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INDUSTRY NEWS
Pure Hockey Completes
Purchase of Total Hockey
 Massachusetts-based TSG Enterprises, the owner of the Pure Hockey chain, received court approval of its purchase of bankrupt Total Hockey for $22.5 million. TSG was the only buyer after Total Hockey filed for bankruptcy in July.
TSG will now operate 54 retail locations across the U.S. as well as seven e-commerce websites focused on hockey, lacrosse and goalie equipment. TSG also owns Hockey Giant, Pure Goalie and Commonwealth Lacrosse.
 Total Hockey was founded in 1999 and grew to 32 stores after its purchase of the Denver-based Players Bench in the summer of 2015. Total Hockey had estimated liabilities of $50 million to $100 million and assets of $10 million to $50 million, according to the St. Louis Post-Dispatch.
Graf Canada Placed in Receivership
 Graf Canada Ltd., was placed in receivership in late April. The plan of action during the receivership was to liquidate the company and its inventory, pursue the collection of accounts receivable or monetize the Graf property for the benefit of the company's stakeholders.
Click here for more information on the Graf receivership proceedings and materials related to the proceedings.
TRUE Hockey Launches New
E-Commerce Site
 TRUE Hockey, a division of True Temper Sports, has launched a new business-to-business e-commerce website. The new site provides TRUE Hockey retailers with easy order entry and acknowledgement, real-time inventory availability, access to key documents such as invoicing, tracking, sales orders and pricing and information regarding current promotions and special offers.
"This new e-commerce site will completely change the way we can interact with and service our customers, and will ultimately take our TRUE Hockey business to the next level," said Dave McNally, manager of marketing and business development for TRUE Hockey. "Our retail customers will have the ability to place orders in a more efficient and user-friendly manner and be able to do so 24 hours a day, seven days a week."
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MEDICAL MATTERS
NHL Commissioner Denies Connection
Between Concussions, CTE
 NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman continued to deny there is any connection between concussions and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, the brain disease known as CTE. Bettman's 24-page response to questions by U.S. Senator Richard Blumenthal (D-Connecticut) about the NHL's position on the subject was obtained by the New York Times.
Bettman blamed the media for causing fear about the long-term effects of head injuries and defended the NHL's approach to concussions and CTE. At least six deceased NHL players and nearly 100 former NFL players have been diagnosed with CTE.
"The relationship between concussions and the asserted clinical symptoms of CTE remains unknown," Bettman wrote in his response to Blumenthal.
Click here to read the entire New York Times article.
Canadian Study Shows Rise In
Sports-Related Brain Injuries in Kids
The Canadian Institute for Health Information (CIHI) released a report in late July that showed a large increase in emergency room visits for sports-related concussions in the last five years. Hockey continues to account for more brain injuries than any other sport in the CIHI data.
The report used combined data from Ontario and Alberta and showed increases in sports-related brain injuries of 78 percent for kids 9 and under and 45 percent from those ages 10 to 17 between 2010-11 and 2014-15.
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RULES UPDATE
NCAA Helmet Requirements
 The NCAA Playing Rules Oversight Panel approved a rule that requires all officials and players in men's and women's ice hockey to wear helmets anytime they are on the ice. The only exception to the rule is during the playing of the national anthem.
Click here to learn more about other NCAA ice hockey rules changes.
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RESEARCH CORNER
Business of Ice Hockey Report
Now Available
 The Annual Business of Ice Hockey is a great resource of information on participation and sales data in the United States. The 2016 Edition of the report is now available!
Overall participation in the U.S. declined slightly for the second consecutive year. Overall sales for the categories of hockey and ice skates also decreased from 2014 to 2015.
In 2015, it was
a very warm year across the country, which likely influenced the slightly lower participation and sales figures.
Members of the Hockey Dealers Association, and National Sporting Goods Association members with an interest in hockey, will receive a free electronic copy of the report. Printed copies of the report are available to members upon request.
The cost of the report is $395 for non-members.
Purchasing a one-year membership in HDA for $125 is a great way to not only receive the Annual Business of Ice Hockey report, but also to keep up with news and information on the industry and to utilize various cost-saving services.
For more information on HDA membership, or to learn more about the Annual Business of Ice Hockey report, contact HDA director Marty Maciaszek at
[email protected] or at (800) 815-5422, ext. 1260.
Click here
for more information about joining HDA.
US High School Hockey
Participation Declines Slightly
The National Federation of State High School Associations (NFHS) released its annual participation survey results for 2015-16 and ice hockey saw a slight decline. Ice hockey had 44,669 total participants (35,155 boys and 9,514 girls) - down from 45,293 in 2014-15. The participation numbers for 2011-12, 2012-13 and 2013-14 were slightly less than 2015-16.
It is important to note that only 17 states and the District of Columbia sanction ice hockey as a sport. Overall high school sports participation increased for the 27th straight year.
Click here for more details on the NFHS Participation Survey.
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GIVING BACK
NHL Players, Kirby's Source for Sports
Help Vancouver Youth Players
 A trio of NHL players from Vancouver Island continued their assistance to young players in need. Recently retired Ryan O'Byrne, Colorado's Tyson Barrie and Dallas' Jordie Benn made a presentation at Kirby's Source For Sports on June 30 in Victoria, British Columbia.
O'Byrne has been a driving force of KidSport Victoria, which has raised $125,000 in five years and also received equipment donations from the NHL Players Association. Twenty-five kids from five minor hockey organizations received a set of equipment and had their 2016-17 registration fees paid.
The presentation at Kirby's included a road hockey game with the kids and the NHL players.
"Hockey is an expensive sport," said O'Byrne, who played 333 NHL games. "Some families have had to deal with job layoffs or sickness of a parent and just need a little help."
Calgary Charity Looks to Expand
Across Canada
Bill Comrie played professional hockey and his son Mike had a 13-year NHL career. The elder Comrie wants to make sure other players with similar abilities and aspirations do not get left behind because of financial reasons.
Since 2014, Comrie's Sports Equipment Bank in Calgary has helped 2,800 young athletes with more than 10,000 pieces of sports gear. Comrie is looking to expand his charity throughout Canada and has had discussions with business owners in other cities in the hopes of opening several new locations.
"I want kids growing up today, who may not be able to afford it, to have the same opportunity I did," said Comrie, who told the Calgary Sun at age 8 he was outfitted with equipment from an arena lost-and-found bin.
"And none of us would ever want the next Wayne Gretzky or Mario Lemieux to never have a chance to play the sport just because they can't afford equipment."
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UNIFORMITY
The Worst NHL Jerseys Ever?
 All-star Chicago White Sox pitcher Chris Sale made big news when he was suspended for refusing to wear a throwback jersey and then going into the locker room and cutting up all of them so no one could wear them.
As a result, The Hockey News took a hard look at five versions of NHL jerseys that didn't make the cut when it came to being easy on the eyes.
Click here to catch a glimpse of some of the NHL's biggest sartorial disasters.
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A WRONG TURN?
Street Hockey
Declining in Canada
Street hockey used to be a big part of growing up for kids in Canada. But the game has diminished through a combination of tougher enforcement of laws, parents less inclined to allow their kids to be on their own, kids who are spending much of their time in organized hockey programs or are simply not playing any more.
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TOP TEN LIST
Possible Candidates for an
NHL Franchise
With Las Vegas next up to get an NHL franchise, an article proposed 10 other cities in the United States and Canada that could support a team. They include former NHL cities Quebec, Cleveland and Kansas City as well as Moscow and Stockholm.
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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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NSGA 2016
Research
Now Available!
The 2016 editions of NSGA's Sports Participation in the United States and Sporting Goods Market Report are now available. These are great resources for anyone in the sporting goods industry.
Click here
for more information.
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Did you know?
The first organized indoor hockey game was played March 3, 1875 at Montreal's Victoria Skating Rink. There were two teams of nine players each, many of whom were McGill University students.
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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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| Please Contact Us |
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c/o NSGA
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