Warrior released its Ritual V1 Series sticks in 2019 and the lineup quickly garnered attention from a wide range of hockey players and enthusiasts from all skill levels.
The brand is known for producing some of the highest quality hockey products in the industry and the Warrior Ritual V1 Pro Goalie Stick easily clocks in as one of the best overall values on the market today.
This stick is one that’s made to the same high standards that Warrior products are known for and offers players with a wide range of new and exciting features.
These features are why so many hockey players and goalies in particular consider this stick to be among the best available in 2021.
There’s little argument that this stick is capable of lasting lifetime for the player that properly uses it and cares for it, but we want to take a closer look at how the Warrior Ritual V1 Pro Goalie Stick is made and just why so many consider it to be among the best goalie sticks in the hockey industry today.
Warrior Ritual V1 Pro Goalie Stick Review
The Warrior Ritual V1 Pro Goalie Stick is just a minor step down from the brand’s headline model, the Warrior Ritual V1 Pro+ Goalie Stick, but is still one that offers many of the same attractive features that the top stick does.
Players who want to stick to a smaller budget and go with the Ritual V1 Pro will likely not be disappointed in their decision.
What makes this stick species is the wide range of high-quality features that put it into the ‘elite’ level of accessories as far as many of the most skilled hockey players are concerned.
The stick is made with the specialized HiFused Construction and carbon fiber material that makes it extremely lightweight and easy to weild, while also offering players other features like the SlideGrip Technology, Impact Fiber Layer, VibexLite, and TwinSpar Technology.
These features combine to give the player an exceptionally lightweight, yet highly durable goalie stick that is capable of playing into their own style of play and defending against opponents shots and passes.
Impact Fiber Layer
The Warrior Ritual V1 Pro Goalie Stick is made with some of the highest-level components that are available in the hockey industry today.
It’s crucial that those components are protected with a solid outer layer that will prevent any damage or general wear and tear that might occur to the stick’s makeup.
This is where the Impact Fiber Layer comes into play.
The Impact Fiber Layer is a specialized gloss coating that the engineers and design experts at Warrior have chosen to apply to the entire stick, from the paddle to the tip of the handle.
This layer acts to prevent the usual cracking and chipping that so often occurs when a player uses a stick for a number of seasons—especially at a high level of play when action is expected to be intense.
HiFused Construction
One of the most overlooked aspects of a solid goalie stick is the area that joins the paddle to the shaft.
This portion of the stick is typically one that will have some tendencies to be weaker as it is often made with two different pieces that are joined together using various types of material and design elements.
The HiFused Construction works to bond the paddle and shaft together in a way that strengthens the entirety of the stick itself and makes it more capable of standing up to high levels of pressure.
Related: Bauer Ultrasonic Goalie Stick Review
VibexLite Technology
Part of what makes the Warrior Ritual V1 Pro Goalie Stick such an attractive option for many high-level goalies is the stick’s ability to dampen vibrations and make the overall handling of the stick more comfortable for the user.
The stick is made with VibexLite Technology, which is capable of significantly reducing the amount of vibration in the stick and helping with shock absorption as well.
In older models, this type of capability would have weighed the stick down too much and caused users to have a tough time quickly maneuvering the stick into position to either block shots or let the player get set up for a save.
The VibexLite Technology is an ultralight material that doesn’t weigh the stick down much at all in comparison to other materials that would otherwise be used to accomplish the same degree of vibration reduction.
SlideGrip Technology
As a goalie, it’s highly important that the player be able to grip the stick with one or two hands and to be able to switch their grip along the shaft in an instant.
Being able to slide your hands along the shaft in a way that lets the player still maintain a significant degree of control over the puck or the stick itself is highly useful in today’s hockey landscape.
The Warrior Ritual V1 Pro Goalie Stick offers a greater surface area than previous models, which lets goalies slide their hands along the stick and get into position without dealing with frustrating material that might hinder their ability to control their stick. (The new M1 Pro+ from Warrior is really advanced in this area as well).
Minimus Carbon 1000
The Warrior Ritual V1 Pro Goalie Stick owes its outstanding strength and durability, as well as the lightweight action to the fact that the brand’s engineers and design experts made this stick with the Minimus Carbon 1000 material.
This highly lightweight, pliable carbon fiber material is built into the stick layer by layer, allowing the stick to gain strength from the inside out.
A step down from the V1 Pro+, the V1 Pro is still a highly reputable goalie stick. It has great balance and touch with excellent vibration control.
Related: CCM Axis Pro Goalie Stick Review
Final Verdict
There’s no denying that the Warrior Ritual V1 Pro Goalie Stick is among the best goalie sticks on the market today.
It comes in at a considerably more affordable price than some of the other top brands in the hockey industry and presents players with an outstanding level of overall value.
When it comes to an elite-level goalie stick that will last for several seasons in the right hands, the Warrior Ritual V1 Pro Goalie Stick is clearly among the top picks for the upcoming season.
If you are interested in a new brand that has really popped into the goalie scene, True has done just that. We have an article on the True AX9 Stick here if you want to check that out!