Hockey stick and related method of manufacture

A method for forming a hockey stick comprising:

• providing a tapered hosel including a continuously varying cross-section along a substantial portion of its length, the hosel terminating at a shaft end at which it defines an opening;
• overlaying a mandrel with plies of fiber to define an uncured shaft;
• and
• bladder-molding the uncured shaft while partially seated within the hosel opening to obtain a cured shaft, wherein the cured shaft includes a substantially constant cross-section that is flush with the tapered hosel at the hosel opening.

A method for making a composite hockey stick comprising:

• providing a cured blade defining a socket that includes an aperture defined by an outer surface of the blade;
• inserting an uncured hosel in the socket, wherein a substantial portion of the hosel extends outside of the socket;
• bladder-molding the uncured hosel in a first mold to obtain a cured hosel rigidly fused to the blade, the cured hosel terminating in a periphery distal from the blade to define an opening, wherein the cured hosel defines a continuously varying cross-section along a substantial portion of its length;
• inserting an uncured shaft with the opening, wherein a substantial portion of the uncured shaft extends outside of the opening;
• and
• bladder-molding the uncured shaft in a second mold while partially seated within the hosel opening to obtain a cured shaft, wherein the cured shaft defining a substantially uniform cross-section extending from the hosel to and end portion of the cured shaft.