CCM Axis A2.5 Junior Goalie Leg Pads – Special Edition

CCM Axis A2.5 Junior Goalie Leg Pads – Special Edition All new for 2022 is the Axis A2.5 junior goalie leg pads. The A2.5 is noticeably different from the original Axis A1.5 in a few key areas. The first thing we noticed on the Axis A2.5 goalie leg pads was a more pre-molded s-shape in core of the pad. The original Axis A1.5 was built with an almost straight profile. This was great for a goalie with a really wide butterfly but not so good for a goalie with a regular or narrow butterfly. The new pre-mold core along with the Goalies Plus break in the vertical roll really allow goalies with regular and narrow butterflies to use this pad. A goalie with a wide butterfly will not really notice this however a goalie with a narrow/regular width butterfly will feel a huge difference. Also new in 2022 is the new Dynamic Response System knee stack. This knee stack system integrates into the core of the pad which allows for more stability and control and therefore a greater performance benefit to the goalie. This has been a feature that nearly every NHL goalie has been modifying on their pads and now it is available at the retail level. Special Edition Single Break: Some customers may be confused by our Special Edition Single Break description. The Special Edition is our way of giving customers better spec options that are not normally available. When we initially saw the CCM Axis 2.5 junior leg pads, the stock version has an inner break but not a break on the outer roll. In our opinion, we feel this stiffens the pad in an unbalanced way and takes away from the natural flex of the pad. With an inner break and not outer break, the inside half of the pad wants to flex but the outer half of the pad wants to stay stiff. This makes for an unbalanced vertical flex in our opinion. With an unbalanced vertical flex, the pad will not seal properly because the pad will now have a twisting effect on the lateral flex. By adding the break in the outer roll, the natural flex is restored and butterfly coverage creates a better pad to ice seal. In generic terms, unless you have a super wide butterfly and do not need any flex, you will need the pad to flex and seal the five hole in the butterfly position. By adding this break, we feel it greatly helps with this in many ways. Especially with younger goalies, we feel that more flex helps junior goalies move better and perform better. A stiff pad on a small body is a recipe for disaster for a young goalies as they will loose mobility since the pad will not flex with their smaller bodies.