Every year before the NHL All-Star game, players compete for the title of fastest slapshot in the league. This year's winner: Boston Bruins' mammoth defenseman, Zdeno Chara, with a 105.4 mph shot, a skills competition all-time record. (However, hockey great Bobby Hull's slapshot was once recorded at 118.3 mph - and Hull is almost a foot shorter than Chara.)

The greater the bend, the more the recoil, so the higher the potential energy release. This also leads to a longer stick/puck contact time, increasing acceleration.

For an in-depth look at the slapshot from a current pro, check out this link: an explanation of the force of a slapshot (and even a brief cameo by a lightsaber!) courtesy of Washington Capitals winger Matt Bradley (known as Professor Bradley on the Caps' Red Line Monday program).
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