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INDUSTRY NEWS
Kevin Davis Out in Management Shakeup at Performance Sports Group
 A management shakeup at Performance Sports Group, the parent company of Bauer, led to the immediate departure of Chief Executive Officer Kevin Davis on March 22. The PSG Board of Directors appointed Chief Financial Officer Amir Rosenthal as the interim CEO.
The move comes in the wake of PSG lowering its fiscal year guidance in early March and a New York Post report that the company was being questioned about misstatements of revenue. Davis had been the CEO since 2008.
Rosenthal, who will also remain President, PSG Brands, joined PSG in 2008 and previously held the role of CFO and Executive Vice President Finance and Administration with the Company. In his role as CFO, Rosenthal was instrumental in leading PSG's initial public offering and listing on the Toronto Stock Exchange in 2011, as well as the U.S. listing on the New York Stock Exchange nearly two years ago.
PSG also announced that Daniel Friedberg, the president and CEO of Sagard Capital Partners Management Corp., has been appointed to the company's board of directors, effective immediately.
Bauer Named Exclusive
Equipment Supplier of NAHL
 The North American Hockey League (NAHL) announced that Bauer has been named the exclusive equipment supplier of the 22-team junior league. Through this three-year agreement, Bauer will provide all NAHL teams with sticks, pants, gloves and helmets.
The NAHL is the only USA Hockey-sanctioned Tier II junior league and it has teams in 10 states. The league graduates hundreds of its players to NCAA hockey each year, which during the current 2015-16 season includes approximately 150 Division I commitments. Patrick Kane of the Chicago Blackhawks, Ryan Kesler of the Anaheim Ducks and James van Riemsdyk of the Toronto Maple Leafs are just a few of the alumni who once played in the NAHL.
Click here to read more about the Bauer-NAHL partnership.
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EQUIPMENT CORNER
NHL to Reduce Size of Goalie
Equipment for 2016-17
 NHL goaltenders will be cut down to size to start the 2016-17 season.
A presentation to require goalies wear equipment better suited to their body size was delivered at the NHL's annual General Managers' meetings in mid-March. The initiative will reduce the sizes of pants and upper-body equipment and cut out some of the unnecessary extra
padding
which doesn't protect goalies but gives them an unfair advantage.
Some of the NHL's top goalies pushed for the change to make the position more about skill and less about using large equipment to stop shots. Goalies not in compliance with the rules would face a two-game suspension, which is already in effect but will be enforced more rigidly next season, and fines.
"If it takes a little more skill to play the position so be it," former NHL goalie and senior director of hockey operations Kay Whitmore said. "Does this make scoring go up? I don't know. That's to be seen and that's not why we did it. This was done (because) we felt there were inequities within the goalies themselves and the best goalies have come out and said that. And that's what's driving the bus here."
Whitmore said manufacturers of goalie gear will have enough sizes to make the streamlined equipment needed for the changes. The new equipment is expected to be ready in the summer and it could be used in the World Cup in Toronto in mid-September.
Turn Back the Clock:
What the Players Wore in the '90s
 Hockey Equipment and fashion have changed quite a bit since the 1990s.
Click here to take a look back at what hockey players were wearing, like the pants and overalls, in that era.
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FUTURE OF THE GAME
Ex-NBA Player Believes
eSports Will Surpass NHL
 Former NBA player and Toronto native Rick Fox believes the NHL will not be considered one of North America's "big four" professional sports within two years. Fox told TMZ Sports that eSports, which is competitive video gaming, and not the NHL will be alongside Major League Baseball, the NFL and the NBA.
Fox owns eSports team Echo Fox, which competes in the North American League of Legends Championship Series. Former NBA star Shaquille O'Neal and baseball star Alex Rodriguez own eSports franchises and ESPN has started live broadcasts of tournaments.
"It's in that conversation now," Fox said in a story by The Hockey News. "It's just fifth right now. We're in fifth place. It's coming ... in two years, it'll be on par with the NHL."
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GETTING IN THE GAME
Youth Hockey Can be a Huge Investment
in Money and Time
 Just how much time and money do parents spend so their children can play hockey? In some cases it is a significant investment - and they are questions a newspaper in North Dakota analyzed closely.
The story includes a head-to-toe breakdown of the costs to outfit a player. That also does not include other outside costs such as out-of-town travel and meals.
Lamoreuxs Donate $5,000
in
CCM Equipment to Youth Program
 Jocelyne and Monique Lamoureux,
members of the U.S. Women's National Hockey Team, donated $5,000 in CCM hockey equipment to the Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation to support the program's Girls Hockey Programming and the National Hockey League's Hockey is for Everyone (HIFE) initiatives.
The Ed Snider Youth Hockey Foundation was created by Philadelphia Flyers Chairman Ed Snider in 2005 to invest in the inner city and create opportunities for underserved Philadelphia youth. T
his season more than 250 young women participated in Snider Hockey girls-only programming, a number that should grow further due to the donation by the twins.
"We are thrilled to have team members like Monique and Jocelyne who are committed to growing the game and creating opportunities for all to play" said Sean Williams, VP Global Marketing and North American Sales for CCM Hockey.
"Their donation demonstrates their generosity and passion for the game."
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A PLAYER'S PERSPECTIVE
How the Game is Played in America
 Anaheim Ducks standout center Ryan Kesler has taken an interesting path from suburban Detroit to the NHL. Kesler was cut from three Bantam AAA teams when he was 13 but his dad convinced him not to quit playing.
Since then, Kesler developed the "chip on his shoulder" that he still plays with today. Kesler shared that, other stories and thoughts about the game in "How We Play Hockey in America" in The Players Tribune.
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JOIN OR RENEW NOW! Now is the time to become a new member or renew your membership with the Hockey Dealers Association. You can do it easily by clicking here to fill out an application and learn more about the benefits of being a part of the voice for hockey dealers. Back to top |
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NSGA Management Conference May 22-25
Register now for the longest-running event of its kind in the sporting goods industry - the 52nd Annual Management Conference and 18th Annual Team Dealer Summit on May 22-25 in Hilton Head Island, South Carolina.
Boxing legend Sugar Ray Leonard and CBS Sports Broadcaster Greg Gumbel are the keynote speakers. Engaging thought leaders will address topics affecting the industry.
There are also networking sessions and events to enhance established relationships or build new ones. This will also be the second year the Management Conference features the NSGA Innovations Arena, which is a chance to see some of the industry's newest products available.
Click here
for more information and to register today.
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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!
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Did you know?
The last position player to appear in goal was Boston's Jerry Toppazzini in 1960. Toppazzini played the final 30 seconds of a game at Chicago when Don Simmons was injured. NHL teams were not required to have a backup goalie on the bench ready to play until the 1965 playoffs.
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What's your beef?
Have an issue or problem related to the hockey industry? A concern about equipment or rules that you'd like to share with everyone?
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We want
your news!
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We want to stay on top of the latest industry news and information, so if you have something to share, please
send an email to Marty Maciaszek.
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c/o NSGA
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