I skated on these blades all of last year and although I had an early design edition and had some problems with recharging, I can tell you that they definitely work. They do make a difference as advertised. I'm looking forward to the newest edition with the battery improvement and will be upgrading mine for sure!

From Feb 8, 2008...Fanhouse. When Therma Blades were introduced late last year, the biggest concern about the electric heated skates were that they might increase the speed of players to the point where collisions could become all the more dangerous. But the cart was before the horse on that criticism, because if the company -- part-owned by Wayne Gretzky -- doesn't convince the NHLPA that these blades work, then this fad is over before it starts. Rick Westhead of the Toronto Star reports today that out of the five players that tested the blades -- Toronto's Mark Bell, Chicago's Martin Lapointe, Detroit's Kris Draper, Edmonton's Marty Reasoner and Calgary's Matthew Lombardi -- only Reasoner gave them a thumbs-up. Lapointe claimed the blades didn't always heat up. Draper didn't notice any difference in his skating. These reviews from practices and games have caused the NHLPA to hold back an endorsement of the product, which the NHL, Hockey Canada and USA Hockey have already approved: NHLPA executive director Paul Kelly said the union has concerns that the blades don't deliver as promised – especially considering their price tag. "Before we give our approval or endorsement to a hockey product that will increase the cost to the average family, we should take steps to ensure that this product indeed performs as advertised," Kelly said. Sam McCoubrey, Therma Blade's vice-president of sales and marketing, said he couldn't understand the criticism. "I'm not sure that wearing them twice qualifies Kris Draper to denounce the blades." Even with the small sample size, this is a PR disaster for Therma Blade. Westhead quotes Hockey Canada's chief executive as saying it will withdraw its endorsement if the product doesn't deliver on its promise. But, as usual, a bigger embarrassment befalls the NHL: Kris King, senior manager of hockey operations, told the Star that the League approved the blades after determining they were safe but without ever testing them for performance. Is it too much to ask for a basic level of competence from these guys once in a while?

Adding a battery to the blade? What's next? Why not add a motor to go faster? If it does improve speed then it seems to be an unfair advantage for those players with the new blades. So then everyone can get them. Then the kids will all want them. I swore I'd never get my kid a composite stick but eventually gave in. I might as well order put his current skates on eBay.

It seems like Thermablade's time has come. The skate has needed this type of tech advancement for years. The stick got lighter, the pads got thinner, the ice got better and now the skate is about to get faster. The fact that these skates make skating more precise will allow players to manoeuvre more effectively which, I am sure, will reduce unnecessary collisions on the ice. I know many nay-sayers grumble over new ideas, but as Einstein once said, creativity always finds opposition.

If I had these skates and talent I could have made it to the NHL.