April 2017
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INDUSTRY NEWS

Adidas Puts CCM Hockey
Up For Sale 

ccmlogo Adidas announced plans in early March to sell the Canadian CCM Hockey brand as part of its plan to focus on athletic footwear and apparel. According to the Adidas annual report, net sales for CCM Hockey fell approximately 14 percent in 2016 from 2015.

Philippe Dube, the president of CCM Hockey, said this is a "great opportunity" for the brand to increase its hockey-equipment market share in an interview with The Globe and Mail of Toronto.

CCM was acquired in 2004 by Reebok, which was acquired shortly thereafter by Adidas.

Click here to read The Globe and Mail story.


EQUIPMENT CORNER

Ex-NHL Official and Player Suggests Advancements Causing More Injuries


Paul Stewart
Penguins star Sidney Crosby received significant attention recently after a slashing incident that did some significant damage to Ottawa defenseman Marc Methot. But former NHL player and referee Paul Stewart found an interesting group to blame in a blog post he wrote for HockeyBuzz.

Stewart believes a big factor in Methot's injury is the construction of his gloves and that most players have sacrificed protection for comfort with gloves that are shorter and softer. Stewart said a trend that started in the 1980s of gloves popularized by Mario Lemieux has made players more susceptible to hand injuries.

Stewart also has concerns with the safety of the elbow and shoulder pads and how much protection they provide. He believes equipment manufacturers are too focused on their bottom line instead of keeping the best players skating with their top lines.

Click here to read the full blog post.

Study: Layer of Foam in Shoulder Pads Could Reduce Severity of Impacts

Since 42 percent of NHL concussions result from shoulder-to-head hits, a study from Vancouver's Simon Fraser University determined the severity of those impacts could be greatly reduced with the addition of a layer of foam to shoulder pads.

Fifteen players from the Simon Fraser men's team and other teams were asked to throw the hardest shoulder checks they were comfortable delivering into the head of a research dummy. The dummy registered an average of 25 percent less head acceleration and 12 percent less rotational force when it was hit with pads containing extra foam.

The standard hockey shoulder pad has a thin covering of foam over the hard plastic shell. Simon Fraser researchers found an extra layer of softer foam on the outside could reduce the risk of concussions from shoulder-to-head hits.

Simon Fraser engineering science professor Stephen Robinovitch told CBC News he hopes to present his study to the NHL and hockey equipment manufacturers.

Click here to read the full story.


GIVING BACK

CCM Hockey Supports
Brooklyn Youth Program 

Pat LaFontaine
CCM Hockey donated more than $30,000 in hockey equipment to the Madison Square Boys & Girls Club in Brooklyn. The equipment will help kids sustain their interest in skating and hockey through the New York Islanders Sticks & Skates program, which provides free ice skating and hockey clinics to people of all ages in the community.

More than 100 boys and girls were in attendance when Islanders legend Pat LaFontaine, members of CCM and Brooklyn Sports & Entertainment surprised them with the gifts.

"CCM is always looking for ways to give back to local communities," said Sean Williams, VP of global marketing and North American sales for CCM, in a statement. "When we heard about the program, its mission and its need for equipment, we were excited about the opportunity to help." 


FASHION WATCH

Minnesota Wild's Zach Parise Honors Father's North Stars Legacy 

Zach Parise
The Minnesota Wild celebrated the 50th anniversary of the NHL coming to Minneapolis-St. Paul by wearing North Stars replica jerseys in warmups before its April 4 game with Carolina. 

The Wild's Zach Parise took it a step further by wearing the North Stars helmet and gloves his father J.P. Parise wore during his eight seasons with the North Stars.

Zach Parise also wears the same uniform number (11) with the Wild that his dad J.P. wore with the North Stars.

Click here to read more.


ON THE ICE

U.S. Women's National Team,
USA Hockey Reach Agreement 

The U.S. women's national hockey team and USA Hockey reached a contract agreement just days before players were set to boycott the IIHF World Championships. The contract addressed player issues with compensation and what it regarded as unfair treatment of girls' and women's programs.

The team's annual compensation will improve to roughly $70,000 per player, a source told ESPN. Bonuses could push that into six figures if they win the Olympics or world championships.

"(This) reflects everyone coming together and compromising in order to reach a resolution for the betterment of the sport," USA Hockey president Jim Smith said in a joint statement. "We'll now move forward together knowing we'll look back on this day as one of the most positive in the history of USA Hockey."

The U.S. women's team has won six of the last eight world titles and has medaled in every Olympics since women's hockey was added to the Winter Games in 1998.

Click here to read more.


JOIN OR RENEW NOW!
    
Now is the time to become a new member or renew your membership with the Hockey Dealers Association.  Click here to fill out an application and learn more about the benefits of being a part of the voice for hockey dealers.



 
Sincerely,
 

Marty's signature.jpg
Marty Maciaszek
mmaciaszek@nsga.org 
 

                      
 
        
 
                                                     
In This Issue
NSGA Management Conference & Team Dealer Summit
 
May 21-24, 2017

Registration remains open for the 53rd Annual NSGA Management Conference & 19th Annual Team Dealer Summit on May 21-24, 2017 in Scottsdale, Arizona. 

Join your colleagues for this event packed with a variety of opportunities, including education, networking, innovation and industry recognition. Legendary golf instructor Hank Haney is the keynote speaker. 

Please click here for more information.
 
Apply Now for HDA/SDC
Hockey Collaboration
 

The collaboration for the purchase of hockey equipment by U.S. hockey dealers between the HDA and National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) and SDC (Sports Distributors of Canada) continues to grow as it enters its third year.

 

Click here to learn more about how the collaboration works and to fill out an inquiry form to start the process. Members of the collaboration take advantage of access to various products and discounts to help their bottom line.

 

There is no obligation to complete the form. Criteria used by SDC to determine participation may include a minimum sales volume of $200,000 in annual wholesale hockey products, credit rating, proximity to existing members and meeting certain store standards.

 

Don't delay and inquire today! 

 

Did you know?

Most NHL fans would figure Gordie Howe to be the first player to score 50 goals for the Detroit Red Wings. The honor actually belongs to Mickey Redmond, who scored 52 in 1972-73 and broke the team record of 49 by Howe.
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