Brians Demon Pads: there is more missing than the knee rolls.
Written: Mar 18 '04 (Updated Dec 13 '05)
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Pros: Good materials and craftmanship
Cons: They simply don't work like they should
The Bottom Line: Save your money, these pads are a sound idea executed poorly. Look at Louisville's XLite pads instead
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| puckmugger's Full Review: Brians Demon Senior HockeyGoal Leg Pads |
What’s the Point of no Knee Rolls?
Brian’s is one of the premier companies making custom goalie equipment, so when they followed CCM’s lead on the completely flat faced Blockade pads, I was interested in trying a pair out. Brian’s Demon, like the competing Blockade, is initially a weird looking pad. The lack of any knee rolls or straps poking through the face gives it a very odd appearance at first glance. They are also among the thinnest pads you will ever see (only CCM’s Blockades are thinner).
So what’s the point, why no knee rolls, right? Simple, the Beast is intended to be the ultimate pad for the butterfly style goalie. Knee rolls exist for one reason, to help the pads bend. A pure butterfly goalie doesn’t need this, in fact a pad that doesn’t bend will close the five-hole more completely. Also knee rolls can make for an unpredictable rebound. The flat surface created in their absence makes for much easier rebound control.
At least all of that was the theory behind the Demon and Blockade pads. Let me go on now to tell you how both companies blew it in making these pads. Bear with me though while I sidetrack just slightly to explain how a butterfly style pad should work.
How Butterfly Style Pads Should Work
I currently am using a pair of custom leg pads that are very similar to the Vaughn Velocity. The Velocity was the first step towards making the consummate butterfly pad with a large flat blocking surface below the knee rolls and, most importantly, a very large knee lift in the cradle. My pads put my knee nearly six inches higher than my feet when I am in the butterfly. Try this, on the floor, with no pads on see how far you can get your feet out when dropping into the butterfly. Now stack up a couple phone books to support your knees and try again. The difference for most people is going to be well over a foot of extra width. So, having your knees raised gives better lower net coverage. The bottom of the net is where 80% of shots go. The importance of this cannot be understated.
The Demon
Now, back to Brian’s Demon and the error they made. The Demon has a very nice knee cradle, and like the Velocity, it does get your knee off the ice. However, the mistake was in also raising the goalie’s lower leg and feet off the ice. Any benefit from the knee raise is negated by this design error.
A friend let me try a pair of these pads. My initial excitement quickly faded on the ice. My pads are 34 inches his Demons are 35” so I was expecting much better five-hole coverage. I should also note that the bottom of the net, especially five-hole is a matter of pride for me. I like to show it and take it away, just to annoy shooters. Anyway, I played an hour and a half session in the Demons, and the bottom of the net was fair game for almost everyone that day.
The Demons with the combination of the raised lower leg and the rigid, un-flexing pads made the five-hole impossible to close and left my feet too close together. I also expected that the pads would stand up very easily, but was continually dropping with the blocking surfaces flat on the ice. I was not impressed.
There are some other items of note about these pads. Brian’s uses traditional leather straps and buckles. This might seem like the more durable way to go than the newer nylon straps with quick release clips, but it isn’t. Leather does not like to get wet and dry constantly. It quickly becomes brittle and tears much more commonly than the nylon straps. They aren’t cheap to replace either running about $10 a pop. I have had nylon straps and quick release buckles on my pads for three years now and never had one break. I averaged a broken leather strap about once every couple months. Also, with leather straps it is easy to misadjust your leg pads and wear them too loose or too tight. Consistent fit of pads will only improve your game. The quick release buckles you adjust once and they stay put.
The things that Brian’s did do a very nice job on are the materials and the weight of these pads. The only pads that will rival the Demons in weight are the Blockade and the new Bauer Vapor Pads. All are ridiculously lightweight compared to other pads on the market. The materials Brian’s uses in the Demon are top notch as well. The leg channel is fully clarino lined all the way down to the boot. There is no more comfortable material being used in hockey equipment right now than Clarino (many people skate barefoot in clarino lined hockey boots). It dries quickly and remains soft. The entire shell of the leg pad is wrapped in synthetic leather and the new “Robocop Weave” reflective materials.
The Bottom Line
These pads simply don’t work the way they should. The theory behind a pad with no knee rolls is sound, they just failed on the goalie side of the leg. Brian’s is a custom manufacturer, so I am sure that you could get a pair without the lower leg lift and if you do have your heart set on a pair of Demons, that might be enough to make them worth the price.
© Scott Noble – Unauthorized use prohibited
A few of my other reviews that you might find helpful:
Fitting Goalie Gear
Louisville XLite GLL Goal Pads
CCM Blockade Blocker
CCM Blockade Trapper
CCM Blockade Goal Pads
Battram Custom Goalie Equipment
© 2005 Scott Noble – All rights reserved. Unauthorized use prohibited.
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