Tackla was a company (and still is) from Finland that had a pretty big popularity in the 80s and 90s in the NHL and other pro leagues. Just like Jofa (and a bunch of other smaller brands), once bigger companies started buying out the smaller ones their influence and reach became diminished and today these brands are relatively niche and I am guessing most people under 30 have never heard of them. At one point Tackla was one of the biggest hockey pant companies in the NHL, for more details on Tackla make sure you check out forums like ModSquad Hockey.
Watch the full review below and here on YouTube to see all of the detail and fit profile of the True Catalyst 9X4 hockey pants!
The most interesting feature of the True Catalyst 9X4 Pant (affiliate link) is the iBP (intelligent Body Protection protection pieces. Which are protective pieces made of a plastic frame and expanded polypropylene foam, of which they are removable and replaceable if they get damaged and broken… but I have yet to see where those parts are available to order for replacing and I have already seen cracks in the foam on all of the pieces I have taken out of the pants in this review. Which it isn’t an issue yet, I am unsure how long these will last and if they foam will fall out of the plastic frame in the near future.
While I love the idea of the iBP pads and caps and like how they can also be breathable with the circular holes in them, the rest of the pant isn’t the most protective hockey pant that I have worn. The iBP panels are protective and do a solid job, but the pants themselves are lacking protection on the butt and tailbone padding especially compared to my baseline pants in the pro stock CCM HP45 & CCM UCLP pants. Inner leg and thigh padding is basically non-existent in these pants and I have had even just saucer passes leaving bruising and being quite uncomfortable compared to my baselines and even some slimmer girdles I have been recently testing.
While I love the idea of True bringing over the Tackla line to the masses and North America… it is hard for me to recommend the True Catalyst 9X4 hockey pants (affiliate link) when they don’t give and advantage over my baseline pro stock pants. If you want lighter weight and more mobility there are better girdle options out there and if you want more protection you can grab the CCM pro stock pants I mentioned which will give you a better combination of weight and mobility.
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