The amount of wrong information in this video is staggering. Players didn't historically tape their blades for puck control. It was to help, when combined with wax, prevent "snow" from building up on the blade, and secondarily to protect the blade from damage somewhat. The build up of snow would cause issues controlling the ball. Yes, taping the stick pre-dates the invention of the now famous hockey puck. Tape actually presents a barrier between the stick and puck which dampens the "feel". This is why a lot of players only tape certain parts of their blade. Yes, some players also feel it improves their puck control, but largely this is from tradition. The lack of snow build up improved puck handling ... that advice over the years was shortened to "taping your blade improves stick handling" ... leaving out the "because it prevents snow buildup on the blade" part. Also, WTF is he talking about not taping toe to heel because you're skating forward and it will mess up your tape? That is literally one of the dumbest things I have ever heard ... air or ice friction is not enough to peel back well seated tape. Even if true (it isn't) consider when you actually use your stick in a game, the blade is RARELY on the ice pointed directly in front of you.. Also, keep in mind that when you pass or shoot, the puck does not slide across the surface of the blade ... it rolls (i.e. spins). Therefore, you tape toe to heel if you want more spin on the puck when you shoot. This orientation of the tape effectively creates a downward slope out of the surface of the blade, due to the layering of tape, when you shoot as the puck moves from heel to toe. We know this because of actual scientific studies that have been done. Some players think the extra spin will help a puck "squeak through" a goalie's pads, so they tape toe to heel. You tape heel to toe if you want the puck to come off the blade quicker. Because, a puck that is spinning more travels slower than a puck that is spinning less (all other things being equal ... again, science), some players (most in the NHL actually) prefer to puck to come off the blade quicker, so they tape heel to toe. The inverse of the above, the heel-to-toe orientation creates an "uphill" slope (through the resistance of the ridges between strips of tape) when shooting which slows the rotation of the puck.
