Paul Bissonnette Equipment

Paul Bissonnette Might Be The Only Pro Hockey Player Who Speaks His Mind

Hockey players aren’t exactly known for their electric personalities. Instead, the biggest names in the game rely on platitudes and stock answers during interviews in an attempt not to ruffle any feathers or generate any bad press. In other words: Zzzzzzz. Thankfully, there are still a few NHLers who choose to follow in the footsteps of Brett Hull and Jeremy Roenick, two charismatic bigmouths who were as quick with their words as they were with the puck. Chief among the new school of silver-tongued skaters is Phoenix Coyotes enforcer Paul Bissonnette, whose cunning use of social media — his Twitter alter-ego @BizNasty2point0 has amassed over 500,000 followers — has made him one of the most popular players in the league. So, when we asked him about his favorite gear, you can bet he had a lot to say.

CCM RBZ HOCKEY STICK

Bissonnette isn’t exactly known for scoring goals, but this composite hockey stick features improved weight distribution and a constant stiffness all the way through the shaft that allows for a faster swing, and a constant kick point for maximum shot loading.“I’m using CCM. I’m sponsored by CCM and Reebok. I actually like their RBZ sticks , which use the same technology they use for their drivers.”

FOAM ROLLER

“It’s a piece of foam, about 3 to 4 feet long, and it helps roll out your legs and lower back. You don’t really have the time to get massages when you’re traveling a lot, especially when you’re with the team in hotel rooms, and we beat up our muscles so bad, it’s good if you have any pressure points or muscles that are sore, to just roll out whatever sore points you have, just stay on it and it will release the muscle. It’s essentially like getting a massage, but you’re doing it to yourself . I know a lot of hockey players use them for their glutes and quads during the season. They’re in every NHL locker room now. A lot gym monkeys just go in there and chuck the weights around just to get big, whereas we have to be more efficient. Throughout the years as you get older, especially with how advanced technology and training is, you learn that recovery, hydration and nutrition are just as important, if not more important, than the physical workout.”

FORD F-150

NIKE 5.0 FREE TRAINERS

iPHONE 5S

Professional athletes are almost always associated with flashy, high-priced cars, but not Bissonnette, whose salt-of-the-earth persona comes through in his choice of wheels. With tons of room to pack in your boys for a weekend trip to cottage country, or your hockey gear en route to a morning skate, there’s a reason its been Canada’s top-selling truck for 47 years and running. “I bought a Ford F-150. My grandpa used to work for Ford, so we got a discount, and I bought another one. They’re just so convenient. Everyone thinks, ‘Oh, it’s just a pickup truck,’ but they’re going to be the first ones calling you when they need some help.”A lot of people who don’t train professionally often underestimate the importance of a good running shoe. Specific running shoes are tailored for specific workouts, as Bissonnette explains here. “I don’t think you can beat Nike. When I’m just doing lifts I’ll use the 7.0s. If I want agility then the 3.0s are great, and if I want a mixture between the two, the 5.0s are great. I actually like the old 5.0s better than the new ones. I think they should bring them back. But it’s amazing what Nike does. They’ve got it all figured out.”No one spends more time on their smartphone than Bissonnette, who’s made a second career out of tweeting and Instagramming. So the next time he slaughters some troller in a Twitter feud, or picks up a girl using Instagram, it’s this standard-bearer that he’s doing it with. “I use an iPhone 5S . I know a lot of people think that I’m a big tech guy and I use a Samsung instead of an iPhone, but if you’re not a big tech-savvy guy and you just need it for very simple things, for instance tweeting and your basic apps, I don’t think you can beat the simplicity of an iPhone. I’ve rarely had problems.”