P88 Curve (Kane Curve) – the Most Balanced Blade in Hockey

Last updated: 14.09.2026

Few curves are as universally popular as the P88. It's the standard every other blade gets measured against: not extreme, not specialised, just reliable. If someone in a shop tells you “just take the P88, you can't go wrong” – that's not a dodge, it's fairly good advice.

The P88 at a Glance

Trait	P88
Curve type	Mid – curvature in the middle of the blade
Face (loft)	Moderately open, neutral
Toe shape	Round
Blade length	Medium
Lie	Usually 6
Difficulty	Easy – very forgiving
Ideal for	All-rounders, two-way forwards, defencemen, beginners

First Things First: Does Patrick Kane Even Play a P88?

No. And that isn't a footnote – it's probably the most common misconception around this blade.

We held Kane's real pro stock blade. It carries the code PRO1088, descends from the old retail P10 “Shanahan” and has a square toe – the retail P88 has a round one. Side by side, the two blades look clearly different.

None of this makes the P88 any worse. It just means: buy it because it suits you – not because of the name on the packaging.

Technical Characteristics

Mid Curve

A true mid curve – neither heel- nor toe-weighted. The puck sits where you expect it while stickhandling, and it doesn't drift unexpectedly toward the tip when you shoot.

Moderately Open Face

Enough loft for a natural shot trajectory, but without the automatic lift of a P92 or P28. Your shots go where you aim – not where the blade sends them. That's why it has a reputation for precision.

Round Toe

The most underrated advantage of the P88. A round toe helps with intercepting bouncing pucks, with poke checks and with handling in tight spaces – everywhere a pointed or square blade lets the puck tip away.

Medium Blade Length

The balance between handling, passing and shooting. Short blades are more agile, long ones give more surface – the P88 deliberately sits in between.

Lie 6

Suits the neutral skating stance of most players. If you skate very upright or very low, it's worth a look at the flex and lie guide.

Strengths and Weaknesses

Where it's strong	Where it's weaker
Very precise wrist and snap shots	Less automatic lift than a P92
Controlled stickhandling	Toe shots not as explosive as on a P28
Clean pass reception	Possibly too neutral for pure snipers
Excellent backhand	No “wow factor” – it doesn't stand out
No surprises on the shot	–

Which Type of Player Is It For?

• Centres and wingers with an all-round game: balance between stickhandling, passing and shooting.
• Two-way forwards: stability in every situation, in both directions.
• Defencemen: easy chipping, safe passes from the blue line, good control on shots out of a turn.
• Beginners and young players: the neutrality helps you learn technique cleanly instead of masking mistakes.
• Players coming off extreme curves: anyone who never warmed to a P28 often ends up here.

P88 + ¼ – the Raised Version

We also offer the P88 as a P88 + ¼: the same base shape, but with a raised blade and therefore slightly more blade surface. Useful if the standard P88 basically suits you but you'd like a bit more area for pass reception and puck coverage.

You'll find this option in our Pro Custom configuration. 👉 To the configurator

P88 Compared to PM9, P92 and P28

Curve	Type	Difficulty	Strengths	Weaknesses
PM9	Heel	Easy	Maximum control, best backhand	Barely any lift, no toe play
P88	Mid	Easy	Precision, handling, control	Less automatic height
P92	Mid, open	Medium	Easy high shots, good one-timers	Shots rise quickly
P28	Toe	High	Toe release, quick shots	Passing and backhand harder

The order in that table doubles as a learning curve: PM9 and P88 forgive mistakes, P92 and P28 reward technique and punish sloppiness.

P88 vs P92 and P28 – the Measured Numbers

These three blades can be measured, not just described. The values below come from our CAD measurement of all 159 curves, each one the standard variant of its family.

Curve	Length mm	Height mm	Offset middle mm	Offset toe mm
P88	276.3	72.4	2.0	4.9
P92	287.7	74.8	6.2	10.9
P28	273.1	74.1	5.6	11.6

The lie deliberately isn't in this table: it isn't a fixed value per curve, it depends on the blade variant. → What the lie angle means and what it's for

The gap is widest at the toe: 4.9 mm of offset on the P88 against 10.9 mm on the P92 and 11.6 mm on the P28 – less than half the curvature out front. In the middle of the blade the difference is relatively larger still, 2.0 mm against 6.2 and 5.6 mm. The P88's curve therefore starts latest and stays flatter across the whole blade; the P92 is already bending noticeably at mid-blade, while the P28 saves its bend for the toe and then applies the most of it. The P88 is also the shortest of the three at 276.3 mm and the lowest at 72.4 mm.

• Compare P88 and P92 in 3D
• Compare P88 and P28 in 3D
• All curves in the comparison table

Brand equivalents: P88 ≈ Bauer P88 · CCM P88 · Warrior W88 · True MC. P92 ≈ Bauer P92 · CCM P29 · Warrior W03 · True TC2. P28 ≈ Bauer P28 · CCM P28 · Warrior W28 · True TC4.

What's measured here is the retail P88, not the blade from the NHL – we held Kane's real blade in our hands.

When the P88 Almost Fits – but Not Quite

A common pattern: players like the control of a P88 but want more bite on the shot. That's exactly what the pro derivatives built on the P88 are for.

The best-known example is the PRO71, sold as the “Malkin Pro”: from the heel onward largely a P88, but with a toe hook in the last quarter of the blade. You keep the backhand and the pass reception and gain extra help up front on quick shots. → Malkin's stick in detail

Not to be confused with our SOYUZ P71 – that's the Kovalchuk blade and a pronounced toe curve, so something entirely different.

The other route leads to the P28 – there the curvature builds gradually toward the tip, with a far more open toe. That's the bigger jump.

Verdict

The P88 isn't a blade that impresses you. It's a blade that works – in every position, in every situation, at every level. Its greatest advantage is also what makes it unspectacular: it does exactly what you expect.

It's the right choice if you want precise wrist shots, value maximum puck control, or simply want a neutral all-round pattern that never surprises you.

Not sure whether the P88 fits your game? Take our 2-minute stick finder and find your model.

Related Guides

• The big curve guide – every pattern at a glance
• Does Patrick Kane really play the P88?
• The PRO71 – a P88 with a toe hook
• P92 / P29 – the versatile mid curve
• P28 – the toe curve
• PM9 – maximum control and backhand
• P90TM – the modern alternative
• Choosing the right flex

👉 Build your SOYUZ stick with the P88 curve

Look at the P88 from every angle in the 3D Curve Lab before you decide – as a custom stick it can be ordered from a single piece.