One thing I totally missed on these was the boot and post integration. To sum it up, it isn't good, the boot design and idea is too connected to your skate to really allow a gap and allow the pad to really seal easily against the post. I am sure you could order a longer boot to accommodate for that, but that also isn't really the point of these pads and the boot design. So you must integrate your skate with the post instead of relying on a flat boot like a lot of current pad designs.
Thank you for reviewing the Factory MAD pads. I have a full set of Dennis’s equipment along with his knee pads and neck guard. Dennis is great to work with and works with you when customizing the gear to your style of play. His equipment is top notch and built to last! Grab a glove or have him Mod your glove, it’s truly the best I’ve ever had.
Hey just want to say very good review. It is very interesting to see another perspective on these pads, as I'm a goalie who comes from the exact opposite spectrum of the goaltending equipment world as you, in that I like the old school, Vaughn v2 style tight to your leg, move with you Jonathan Quick style pad. I rarely agree with you on equipment (though I find your recent reviews to be a lot more considerate of goalies who like other options), so watching this and having me agree with you nearly across the board is impressive. My V6 pads were on their last legs and recently had Dennis make me a set of these Protos. This was after a long search struggling with the lack of flexible pads on the market (the V9 stock is not a flexible pad in my mind.) These are without question the most interesting pad on the market and the fact that both you and I like them coming from opposite starting points says a lot. I find I get 98% of the benefits of a blocking pad with the flexibility to play the style I want. No other pad offers this flexibility on the market. They seal great. The pillow is ahead of its time. Plus they are certainly the lightest pad on the market today. Now there is something to be said that they aren’t a V2 and they aren’t a stiff pad. You are giving up a little bit of the movement of the V2 or tight seal of a stiff style pad in choosing these. You can’t have it all, but you can get damn close with the Protos. My biggest issue is that I find the strapping to be difficult to get consistent. The flexibility is great, but some games they feel amazing, but the next I struggled to figure out what I did. I think I’d prefer an inner and outer wrap system to allow them to hug my leg without having to strap them extremely tight. I’m very particular here though so I doubt others will have this issue. For other minor issues I’m still deciding on the one piece sliding surface. If you are coming from a stiff pad, this is a no brainer, but I may have wanted the slight additional flexibility a two piece affords me. This appears to be the only Again, I’m a flexible pad guy. I would have also made the knee stack a little smaller (they are larger than standard due to the thinness of the pad), and would have gotten the outer roll. Again, just personal preferences here. In all, these are minor concerns and Dennis would have made these changes if I asked. He’s an amazing guy. I really think they are in a league of their own and your positive review sort of proves that.
@@moorecha around 600,correct. I got the catcher and a blocker the next year. The durability is amazing on both. The blocker palm looks brand-new, still. This is 3 seasons later. I can't believe it myself, but, I swear to god, puck marks aside you could never tell they're used for years. The blocker face isn't as hot as a Warrior G3 but being able to have it positioned to custom preference and also requesting a more extensive finger-guard (that actually covers my fingers at ALL times) has a major benefit. My blocker palm is higher up on the board and that makes pucks shoot straight up in the air, usually fluttering like MAD. very hard to volley that in, I usually push playera aside and snag it with the glove before it's possible to knock it in with their stick. I have gotten used to this and I prefer it alot more as I have a better chance of catching the puck for a face-off in this manner. Watching this video in hopes of finding a goalie who ordered stiff thigh-rises, I want to see how they are, before completing my set.
That little angled piece on the knee block on warrior g5 is why i sold them after 5 uses LOL, I hated those fucken pads for that reason only. Like you said, the warriors are the ONLY pad I have ever landed on the face and was WTF just happened.
So I have a question after seeing your comments about warrior pad rotation as it relates to the knee blocks - What is your opinion of the Bauer pads with the stiff integrated knee blocks? I forget, but I think they are currently in the hyperlites/3X series? Did your bauers or optiks have this? I'm really drawn to that feature, I don't use the RVH much but I'm trying to start using it more. I think I saw a Kaskisuo vid where he talked about a flexible knee block being better because of how one leans in and out over the pad in the RVH. I'm just curious if you have played in them and what you thought the pros and cons of a really stiff knee are. I'm also curious if you think Brian's could Make this, I think my ideal next set would be optik 3s when they drop.
Super interesting review. I have warrior RGT2s and have definitely had some rotation issues. I will say that when I switched from the bauer vapor 1x knee pads (which you've said you use) to the warrior knee pads that came with the RGT2s it made big difference, but I definitely still have some stability issues. Along those lines, I was wondering if you had a recommendation for a pad that is stiff enough to give off good rebounds but can be curved enough to cover up the 5 hole. I'd hoped the RGT2s would be a nice middle ground, but I've found that I've had to resort to old fashion bending (and likely damaging) to get that curve AND the rebounds seem pretty weak. Any recs you have would be greatly appreciated!
It really depends how curved you need the pad to be. Hyperlite and Ultrasonic pads are both more curved than Warriors stock and give off huge rebounds, but the softer the pad the less useful the thighrise becomes. But if you weren't having issues with the RGT2 thighrise in that sense both of those would be better options for rebounds than Warrior pads.
@@HockeyReviews Thanks for the quick reply! Of course it's the premium lines that always do the best job... I actually don't mind soft rebounds off the thigh rise themselves as they allow for a quick cover, but from the knee down I'd definitely prefer something hotter than what the RGT2s are giving me
The 3X pads will have similar features as the Hyperlite, so if you don't want to go with the full pop price they'd still be there and useful. I always just talk about the specific gear I look at and it is always the top lines for that case.
@@HockeyReviews Ah got it, that's helpful. Sounds like the next step is try on the 3X and 3S and see if I think I can get enough curve out of either to cover up my 5 hole. Thanks! I really appreciate the help
Look for this stuff vvividshop.ca/collections/paint-protection-films/products/3m-scotchgard-series-paint-protection-film-by-the-foot?variant=42706602247
I don't weight pads anymore because I feel people focused too much on the weight itself when it really doesn't matter. The balance of the pad and how well they slide is more important. At one point, the lightest pads I owned were the pads I tired out the quickest in, but everyone cared about the specific weight number.
One thing I totally missed on these was the boot and post integration. To sum it up, it isn't good, the boot design and idea is too connected to your skate to really allow a gap and allow the pad to really seal easily against the post. I am sure you could order a longer boot to accommodate for that, but that also isn't really the point of these pads and the boot design. So you must integrate your skate with the post instead of relying on a flat boot like a lot of current pad designs.
Thank you for reviewing the Factory MAD pads. I have a full set of Dennis’s equipment along with his knee pads and neck guard. Dennis is great to work with and works with you when customizing the gear to your style of play. His equipment is top notch and built to last! Grab a glove or have him Mod your glove, it’s truly the best I’ve ever had.
Interesting design, reminds me of those flat faced pads. Outside the box thinking from Factory Mad!
Hey just want to say very good review. It is very interesting to see another perspective on these pads, as I'm a goalie who comes from the exact opposite spectrum of the goaltending equipment world as you, in that I like the old school, Vaughn v2 style tight to your leg, move with you Jonathan Quick style pad. I rarely agree with you on equipment (though I find your recent reviews to be a lot more considerate of goalies who like other options), so watching this and having me agree with you nearly across the board is impressive.
My V6 pads were on their last legs and recently had Dennis make me a set of these Protos. This was after a long search struggling with the lack of flexible pads on the market (the V9 stock is not a flexible pad in my mind.)
These are without question the most interesting pad on the market and the fact that both you and I like them coming from opposite starting points says a lot. I find I get 98% of the benefits of a blocking pad with the flexibility to play the style I want. No other pad offers this flexibility on the market. They seal great. The pillow is ahead of its time. Plus they are certainly the lightest pad on the market today.
Now there is something to be said that they aren’t a V2 and they aren’t a stiff pad. You are giving up a little bit of the movement of the V2 or tight seal of a stiff style pad in choosing these. You can’t have it all, but you can get damn close with the Protos.
My biggest issue is that I find the strapping to be difficult to get consistent. The flexibility is great, but some games they feel amazing, but the next I struggled to figure out what I did. I think I’d prefer an inner and outer wrap system to allow them to hug my leg without having to strap them extremely tight. I’m very particular here though so I doubt others will have this issue.
For other minor issues I’m still deciding on the one piece sliding surface. If you are coming from a stiff pad, this is a no brainer, but I may have wanted the slight additional flexibility a two piece affords me. This appears to be the only Again, I’m a flexible pad guy. I would have also made the knee stack a little smaller (they are larger than standard due to the thinness of the pad), and would have gotten the outer roll. Again, just personal preferences here.
In all, these are minor concerns and Dennis would have made these changes if I asked. He’s an amazing guy. I really think they are in a league of their own and your positive review sort of proves that.
Related, while I am withholding my full judgment on the blocker, I will say, bar none, Dennis makes the best glove on the market. My god is it great.
@@moorecha What sort of price range is a Factory MAD glove in?
Same as any other major manufacturer. Think around $600.
@@moorecha around 600,correct. I got the catcher and a blocker the next year. The durability is amazing on both. The blocker palm looks brand-new, still. This is 3 seasons later. I can't believe it myself, but, I swear to god, puck marks aside you could never tell they're used for years.
The blocker face isn't as hot as a Warrior G3 but being able to have it positioned to custom preference and also requesting a more extensive finger-guard (that actually covers my fingers at ALL times) has a major benefit. My blocker palm is higher up on the board and that makes pucks shoot straight up in the air, usually fluttering like MAD. very hard to volley that in, I usually push playera aside and snag it with the glove before it's possible to knock it in with their stick. I have gotten used to this and I prefer it alot more as I have a better chance of catching the puck for a face-off in this manner.
Watching this video in hopes of finding a goalie who ordered stiff thigh-rises, I want to see how they are, before completing my set.
Aesthetic really reminds me of the old Don Simmons Matrix pads. Especially the fat calf / knee block panel
Which were a clone of the CCM Blockade pads!
That little angled piece on the knee block on warrior g5 is why i sold them after 5 uses LOL, I hated those fucken pads for that reason only. Like you said, the warriors are the ONLY pad I have ever landed on the face and was WTF just happened.
the gloves are beyond belief. durable and absolutely sucks in pucks like a black hole
make a review on your new custom true skates
Not enough time has passed yet for me to know if they will break down or not. Which was a problem after about 6 months of use in the other ones
Also waiting for True skate review!
So I have a question after seeing your comments about warrior pad rotation as it relates to the knee blocks - What is your opinion of the Bauer pads with the stiff integrated knee blocks? I forget, but I think they are currently in the hyperlites/3X series? Did your bauers or optiks have this? I'm really drawn to that feature, I don't use the RVH much but I'm trying to start using it more. I think I saw a Kaskisuo vid where he talked about a flexible knee block being better because of how one leans in and out over the pad in the RVH. I'm just curious if you have played in them and what you thought the pros and cons of a really stiff knee are. I'm also curious if you think Brian's could Make this, I think my ideal next set would be optik 3s when they drop.
I suggest you check this video out.
instagram.com/tv/CbQBmU6gF3D/?
Hi Matt, how did you measure your leg segments to find sizing? Does Dennis use FTK or ATK ?
He does instep to knee, while also taking in account of the skate size.
Super interesting review. I have warrior RGT2s and have definitely had some rotation issues. I will say that when I switched from the bauer vapor 1x knee pads (which you've said you use) to the warrior knee pads that came with the RGT2s it made big difference, but I definitely still have some stability issues.
Along those lines, I was wondering if you had a recommendation for a pad that is stiff enough to give off good rebounds but can be curved enough to cover up the 5 hole. I'd hoped the RGT2s would be a nice middle ground, but I've found that I've had to resort to old fashion bending (and likely damaging) to get that curve AND the rebounds seem pretty weak. Any recs you have would be greatly appreciated!
It really depends how curved you need the pad to be. Hyperlite and Ultrasonic pads are both more curved than Warriors stock and give off huge rebounds, but the softer the pad the less useful the thighrise becomes. But if you weren't having issues with the RGT2 thighrise in that sense both of those would be better options for rebounds than Warrior pads.
@@HockeyReviews Thanks for the quick reply! Of course it's the premium lines that always do the best job... I actually don't mind soft rebounds off the thigh rise themselves as they allow for a quick cover, but from the knee down I'd definitely prefer something hotter than what the RGT2s are giving me
The 3X pads will have similar features as the Hyperlite, so if you don't want to go with the full pop price they'd still be there and useful. I always just talk about the specific gear I look at and it is always the top lines for that case.
@@HockeyReviews Ah got it, that's helpful. Sounds like the next step is try on the 3X and 3S and see if I think I can get enough curve out of either to cover up my 5 hole. Thanks! I really appreciate the help
Good luck!
What 3m film would you use to help the slide?
Look for this stuff
vvividshop.ca/collections/paint-protection-films/products/3m-scotchgard-series-paint-protection-film-by-the-foot?variant=42706602247
Weight of the pad?
I don't weight pads anymore because I feel people focused too much on the weight itself when it really doesn't matter. The balance of the pad and how well they slide is more important.
At one point, the lightest pads I owned were the pads I tired out the quickest in, but everyone cared about the specific weight number.
I’m sorry but this looks like street hockey gear lol
Quality, performance and price say differently.
@@moorecha it was not supposed to be an insult I mean visually they look like street hockey pads