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BY THE NUMBERS
Hockey Participation in U.S. Dips Slightly For Second Consecutive Year
 The 2016 edition of the National Sporting Goods Association's Sports Participation in the United States report was released on May 4. For the second straight year, the study showed a slight decline in U.S. ice hockey participation to 3.3 million for ages 7 and older. In 2013 it was 3.5 million and in 2014 was 3.4 million.
Participation is defined as someone who participates at least twice per year and can include recreational and/or organized activity. In 2015, it was a very warm year across the country, which likely influenced the slightly lower participation figures.
The same may also be true for a decrease in dollar and unit sales of hockey helmets, sticks and skates. That information is in NSGA's 2016 Sporting Goods Market Report, which was released in mid-May.
The 2016 Edition of the Annual Business of Ice Hockey report will be available for Hockey Dealers Association members this summer. It includes detailed participation and cross-participation reports and data on sales of ice hockey equipment. The cost of the Ice Hockey report will be $395 for non-members.
Click here for more information on all of the NSGA 2016 research offerings.
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INDUSTRY NEWS
Bauer to Open First Canadian Retail Experience in Suburban Toronto in 2017
Bauer announced it will open its third Own The Moment retail experience in the Toronto suburb of Vaughan, Ontario in summer of 2017. Bauer opened its first two stores in suburban Boston (Burlington, Mass.) and suburban Minneapolis (Bloomington, Minn.) in 2015.
Bauer's first Canadian retail initiative will be a 24,000-square foot location in the RioCan Colossus Centre. The Toronto store will feature a 3,200-square foot indoor ice rink with regulation boards and glass and Bauer Personal Fit Experts to guide each customer through individual fitting protocols.
Click here to read more about Bauer's latest Own The Moment initiative.
Wuerthele Departing Performance Sports Group's Hockey Division
Rich Wuerthele, the Executive Vice President for Hockey with Performance Sports Group, will be leaving the company May 20. Wuerthele joined PSG in 2014 and will take an executive leadership position at Newell Brands, a marketer of consumer and commercial products. Wuerthele worked for Newell for 11 years before joining PSG.
"I would like to thank Rich for his leadership of our hockey business during the past two years," said Amir Rosenthal, the President of PSG and interim CEO. "During his tenure, Bauer Hockey continued its No. 1 brand position and strengthened its commitment to deliver the industry's most innovative products through superior athlete insight and deep consumer connection. We wish Rich continued success in his new role and will immediately begin a search for his replacement."
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EQUIPMENT UPDATE
CCM, Sigmatex to Produce
High-End Sticks for 2017
 CCM Hockey and
Sigmatex announced a partnership on CCM's line of premium hockey sticks for 2017. The upcoming product line will incorporate Sigmatex's sigmaST fabric, and is driven by weight reduction and strength objectives.
The sticks will utilize Sigmatex's sigmaST fabric, which is 20 percent lighter than traditional carbon fiber fabrics, and has an excellent strength to weight ratio.
The sticks will be distributed globally and used in professional leagues across the world including the National, American, Canadian and Swedish hockey leagues.
CCM Extends Partnership
for Helmet Safety Testing
CCM Hockey, which is owned by Adidas, announced a three-year extension of its partnership with the Neurotrauma Impact Science Laboratory (NISL) at the University of Ottawa. The collaborative research partnership ensures that CCM helmets are independently tested for safety and meet the facility's high standards. The extension underlines CCM's commitment to player safety and ongoing research and development within the sport of hockey.
"Player safety is our top priority," said Jeff Dalzell, Vice President, Product Creation and Sourcing, CCM Hockey. "This is emphasized by our continued research collaboration with the Neurotrauma Impact Science Laboratory, as well as other prominent universities in various categories. We believe that the NISL measures for testing are unparalleled in sport, and we are serious about investing in research to ensure our products are developed and tested on the leading edge of science to meet high external standards."
CCM Hockey recently announced that it will launch the new Fitlite 3DS helmet this summer. The CCM Fitlite 3DS and CCM Resistance helmet lines were both tested by the Neurotrauma Impact Science Laboratory, and are certified by HECC in the United States, the CSA in Canada and EN directives in Europe.
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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. Click 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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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?
World-renowned comedian Don Rickles is famous for his line "Ya Hockey Puck." It was a term he started using in the 1950s to describe ill-mannered audience members, according to Rickles' website.
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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
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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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| Please Contact Us |
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c/o NSGA
1601 Feehanville Drive Suite 300
Mt. Prospect, IL 60056
(800) 815-5422, ext. 1260.
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