Hockey sticks have evolved over time, with many changes in materials and manufacturing in the past two decades. The earliest hockey sticks were made of wood from Nova Scotias ironwood trees, and these sticks were carved, one-piece, solid wood sticks. In the 1920s, the first two-piece wood sticks were created, merging the blade with the shaft at a glued joint. Three-piece sticks came along soon after, and these wood hockey sticks were the norm for about 50 years. The one change during those years was the addition of fiberglass.

Todays hockey sticks are technological marvels. Carbon fiber, also known as graphite, is one of the most popular materials. Many sticks these days are not a single material but several. Kevlar is one popular component adding strength and durability to the stick. And titanium is sometimes added as a composite. Composite hockey sticks are the most popular today. These hockey sticks are made from carbon fiber sheets impregnated with partially cured resin. Composite shafts are made by fusing up to 15 layers of carbon fiber sheets using epoxy resin. Sheets are laid in opposite directions for optimum strength. The hockey stick blade is mostly foam. Each foam core is soaked in resin and covered in carbon sheets.

In summary, hockey sticks were originally made of wood, but todays sticks are made of composite materials such as carbon fiber, Kevlar, and titanium. The blade of a hockey stick is primarily made of foam, and the core of a hockey blade improves the feel for the puck and the pop of the puck off the blade.