Heartbreaking news for all young hockey players as equipment brand CCM's sale will cause major effects

When it comes to your first stick, every young hockey player starts somewhere. Like many others just getting into the sport, mine was from CCM Hockey. CCM Hockey has been a staple of the hockey equipment world for decades, quickly working its way up the corporate conglomerate ladder after its success as a subsidiary.In 2017, it was sold away from the popular sporting company Adidas to a private equity firm out of Toronto called Birch Hill Equity Partners, which paid $110 million for it.

Though I was lucky enough to get my first stick from a 'free' bin at a yard sale, most parents end up paying for their equipment out of their own pocket. However, reports indicate that the current price of CCM Hockey's supplies could face a drastic change. The company has been very successful in the last seven years, more than doubling its revenue. As a result, Birch Hill Equity Partners were planning to sell the company.

Many had hoped these negotiations would settle down after a period of near-radio silence. Unfortunately, BHEP is reportedly close to closing the deal. The going price is expected to be $570 million, more than eight times the company's pre-deduction earnings. Additionally, this deal could open up Bauer Hockey and True Hockey to sales in the near future.

Though there is no guarantee what will happen to the price or value of their equipment, many fans expect CCM Hockey's equipment costs to skyrocket. The sport is already among the more expensive to get a start in. Under new ownership with a bigger investment than BHEP, it could become entirely inaccessible to lower and middle-class talents hoping to make their way into the NHL.

The entry barrier to hockey fame is already so high. With the biggest equipment company getting sold upward, anticipated price gouging can make the chances of NHL success simply impossible. Hopefully, the company taking over CCM Hockey will make efforts to lower costs to bring hockey to more families. Otherwise, it could be a bleak future in the NHL, filled with more players of wealth than talent.

Source: House of Hockey
Hockey brand CCM sold: Awful news for hockey players around the world