Bauer vs True: which do NHL players use?
Today 442 NHL skaters wear Bauer skates and 63 wear True (65% against 9%). On sticks it is 280 Bauer against 24 True (41% against 4%). 29 skaters use both brands somewhere in their setup.
Today in the NHL
| Gear | Bauer | True | More used | On record |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Sticks | 41% (280) | 4% (24) | Bauer | 682 |
| Skates | 65% (442) | 9% (63) | Bauer | 684 |
| Gloves | 41% (284) | 3% (24) | Bauer | 686 |
| Helmets | 46% (314) | 0% (0) | Bauer | 685 |
| Pants | 45% (311) | 0% (0) | Bauer | 684 |
| Goalie skates | 17% (12) | 78% (56) | True | 72 |
| Catchers | 28% (20) | 53% (38) | True | 72 |
| Blockers | 29% (21) | 53% (38) | True | 72 |
| Masks | 39% (28) | 11% (8) | Bauer | 72 |
Share of current NHL players with that piece on record (goalies counted only for goalie gear). Other brands make up the rest.
Sticks
682 skaters with a stick brand on record
Most used Bauer: Bauer Vapor FlyLite (128) · Bauer Nexus Tracer (41) · Bauer Supreme Fuse (35) · Bauer Pulse 2 (34)
Most used True: TRUE Catalyst Nitro (12) · TRUE HZRDUS Smoke (8) · TRUE HZRDUS 9X4 (4)
Skates
684 skaters with a skates brand on record
Most used Bauer: Bauer Vapor FlyLite (209) · Bauer Supreme Shadow (107) · Bauer Vapor HyperLite 2 (68) · Bauer Supreme Fuse (37)
Most used True: TRUE SVH Custom (54) · TRUE Catalyst 9X4 (7) · TRUE TF Pro (1) · TRUE Catalyst Pro (1)
Gloves
686 skaters with a glove brand on record
Most used Bauer: Bauer Vapor HyperLite (146) · Bauer Supreme Mach (77) · Bauer Pro Series (28) · Bauer Vapor FlyLite (25)
Most used True: TRUE Catalyst 9X (23) · TRUE Pro 4-Roll (1)
Helmets
685 skaters with a helmet brand on record
Most used Bauer: Bauer Re-Akt 150 (196) · Bauer Re-Akt 3D (51) · Bauer Re-Akt 95 (27) · Bauer 4500 (21)
By position
| Position | Bauer sticks | True sticks | Bauer skates | True skates |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Centers | 44% | 3% | 62% | 11% |
| Left wings | 38% | 5% | 66% | 12% |
| Right wings | 34% | 4% | 58% | 11% |
| Defensemen | 43% | 3% | 69% | 5% |
Players who mix Bauer and True
Bauer skates, True stick: 4 players. Connor Clifton, Timo Meier, Vladislav Namestnikov, Brady Tkachuk
True skates, Bauer stick: 11 players. Lian Bichsel, Nick DeSimone, Conor Garland, Wyatt Johnston, Mason Marchment, Jack McBain, Casey Mittelstadt, Zayne Parekh, Adam Pelech, Martin Pospisil, Logan Stankoven
Bauer vs True by decade
| Decade | Bauer sticks | True sticks | Players | Bauer skates | True skates | Players |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| The 1960s | 1% | 0% | 83 | 9% | 0% | 11 |
| The 1970s | 0% | 0% | 105 | 9% | 0% | 11 |
| The 1980s | 0% | 0% | 118 | 36% | 0% | 11 |
| The 1990s | 13% | 0% | 143 | 51% | 0% | 35 |
| The 2000s | 22% | 0% | 160 | 42% | 0% | 36 |
| The 2010s | 35% | 0% | 198 | 46% | 0% | 52 |
| The 2020s | 54% | 0% | 850 | 67% | 0% | 792 |
Share of players with a stick or skates brand on record in that decade (a player who used both counts for both). Older decades rest on the records that survive, so they are a sample. Brands that changed hands are listed under the name on the gear.
Quick answers
Do more NHL players use Bauer or True skates?
Bauer. 442 of the 684 NHL skaters with a skates brand on record use Bauer (65%), against 63 on True (9%).
Do more NHL players use Bauer or True sticks?
Bauer. 280 of the 682 NHL skaters with a stick brand on record use Bauer (41%), against 24 on True (4%).
Are Bauer or True skates better?
No record can say which is better for you: fit depends on your foot, and both brands make several skate lines with different fits. What the records show is use: of the 684 NHL skaters with a skate brand on record, 442 wear Bauer (65%) and 63 wear True (9%). Try both on before you buy.
Which gloves do more NHL players wear, Bauer or True?
Bauer. 284 of the 686 NHL skaters with a gloves brand on record use Bauer (41%), against 24 on True (3%).
More
Every Bauer player · Every True player · What the NHL uses today · Gear leaderboards
More matchups: Bauer vs CCM · Bauer vs Warrior · CCM vs Warrior · CCM vs True · Warrior vs True
Current setups as logged by GearGeek and Ice Warehouse pro player pages; decades from Rink Buddy's dated, sourced records. Pros often use pro-stock versions of retail models.