Warrior Alpha Vs Covert: What Are The Differences Between Each?

The difference between the Alpha and Covert hockey sticks comes down to handling. The Alpha delivers extra power for deking, dragging, and shooting both snap and slap shots. The Covert suits those who opt for finesse play with snap and wrist shots and prefer a mid to low kick for best play results.

The Warrior Sports Alpha and Covert range have a reputation for excellent quality hockey products, and each of the Warrior lines has its own unique qualities. If you want to find out which of the two would suit your play best, I have provided you with the ins and outs of the two iconic lines to help you decide.

Who Is Warrior Sports?

Warrior Sports has built its reputation from the company’s inception in 1992. The company was acquired by New Balance Athletic Shoe Inc.in 2004 and has gone from strength to strength in the hockey equipment and apparel industry.

Based in Warren, Michigan, they continue to make strides in adapting technology and play for the ultimate high-performance hockey range. The Alpha DX hockey stick range is scientifically engineered to deliver maximum response and performance.

The company introduced the Alpha range in 2017 to extend its successful Covert and Dynasty range and to further dominate the market for cutting-edge equipment footwear and accessories for lacrosse and hockey.

What Is the Warrior Covert Range?

The covert range is engineered for players who prefer quick release snapshots and suits players who prize their stickhandling ability. Utilizing innovative  1500D carbon fiber, their sticks are lightweight and durable. 

They also provide an outstanding balance to ensure players deliver an explosive firing release during play. Their range also includes patented helmets, gloves, pants, and sticks that provide maximum play protection and performance.

Who Is Suited to the Warrior Covert Range?

The covert range suits those whose game style does not rely on big slap shots but instead prefer to create their own offense with snap and wrist shots.

If you rely on passes and quick shots and prefer to play down low, the Covert’s intelligent design range the fastest release shots on the market. The high-flex points and softer feel are for players who feel stickhandling and lightning-quick response times.

The angular edge design provides rounded corners for maximum puck sensitivity in your shots’ play, and energy is engineered for maximum power in quick-release play. Ultimately the Covert range relies on strategy and superior ball handling to win the game and not those who use power shots to slam the puck home.

Warrior Covert Hockey Sticks Features

The Warrior COVERT QRE10 stick is their flagship model and incorporates a host of features on the cutting edge of innovation and technology in the hockey-stick manufacturing field. These features include:

1. The Covert QRE10 has a tapered edge with an angular, tapered gradient that ensures a potent and concentrated firing release. With the tapered technology, the player has an enhanced feel of the puck in play for greater maneuverability and handling.
2. A patented 25k carbon weave around a lightweight polymer core creates a tough and textured blade that delivers durability, and enhanced puck feels and grip.
3. The 1500D unidirectional carbon design combines lightweight maneuverability with wear-resistant technology that ensures your blade lasts.
4. Shadow feels technology delivers a stick with the ultimate balance and control during play.
5. The Covert range places texture zones where you need them for grip and leaves areas smooth so you can slide your hands in puck battles and face-offs.
6. The enlarged control surface aids better stick handling while still complying with the game regulations. 

Warrior Covert Gloves Features

The Warrior Covert QR10 gloves offer maximum protection and anatomical conformity while allowing maximum flexibility for player movement. They allow for enhanced puck control and shooting accuracy while protecting critical areas of vulnerability from slash damage.

With the Warrior trademark of innovative design in hockey apparel, the  QR10 gloves offer features such as:

1. Tapered glove contours fit the wrist, allowing freedom of movement, and increased protection for injury without being bulky or impeding free movements.
2. Patented cuff technology provides exceptional mobility for stickhandling while delivering maximum protection from injury.
3. Specialized thumb and foam mesh gussets deliver flexibility and an enhanced range of the hand and fingers for dexterity.
4. Anatomical backhand stretch conforms to the hand’s natural action and delivers a soft feel for greater sensitivity in play.
5. Foam protection with shielding inserts absorb impact and protect vulnerable areas of the hand and wrist.
6. Enhanced abrasion reinforcement in critical areas of the hand increases durability without sacrificing motion.
7. Polyhygiene inners allow for airflow and moisture control and help prevent odors.

Warrior Covert Pants Features

The Covert range offers its innovative take on hockey pants with a design that is both lightweight and allows player mobility. The Covert taper fit conforms to a player’s natural playing posture with a tapered fit to provide a sleeker profile. The adjustable leg extensions provide a zippered gusset for up to 1,’’  and the MPAX foam enhances dexterity. 

The Warrior Covert hockey pants also offer a premier denier nylon outer weave to prevent wear and provide stretch. Players may customize their fit with front suspender pull straps and adjustable inseam gussets to suit any player shape. Expect the Warrior trademark Ploygiene to keep your pants cool and dry for comfortable play.

What Is the Warrior Alpha Range?

The Warrior Alpha Range is a versatile stick that allows your grip to dictate whether you need a low-kick or mid-sized kick with excellent accuracy. The Alpha range has extended its kick point, and the 1400D flatweave carbon enhances both power and durability. The patented FuelCore blade makes shots pop while still providing durability and long wear.

Who Is Suited to the Warrior Alpha Range?

The Alpha range was created to suit players who want extra power on their shots but don’t want to sacrifice puck feel and lightweight maneuverability. This versatile stick combines the Convert technology for enhanced response and stickhandling with a higher flex point and stiffness for power shots. 

The Alpha is a stick for players who want to lean into their sticks and drive both snap and slap shots. This stick suits those who want responsiveness and feel in their play and the option to release explosive one-timers.

Warrior Alpha Hockey Sticks Features

The Alpha range delivers both precision and power for great versatility in play. Alpha has taken all the best features of the Covert for exceptional stickhandling and lightning-quick wrist and snap shots.

With the Covert features, they have added the Alpha torsionally stiff mid-low flex arc and higher taper stiffness to deliver powerful slap shots. The flagship stick of the Alpha range is the Alpha DX model, which includes patented features such as:

• The patented FuelCore blade combined with the tapered design construction delivers a dynamic strike performance.
• Low kick response with easy loading and a powerful and fast release for greater accuracy in play allows you to score from anywhere with power and precision.
• Lightweight construction enhances puck feel and maneuverability without sacrificing durability and providing you with long wear for extended play.
• The 1400D flatweave carbon offers enhanced elasticity and durability without adding on unnecessary weight. 
• Phantom Feel technology provides a one-piece stick construction that is balanced and lightweight for enhanced feel and puck control.
• The new angular edge taper drives energy through the hosel to deliver maximum response and power to both snap, wrist, and slap shots.

Warrior Alpha Helmets Features

The Warrior company set out to tackle the challenges presented by the sheer variety of potential impacts to a hockey player when on the ice. They realized that not all impacts were addressed by modern helmet technology, such as the elbow and shoulder strikes during play.

To address these issues, Warrior partnered with Biokinetics, a biochemical specialist, to create a helmet range that ensures protection from as many possible impacts as possible. Using real-time play data, they collaborated to produce enhanced engineering in impact protection. 

The Alpha helmet is formulated explicitly for hockey and includes features such as:

• The Alpha helmet places specialized IMAX pods in strategic areas to diffuse impact, and the EPP foam liner and protective shell work in tandem to deliver an alow-profile hockey helmet
• AdaptFit technology pulls the helmet liner comfortably and securely to your head with micro-adjusted dial fitting. These features ensure that each helmet is easily customized to suit your unique dimensions securely.
• The advanced plastic polymer shell provides maximum protection while remaining lightweight for ease of movement during play.
• The Warrior Cage adjustment system allows a 10-mm range to ensure that the cage fits your face correctly into the cage.

Alpha DX Glove VS. Covert QR Gloves

The Covert QR glove introduces AxyFlex patented three-piece design that allows the cuff and cuff roll to move independently. This patented design offers players enhanced mobility and flex. The added Smart Palm+ Gatorskin palm inlay has a binding free outer lining for greater sensitivity and sticks. 

The Covert also has increased stretch on the backhand gives a sensation of the glove being broken in straight out of the box.

The Alpha DX boasts patented flexibility making the alpha the best option for stickhandling and control.

The Alpha glove’s edge is its hybrid-fit design, which is unlike any glove on the market and the cuff is attached to the body of the glove with an elastic material that ensures fit and protection from slash injury. 

The Alpha gloves step up the protection level with the Phantom Foam Bone System In the cuff, backhand cuff, cuff roll as well as the thumb lock for maximum protection from slash or block injuries.

With the black charino overlay, moisture slips are a thing of the past, and players can execute snap and slap shots with ease. Alpha gloves are the best option for maximum protection and a flexible feel.

Alpha Glove Features Breakdown:

The Alpha range of hockey gloves provides a great range of flexibility while delivering maximum protection during play. They offer an enhanced range of motion while fitting to your hand securely and protecting from slash injuries and other playing hazards.

The Alpha glove range introduced great new features such as:

• The traditional four-roll structure is given enhanced anatomical contouring, which provides players with greater puck control while still offering superior protection.
• Hybrid flex cuffs cover the areas commonly injured by slashes without compromising flexibility and free movement.
• The patented yellow liner incorporates Polygiene technology to keep your hands clean, dry, and free from odor.

Dynamic Strike Protective Wear

The Alpha Dynamic Strike protective range delivers superior fit and protection without compromising free movement during play. Players can be confident that their protective wear will stand up against hits while being able to maneuver their way to the net and score. 

The Alpha ranges offer  innovations that set their protective wear apart from the competition; these features include:

• Sleek, low profile shoulder caps are lightweight and provide maximum motion while protecting players from opponents and collisions.
• The DX shell provides an EVA foam that is compression molded to protect key impact areas and provide additional protection where it is needed most.
• The DX range is customizable to adapt to player dimensions through an adjustable strap system that conforms easily to the player’s body shape.
• The internal jacket provides enhanced ventilation keeping the player cool and helps moisture evaporation.
• The inner liner provides Polygiene protection to keep players clean, cool, and odor-free.

Three-piece elbow protection

The Warrior, high density and lightweight shell contain the patented EVA compression molded foam that protects the elbows in key impact zones. The adaptable sling wrap system places the elbow firmly in the protected pocket for slip-proof security and protection from player impact or injury. 

The molded slash and bicep guards are lightweight and allow for natural movement while delivering top-tier protection. Players may also remain cool and odor-free with the Warrior trademark Polygiene inner lining that provides ventilation and enhances moisture absorption.

Warrior Alpha Slash and Calf Guards

Unlike the Covert line, Alpha offers slash and calf guards with a versatile strap system that holds the knee in the knee pocket to protect players from impact. The guard is perforated and lightweight with a sling wrap system to secure key impact areas. 

Are You an Alpha or a Covert?

Sticks

The Covert QRE has a mid to low kick point, so sits below the hands and up the shaft somewhat. The QRE suits those finesse players who like to get their hands in tight and focus on getting the puck up quickly. The rounded edge shaft enhances puck feel and the softer blade feel makes loading easy. 

The Alpha DX has an ultra-low kick point for players who like to lean into their sticks and get low down and close to the blade. The Alpha suits players who prefer a heavier load on a shot and enjoy big slap shots, hard snap shots and one timers. 

With the added shot power of the DX, players can enjoy the increased torsion and stiffness of the blade for power shots from anywhere on the rink. This stick is perfect for players who enjoy winding up and releasing huge one timers and not only battle along the boards.

Both the Alpha and the Covert deliver exceptional quick release, but the Apha delivers that extra bit of power in play. Ultimately both the Alpha and the Covert are exceptional products and cater to different styles of play.

Gloves  

The Covert gloves are a more anatomical fitting glove while the Alpha has a more traditional 4 roll with a tapered design. The Alpha has a more free-floatingfloating feel, while the Covert has more breaks along the top and a tighter palm fit. 

The Coverts higher density foam offers the upper hand in protection while the buttersoft Alpha delivers heightened sensitivity and maneuverability.

NHL Players who Use Warrior Products?

The Stick Guru calculated that 19.7% of NHL players use the Warrior Sports brand in professional play, which is rather impressive. Of these players, almost 8% chose the Covert QRL, and 4.7% prefer the Alpha Qx.

NHL players who use the Covert QRL:

• Erik Karlsson
• Max Domi
• BrendanGallagher.

NHL Players that use the Warrior Alpha sticks are:

• Nicholas Backstrom
• Brandon Saad
• Johnny Gaudreau.

Pro Stock Hockey reports that 25.4 percent of the NHL uses the Warrior Sports brand, of which most opt for the Covert QRL, which shows that most players opt for the added safety of the Covert gloves ranges over the more sleek Alpha option. 

Conclusion

The Warrior Sports brand will continue to dominate the hockey industry by delivering superior quality products on the cutting edge of technology and engineering. The Alpha range offers a larger range of hockey apparel and has harnessed real-time data from play to improve and enhance their product performance. 

They will continue to dominate the ice in the future, and hopefully, you will be in the rink with the Alpha or Covert that suits your style all the way to the win.