Concerns are rising within the hockey community regarding the escalating costs of youth hockey sticks, with brands like CCM and Bauer charging up to $429.99 for models. Industry insiders argue that these high prices are unnecessary for young players, who often cannot leverage the advanced features of expensive sticks. Former players highlight the disconnect between performance and price, suggesting that affordable alternatives perform equally well for younger athletes. Marketing pressures compound the issue, pushing kids to seek premium gear associated with professional players.
The High Cost of Youth Hockey Sticks
Many individuals involved in the hockey community are expressing their concerns about the soaring prices of hockey sticks designed for teenage players. Brands like CCM and Bauer are reportedly profiting significantly, with products such as the intermediate-level Vizion model priced at an astonishing $429.99 before taxes.
“The sticks are the worst scam,” shares a source from the equipment sector, who prefers to remain anonymous.
Dany Chevalier, the general manager of Hockey Charlesbourg, draws a comparison to popular brands like Nike. “Kids see their peers sporting brand-name gear, and they feel compelled to do the same,” he explains. “It’s disheartening because many parents are unwilling to pay such high prices for a stick. As a result, young players often resort to asking family members for gift cards to cover the cost for birthdays, only to have their expensive gift potentially broken within six months.”
The Real Impact on Performance
Chevalier emphasizes that for the majority of young teens, spending such large sums on sticks is unnecessary. This is partly because their physical strength isn’t developed enough to fully utilize the advanced features of these high-priced models. “A young player won’t necessarily score more goals just because they have an expensive stick,” he asserts.
Former Canadiens player Alexandre Picard, who enjoyed almost two decades of free equipment, expresses shock at the current prices. He observes that while he has never paid $400 or $500 for a stick, “$350 has become the standard.” Picard is particularly concerned about parents who invest heavily in equipment for their 8 or 9-year-old children, noting that “a $30 stick from Canadian Tire performs just as well at that age.”
Like many others in the hockey world, Picard believes that a significant portion of the pricing is tied to marketing strategies. For instance, the CCM JetSpeed FT5 Pro, used by star player Connor McDavid, is available at a regular price of $379.99.
An anonymous worker in the equipment industry acknowledges the importance of research and development but also highlights the need to fund partnerships with high-profile athletes like McDavid and Sidney Crosby.
Reflecting on his own experiences, Picard recalls succumbing to similar trends during his youth. He fondly remembers his iconic white wooden stick linked to Teemu Selanne’s first NHL season in 1992-1993. “Getting that stick was the highlight of my life! The key difference, however, was that it only cost $30 back then, not $350!”