October 2019
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INDUSTRY NEWS

SDC Retailers Win Bauer Awards

From left, Paul Stanton Jr., and Paul Stanton of Sports Etc., and Mike Musselman and Scott Rogers of Prince Albert Source For Sports .
Two Sports Distributors of Canada (SDC) retailers won the Bauer Specialty Retailer of the Year award. Sports Etc., in Arlington, Massachusetts won the U.S. award and Prince Albert Source For Sports in Prince Albert, Saskatchewan won the award for Canada.





Bauer, STEP Skating Settle Lawsuit

Bauer and STEP Skating came to an agreement to resolve a dispute regarding STEP Skating's sale and manufacture of various models of replacement blades for the BAUER TUUK LIGHTSPEED EDGE bladeholder. STEP Skating will stop selling replacement steel for the BAUER TUUK LIGHTSPEED EDGE blade holder to retail accounts by April 30, 2020 and to professional leagues by December 31, 2019.


CCM Gearing Up for Challenges Ahead

CCM CEO Rick Blackshaw believes its history of growth in tough economic times has the hockey manufacturer ready for another potential downturn in Canada. Blackshaw also addresses a variety of other issues affecting CCM, the hockey industry and the sport.



ASSOCIATION NEWS

NSGA Pleased With Overtime Pay Compromise Decision

The U.S. Department of Labor made its f inal ruling in late September that exempt employees who make less than $35,568 are eligible for overtime pay under the Fair Labor Standards Act (FLSA). The increase from $23,660 takes effect January 1, 2020.

The National Sporting Goods Association (NSGA) lobbied against the o riginal planned increase in 2016 would have raised the salary level to $47,476 and included salary threshold increases every three years.

Read more

Join Us In Phoenix!
Invest in Yourself
and Apply for a Scholarship!

NSGA is accepting scholarship applications for the 2020 Management Conference & Team Dealer Summit on May 17-19, 2020 at the Sheraton Grand at Wild Horse Pass in Phoenix, Arizona. The deadline to apply is December 13.



RESEARCH NEWS

2019 Holiday Retail Forecasts

The holiday season is quickly approaching! What are the retail forecasts predicting? Find out in this recap from NSGA Director of Insights and Analysis Nick Rigitano.

Read more


GETTING IN THE GAME

Author Believes Canadian Youth Hockey
Facing Crisis Point

Sean Fitz-Gerald's " Before the Lights Go Out: A Season Inside A Game on the Brink,"  sees escalating costs, time commitments and a tone that's too serious impacting the number of kids playing hockey in Canada. Fitz-Gerald said it is a "massive undertaking" to find solutions that will work throughout the country.


Difficult Road to the Ice
for Argentinian Players

Getting equipment is just one of the challenges for men's and women's hockey players in Argentina, where soccer and basketball are king. The only regulation-sized ice rink is at the southernmost tip of South America in a town that proclaims itself as "the end of the world."


El Paso Junior Team Gets Hispanic Community Excited About Hockey

Hockey is taking off in El Paso, Texas, a community with a population more than 80 percent Hispanic. The excitement was on display when the El Paso Rhinos, who have won back-to-back Western States Hockey League junior championships, played a pair of exhibition games with Mexico's under-20 national team before nearly 4,000 fans.


Sidney Crosby Helps Start
All-Girls Team in Pittsburgh

Pittsburgh Penguins superstar Sidney Crosby played a major role in helping start an all-girls team in nearby Johnstown, which is also known as "Crosby's Girls." The team also went to a Penguins game and Crosby mentioned them in his postgame interview.



EQUIPMENT CORNER

A Look at What the Pros Use

Andrew Agozzino of the Wilkes-Barre/Scranton Penguins of the American Hockey League shares some insight into the equipment he uses on the ice.



Goalies Showcase Special Gear
for NHL Heritage Classic

David Rittich of Calgary and Connor Hellebuyck of Winnipeg will unveil a special look for the 2019 Tim Horton's Heritage Classic on Oct. 26 in Regina, Saskatchewan. Both teams will also wear throwback jerseys for the first Canadian outdoor game in a non-NHL city.



JOIN HDA NOW!
   
Why join HDA? Members join to be more profitable with industry intel provided by the Annual Business of Ice Hockey research report, to network, and stay current with peers in the Hockey Dealers Network. And those are just a few of HDA's membership benefits. 

Click here to join and become part of the voice for hockey dealers!


 
Sincerely,

Marty's signature.jpg  

Marty Maciaszek
mmaciaszek@nsga.org 

In This Issue
NSGA Verified Dealer Program

 
NSGA launched its Verified Independent Dealer Program to recognize the most qualified independent dealers and retailers in the sporting goods industry.

At no additional cost, learn about the benefits of becoming a verified dealer by  clicking here!
Retail Reports Available to Members

"Retail Audit Insights" and "Guide To A Better Retailing Experience" are two comprehensive reports produced by the National Sporting Goods Association. The reports are available for free to all HDA and NSGA members.

Click here for the reports.
Apply Now for HDA/SDC
Hockey Collaboration
 

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

 

Click here to learn more about the collaboration and to fill out an inquiry form to start the process. Members of the collaboration have access to a variety of products and discounts to help boost the 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.

 

Did you know?

There was no Stanley Cup awarded in 1919 because members of the Montreal Canadiens became ill during the Spanish Flu pandemic.
Business of Ice Hockey Report

The 2019 Annual Business of Ice Hockey Report contains the information you need for your business on sales data and participation. The cost for non-members is $295, so join HDA today for $150 a year to take advantage of this great member benefit.

Subscribe to
NSGA Scoreboard 

The NSGA Scoreboard provides all the sporting goods industry news you need in one place. The Scoreboard is sent twice a month and includes news on research, advocacy, NSGA, team dealer and sales agent issues as well as industry news.
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?  Click here  to let us know about it.

Join HDA now! 

Become a member of the Hockey Dealers Association and help us build a voice for the independent hockey dealer. Visit the HDA website  by clicking here  or call (847) 296-NSGA (6742), ext. 1260 to join today.

Please Contact Us 


c/o NSGA

1601 Feehanville Drive Suite 300

Mt. Prospect, IL 60056

(847) 296-NSGA (6742), ext. 1260.

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