper toe portion extending from the centerline to the top edge and a lower toe portion extending from the centerline to the bottom edge, the front face further having: a front face textured zone defined by a plurality of front protrusions and extending asymmetrically with respect to the centerline through the central portion, the front face textured zone in the central portion being located at least in major part in the lower central portion, the front face textured zone extending through the upper toe portion, and a front face reduced-texture zone being less textured than the front face textured zone and extending adjacent the front face textured zone and through the upper central portion, the front reduced-texture zone extending through the lower toe portion; whereby the front protrusions are engageable with a puck to hinder slippage of the puck along the front face when the puck is in contact with the front protrusions.