Valentin Nussbaumer's Stick: Bauer Vapor Hyperlite with a Custom Toe Hook

Soft flex, aggressive toe: Valentin Nussbaumer's stick is a good example of what a modern forward's stick looks like. We had his Bauer in our hands. Spec check.

Specs

• Model: Bauer Vapor Hyperlite (pro stock, name on the shaft)
• Flex: 77
• Curve: custom – strong toe hook, similar to a P28
• Shoots: Left
• Code on the shaft: 139812-O

Flex 77 and the Vapor Hyperlite

Bauer's Vapor line is a low-kick shaft: it bends low, close to the blade, and releases the puck accordingly fast. Combined with flex 77, that is a setup clearly built for the quick finish – wrist shot on the move, no long wind-up. The code 139812-O is an internal Bauer order number, not a publicly documented specification.

The curve: custom with a strong toe hook

Nussbaumer's blade is a custom curve – a pro version you can't buy in a shop. There is no code for it. What you can see: the bend sits far forward, and the blade hooks strongly at the toe. The closest known shape is the P28 – the toe curve many forwards play today. Whether Nussbaumer's blade has even more hook or a different twist we can't say seriously without measuring it.

What a blade like this is good for: the puck rolls off the toe and lifts quickly, toe drags and finishes from tight angles get easier. The price: the backhand takes more practice. More in the P28 guide.

The player

Valentin Nussbaumer, born on 25 September 2000 in Delémont, is a centre. In 2018 he was taken fourth overall in the CHL Import Draft by the Shawinigan Cataractes, and in 2019 the Arizona Coyotes drafted him in the seventh round (207th overall) of the NHL Draft.

Which SOYUZ matches?

The curve: the P28 is available on every SOYUZ from a single stick, and in the 3D Curve Lab you can rotate and compare it. The shaft: the Bauer Vapor is low kick, just like the SOYUZ AURORA and the SOYUZ STD PRO. If you want an even quicker release, go for the SOYUZ ARCANE (ultra-low kick). Which kick point suits you is explained in the kick point guide.

Not sure which curve suits your game? Take our 2-minute stick finder and find your model.

More spec checks

More Swiss players in the series: JJ Moser, Philipp Kurashev and Nico Hischier. The exact opposite of Nussbaumer's toe curve: Leon Draisaitl's flat blade.

👉 See the P28 in the 3D Curve Lab

👉 Configure your SOYUZ with the P28

All photos: ABSHockey. We couldn't find a freely licensed player photo of Valentin Nussbaumer, so the header image shows only the stick.