Over the last 3 years of working in a hockey shop I've learned a lot about the industry and what shocks me is how little customers know about the hockey equipment industry.
One of the biggest misconceptions about the equipment industry is that manufactures strictly control their pricing, like states regulate tobacco and alcohol products. If a company sells below the MAP pricing routinly they can get their account discontinued by the manufacturer. That being said a big company like Monkey Sports or Total Hockey can test the MAP policy a lot riskier than your local pro-shop. However at the end of the day, all retailers are supposed to be playing on the same field, thus the only way a retail company makes a profit is by selling as much merchandise as possible.
Another big misconception is the profit margins on pieces of equipment, especially sticks and skates. On most pieces of gear there is a 30-35% bump between the cost of goods sold (a term used in my accounting course) and the MAP price that it is sold for at the store level. Because of this many stores have to order exactly what they are going to sell to avoid selling clearance items at or below cost. For example the $799.99 skates from Bauer and Reebok have a cost around $540-560 (after shipping) so in order to make up the cost on 1 skate the company has to sell 3 skates. This plays a huge role when items go on clearance.
Sticks in my opinion however are the biggest misconception that customers just don't know about. Of all pieces of hockey equipment, sticks are the least profitable items that a company sells. Especially the high end composite hockey sticks. Sticks are what manufactures like Bauer, Easton, and Warrior make the majority of their profits from, and they don't share it with the retailers. Because of the nature of composite sticks and their durability or lack there of I should say, retailers will not handle warranty claims of sticks. Unless you're a perfect customer (buying everything from only one shop and buying at least $100 of merchandise a month on top of sharpenings and tape), retailers will not help you out. The exception of this rule is knock off sticks such as the Powertech brand. It's not that retailers don't want to help you out, most of them would be more than happy to help out with broken sticks but they just can't afford to help.
Really what makes money for a retail shop is services that they offer - sharpenings, equipment repair, ect. Next time you go to buy gear keep this information in mind, and if you're shopping for gear remember you may find an item cheaper online but you're really doing your local shop a favor by purchasing from them.
Monday, May 21, 2012
Wednesday, May 16, 2012
LA Kings... What's going on here?
Going into the 2012 playoffs not many people expected the Los Angeles Kings to be where they are now. After beating the Coyotes for a second straight game, the Kings are now 2-0 in their 3rd round match up vs. the Coyotes. The Kings knocked off the top 2 seeds as an 8th seed in the Western Conference and with the last 2 games against the 'Yotes in the books the Kings have a 10-1 record in the playoffs. They are also a perfect 7-0 on the road. For many sports fans and for many hockey fans for the matter, the King's dominance right now is a complete suprise. But really for any one that follows hockey closely, it should be no suprise at all.
Going into the 2011-2012 season the Kings were considered by many as a top contender in the Western Conference. With the additions of Mike Richards and Simon Gagne the Kings looked poised for a deep playoff run. However the regular season was very turbulent and it took up until the last week in the season for the Kings to lock up the last playoff spot. After two major changes (a coaching change and trading Jack Johnson for Jeff Carter) the Kings looked like a tough out but not really a contender to knock off the vaunted Vancouver Canucks much less the devilish St. Louis Blues.
Really though if you look at this team, there should be no suprises why they are where they are at. The Kings have the perfect recipe for winning a cup, great goaltending, depth throughout the lineup, solid penalty killing, and a disciplined and defensive minded style of play. This team has talent but guys like Dustin Penner and Justin Williams didn't play up to their capabilities during the regular season, they along with captain Dustin Brown (who is playing like a man possessed) have taken their games to the next level. The Kings powerplay is starting to click. They are big throughout the lineup, especially up front, and guys like Kyle Clifford and Dwight King are creating a nightmare for opposing defensemen on thier forchecking. The Kings have a very talented core of superstars in goaltender Jonathan Quick, centers Mike Richards, Jeff Carter, and Anze Kopitar, and defenseman Drew Doughty.
This team is the perfect playoff team, they are a nightmare to play against, and they are right now my top pick to win the Stanley Cup.
Monday, April 30, 2012
New Hockey Gear (player edition)
I haven't written a new post in almost a month, however in the last month brands have been releasing new gear left and right. I've had the chance to evaluate most of the new stuff out and here's my opinions on them.
Reebok 18K and 20K skates:
The old knock on Reebok skates is they were that they fit huge, they are uncomfortable, and they aren't durable. The new 18K ($599.99) and the 20K ($799.99) skates completely change that. Even without the LS2 steel and holder these skates are almost as light as the Bauer $800 and $600 skates. Reebok has upgraded their eyelets which was the least durable part of the skates. New on these skates too is an exterior skeleton on the heel of the boot. This feature also makes the skate much more durable as well as giving stiffness in the back of the boot yet allowing the tongue and the front part of the boot to have some flexibility. Also on these new model skates, Reebok has gone with a more anatomical fitting skate, this gives the skate a much better fit, not nessecarily an out of the box fit but a better long term fit. When shopping for skates check these skates out, they are legitimate. They are a cross between the Bauer Vapor's construction and the Bauer Supremes materials. Right now in my opinion these skates are a legitimate threat to Bauer's supremecy over the skate market, and for my money right now these skates are the top skates on the market, based on what Bauer just released in the Supreme NXG skate line.
Bauer NXG Skates
For the 2012 model year, Bauer updated their Supreme skates line. There's not a lot to say about these skates becasue Bauer didn't do much to upgrade them. They added a little more yellow, a honeycomb pattern and a few minor adjustments to the TotalOne skates and jacked up the prices throughout the Supreme line. On the TotalOne skates the only adjustments are the improved gold eyelets and a full flex tongue (They still offer the tongue inserts for flexibility but the bare tongue comes very flexible out of the box). Other than changing the names on the skates, for example the One.8 skates are the same as the old One80 skates the line didn't change at all below the TotalOne skate model. (The One.9 skates replaced the One100's) If you're looking for Supreme skates, look for closeouts first, you'll save some cabbage that way and you'll have money left over to get an additional item.
Easton Mako Stick
This stick is an awesome stick. Right now each brand of stick manufactures is selling to lines of stick, one stick is usually designed for power (Bauer Supremes), the other is designed for a quick release (Bauer Vapor). The Easton Mako is designed as a power stick but it plays in between, giving the product a nice balance throughout the stick of power and release. The stick has a nice, simple paint job, and the white paint makes it catchy in the stores. If you were a fan of the SE 16 sticks as well as the ST line of sticks, the Easton Mako line combines both of them for feel and durability. I currently use this stick and I love it more than anyother stick on the market today.
Easton Stealth Protective
The new Easton Stealth protective lineup is simple, a little more streamlined, not as bulky as other protective lines. The main difference in the new Stealth protective lineup you'll see in stores is the Jet Black coloring you'll see on the gear with the yellow, green, red, blue trim on the gear to distinguish between price points.
CCM Crazy Light and Crazy Tough Protective
The new CCm Protective lineup is radical new innovation that keeps the gear as protective as anything else on the market, but the water resistance materials in the interior of the gear keeps it dry and light. On top of that, the gear all provides a nice, natural fit. And it's super comfortable, to the point where you will hardly notice it when you're playing.
That's a little bit on everything released in April, 2012. May is going to see more released gear, such as goalie equipment, Bauer protective, as well as a sneak peek into the Bauer Nexus lineup set to be released in the summer and fall.
Reebok 18K and 20K skates:
Bauer NXG Skates
Easton Mako Stick
Easton Stealth Protective
The new Easton Stealth protective lineup is simple, a little more streamlined, not as bulky as other protective lines. The main difference in the new Stealth protective lineup you'll see in stores is the Jet Black coloring you'll see on the gear with the yellow, green, red, blue trim on the gear to distinguish between price points.
CCM Crazy Light and Crazy Tough Protective
That's a little bit on everything released in April, 2012. May is going to see more released gear, such as goalie equipment, Bauer protective, as well as a sneak peek into the Bauer Nexus lineup set to be released in the summer and fall.
Saturday, March 31, 2012
A Breakdown of Hockey Terms Used by Hockey Players
ON ICE TERMINOLOGY
Bag Skate - A practice where hockey players skate until the point of complete exhaustion.
Barn – Hockey Rink/Arena
Bender – A lousy player who always seems to have his ankles bent. (Happy Gilmore)
Between the Pipes – In the net.
Biscuit – A Puck.
Breezers – Hockey pants.
Brain Bucket (or just Bucket) – A helmet.
Celly – A celebration, usually done after scoring a goal
Coast to Coast – When a player carries the puck from his own net all the way to his opponent’s and scores.
Chippy – Getting irritated with one another, usually on the brink of fighting.
Chirp – To talk trash.
Cherry Picker – Player who hangs out in his opponents zone awaiting a long pass. (Alexander Ovechkin)
Dangle – Misdirecting an opponent while handling the puck. See deke.
Deke – A fake out, perhaps derived from the word “decoy”.
Drop – To leave the puck behind or pass it to a trailing teammate.
Duster - The worst player on the team who only plays in the last 3 minutes of a losing effort when the team as given up.
Gongshow – A rough, intense game.
Grinder – A player who digs deep, hustles to make plays.Usually better known for checking and disruption rather than scoring ability. Like a lineman in football, he works hard but rarely gets recognized for his hard work.
Enforcer – A player who takes on the role of discouraging the opposing team from harassing his goal scoring teammate by imposing the threat of physical harm. (George Parros)
Fisticuffs – A fight.
Five Hole – The area in between the goalie’s legs.
Hash Marks – The lines coming out of the faceoff circles providing a guide to where players should be lined up.
Hat Trick – Scoring three goals in one game.
Hoser – A loser. Orginated from the pre-Zamboni days when the losing team had to hose off the ice.
Keeper - Another term for the goaltender
Laser – A quick, well-placed shot.
Light the Lamp – Score a goal so the siren flashes.
Mucker – A physical player who lacks finesse but gets the job done by forechecking, working the boards, etc. He is not afraid to do the dirty work. Usually used interchangeably or in connection with grinder. (Thomas Holmstrom)
One-timer – Taking a hard shot right off the pass without pausing to receive it.
Pipe-fitter/Plumber – See mucker and grinder.
Playing the Point – When a defender positions himself in front of the blue line near the boards in order to keep the puck in his offensive zone.
Pylon – Skater who just stands still and is as easy to skate around as an orange cone. (Rick Nash)
Schoolyard Puck – Pick-up hockey often played in a schoolyard, usually on inline skates.
Shinny – Pick-up hockey usually played on a frozen pond.
Sieve – A goalie with a lot of “holes” meaning he allows a lot of goals. (Dwayne Roloson)
Sin Bin – The penalty box.
Slapper – A slap shot.
Slot – The middle area in front of the net.
Sniper – Player with an accurate shot who often scores from a distance. (Steven Stamkos)
Top Shelf – To put a goal in the upper part of the net.
Tripod - A player who has to balance himself with his stick. (Charley Conway)
Woody – A wooden stick
Wrap around – To come from behind the net and squeeze it past the goalie.
Wrister – A wrist shot.
OFF ICE TERMINOLOGY
Wheelin’ broads: Refers to the process of courting girls with slick lines and ruthless comments. In other words, shamelessly hitting on girls hockey players find in bars when they have perfectly loving girlfriends back at home. The process of wheeling broads normally takes place when the team is on a road trip, and is famous for being used by junior hockey players.
Ridin’ the pine: The act of sitting on the bench/sideline during a sporting event, but a member of the team.
Road kills: These are the hoes the boys manage to sleep with when they’re on the road. A pick up. One night stand, in other words.
Ditch Pig: Western Canadian expression to describe an ugly female that hunts for hockey players outside of bars, the arena and strip clubs. Normally they hang around the roadside or parking lot at the end of the evening hoping to get picked up by the desparate and dateless. Hence the ‘Ditch’ part of the name. ‘Pig’ is self evident.
Swamp Donks: Used to describe a girl who is every hockey players last resort. She is that one broad that waits around for your phone call all night and when that phone call comes (usually around 3 am when all the half decent broads are sleeping) she’ll be there on call. Be careful some tend to get clingly so lay the law down firmly. Shes not the best looking but shes dedicated to making your night better. What she lacks on looks she makes up for on expierence. They are generally treated like crap and dont care because the next day they are proud to tell their friends that they know the hockey studs personally. They are usually down for whatever which results in an intresting night for the boys. Many players regret and frown upon what they did the night before. Fortunetly this phenemonal night has its upsides like building team chemistry and chirping broads . the donksbecomechaw.
Dummied: To beat/completely annihilate someone in a form of competitive event so badly that it was like you were facing a non-living mannequin. aka. a Dummy.
Flow: Hair that would flow out the back of someone’s helmet and curl up around the back of the helmet. Someone can have a flow or be flowin. Long, curly or wavy hair. ex. Scott Hartnell’s flow.
Puck Bunnies: One of the lowest forms of lifestyles, they vary from young teens to women in their early 30s, and from appealing to grotesque. These girls are known for attending hockey games for the soul purpose of ending up in bed with one of the players. Their most common words used while in attendance of a game are “hot, ass, legs, body, arms, muscles, cute, tight.”
Bad Jibs: Bad teeth. One will usually see Bad Jibs on a hockey player who plays junior hockey or professional due to the lack of a face mask. Chipped, missing, teeth is also referred to Bad Jibs.
Gongshows:
The Show: a.k.a : The National Hockey League/ The Big League.
The Chizzler: The guy on the team that steals everybody elses point because he can’t get his own.
The Knobhawk: The guy who keeps his head up on the ice, but down in the showers.
Ron Textall: The guy who just can’t stop texting either if its in the dressing room, in the car or in the bars. This guys always has his head burried in his celly trying to wheel.
The Word “Fuck”: Used all over the ice, all the time.
Bag Skate - A practice where hockey players skate until the point of complete exhaustion.
Barn – Hockey Rink/Arena
Bender – A lousy player who always seems to have his ankles bent. (Happy Gilmore)
Between the Pipes – In the net.
Biscuit – A Puck.
Breezers – Hockey pants.
Brain Bucket (or just Bucket) – A helmet.
Celly – A celebration, usually done after scoring a goal
Coast to Coast – When a player carries the puck from his own net all the way to his opponent’s and scores.
Chippy – Getting irritated with one another, usually on the brink of fighting.
Chirp – To talk trash.
Cherry Picker – Player who hangs out in his opponents zone awaiting a long pass. (Alexander Ovechkin)
Dangle – Misdirecting an opponent while handling the puck. See deke.
Deke – A fake out, perhaps derived from the word “decoy”.
Drop – To leave the puck behind or pass it to a trailing teammate.
Duster - The worst player on the team who only plays in the last 3 minutes of a losing effort when the team as given up.
Gongshow – A rough, intense game.
Grinder – A player who digs deep, hustles to make plays.Usually better known for checking and disruption rather than scoring ability. Like a lineman in football, he works hard but rarely gets recognized for his hard work.
Enforcer – A player who takes on the role of discouraging the opposing team from harassing his goal scoring teammate by imposing the threat of physical harm. (George Parros)
Fisticuffs – A fight.
Five Hole – The area in between the goalie’s legs.
Hash Marks – The lines coming out of the faceoff circles providing a guide to where players should be lined up.
Hat Trick – Scoring three goals in one game.
Hoser – A loser. Orginated from the pre-Zamboni days when the losing team had to hose off the ice.
Keeper - Another term for the goaltender
Laser – A quick, well-placed shot.
Light the Lamp – Score a goal so the siren flashes.
Mucker – A physical player who lacks finesse but gets the job done by forechecking, working the boards, etc. He is not afraid to do the dirty work. Usually used interchangeably or in connection with grinder. (Thomas Holmstrom)
One-timer – Taking a hard shot right off the pass without pausing to receive it.
Pipe-fitter/Plumber – See mucker and grinder.
Playing the Point – When a defender positions himself in front of the blue line near the boards in order to keep the puck in his offensive zone.
Pylon – Skater who just stands still and is as easy to skate around as an orange cone. (Rick Nash)
Schoolyard Puck – Pick-up hockey often played in a schoolyard, usually on inline skates.
Shinny – Pick-up hockey usually played on a frozen pond.
Sieve – A goalie with a lot of “holes” meaning he allows a lot of goals. (Dwayne Roloson)
Sin Bin – The penalty box.
Slapper – A slap shot.
Slot – The middle area in front of the net.
Sniper – Player with an accurate shot who often scores from a distance. (Steven Stamkos)
Top Shelf – To put a goal in the upper part of the net.
Tripod - A player who has to balance himself with his stick. (Charley Conway)
Woody – A wooden stick
Wrap around – To come from behind the net and squeeze it past the goalie.
Wrister – A wrist shot.
OFF ICE TERMINOLOGY
Wheelin’ broads: Refers to the process of courting girls with slick lines and ruthless comments. In other words, shamelessly hitting on girls hockey players find in bars when they have perfectly loving girlfriends back at home. The process of wheeling broads normally takes place when the team is on a road trip, and is famous for being used by junior hockey players.
Ridin’ the pine: The act of sitting on the bench/sideline during a sporting event, but a member of the team.
Road kills: These are the hoes the boys manage to sleep with when they’re on the road. A pick up. One night stand, in other words.
Ditch Pig: Western Canadian expression to describe an ugly female that hunts for hockey players outside of bars, the arena and strip clubs. Normally they hang around the roadside or parking lot at the end of the evening hoping to get picked up by the desparate and dateless. Hence the ‘Ditch’ part of the name. ‘Pig’ is self evident.
Swamp Donks: Used to describe a girl who is every hockey players last resort. She is that one broad that waits around for your phone call all night and when that phone call comes (usually around 3 am when all the half decent broads are sleeping) she’ll be there on call. Be careful some tend to get clingly so lay the law down firmly. Shes not the best looking but shes dedicated to making your night better. What she lacks on looks she makes up for on expierence. They are generally treated like crap and dont care because the next day they are proud to tell their friends that they know the hockey studs personally. They are usually down for whatever which results in an intresting night for the boys. Many players regret and frown upon what they did the night before. Fortunetly this phenemonal night has its upsides like building team chemistry and chirping broads . the donksbecomechaw.
Dummied: To beat/completely annihilate someone in a form of competitive event so badly that it was like you were facing a non-living mannequin. aka. a Dummy.
Flow: Hair that would flow out the back of someone’s helmet and curl up around the back of the helmet. Someone can have a flow or be flowin. Long, curly or wavy hair. ex. Scott Hartnell’s flow.
Puck Bunnies: One of the lowest forms of lifestyles, they vary from young teens to women in their early 30s, and from appealing to grotesque. These girls are known for attending hockey games for the soul purpose of ending up in bed with one of the players. Their most common words used while in attendance of a game are “hot, ass, legs, body, arms, muscles, cute, tight.”
Bad Jibs: Bad teeth. One will usually see Bad Jibs on a hockey player who plays junior hockey or professional due to the lack of a face mask. Chipped, missing, teeth is also referred to Bad Jibs.
Gongshows:
- Generally regarding the shitstorm that takes place after games.
- A lifestyle defined and perfected by junior hockey players.
- A unique code of ethics shared amongst hockey players; widely unknown to others.
- Everything chaos.
- “Strictly a hockey term used to describe a random situation that was or could become out of control involving a lot of of booze. This term is unknown to civilians outside the dressing room and is a word used with pride and and class by some of the dirtiest hockey men alive. Strictly a class word.”
The Show: a.k.a : The National Hockey League/ The Big League.
The Chizzler: The guy on the team that steals everybody elses point because he can’t get his own.
The Knobhawk: The guy who keeps his head up on the ice, but down in the showers.
Ron Textall: The guy who just can’t stop texting either if its in the dressing room, in the car or in the bars. This guys always has his head burried in his celly trying to wheel.
The Word “Fuck”: Used all over the ice, all the time.
Tuesday, March 20, 2012
Post-Trade Deadline Top NHL Contenders
New York Rangers - They have scuffed their toes a little going 4-5-1 in the last 10 games, but make no mistake about it this team is for real. Their only question going into the playoffs is does King Henrik (Lundqvist) have enough in the tank to take this team to the Cup?
Pittsburgh Penguins - This team is by far my favorite to come out of the East and depending on who they play against the West, they are one of the favorites to win the cup. They already have the top line in the NHL with Malkin centering Neal and Kunitz, now with a healthy Crosby who was recently voted the top player in the game in a player's poll is back and playing at the level he left off when he got hurt. The only teams in the East that can really slow the Pens down when they're playing on top of their game is New York, Boston (if Tim Thomas decides to pull his head out of his ass), and maybe and this is a big maybe, Philadelphia.
Philadelphia Flyers - This team is a huge dark horse. This team is wildely talented led by Claude Giroux but they have been incredibly inconsistent all year, largely due to their lack of defense and solid goaltending provided by Bryzgalov. With that said, Philly has elite talent, and Bryzgalov is on pace to play the golden amount of games for cup contending goalies (Between 55-65 games). If Bryzgalov gets hot they can knock off anybody, but their question is can they stay consistent for 4 playoff rounds?
Boston Bruins - A month ago I thought this was the best team in hockey, better than the Rangers, Canucks, and Red Wings. Within the last month Tuukka Rask has injured his groin, Tim Thomas game has "gone to shit" (A little Herb Brooks reference), they brought in Marty Turco who has just exposed how bad this team has played the last month. I don't know if it's just me but it definetly seems like Tim Thomas's game has been incredibly inconsistant since he skipped the White House ceremony. And yes the Bruins are banged up. The bottom line is however is this team looks like the Cup hangover that they started the season with has returned and I don't think this team has what it takes to win back-to-back championships. But then again they've proved me wrong.
Vancouver Canucks - Like the Rangers a month ago, this team looked like the top team in the West, they ended Detroit's record home win streak in dramatic fashion and were in cruise control for the top spot in the conference. But like the Rangers, they've struggled in their last 10 games and only able to manage 3 wins in that time span. For my money this team is my favorite still to come out of the West. They just have a calm yet confident swagger about them like the Penguins did in 2009 when they went back to the finals for the 2nd year in a row and beat Detroit.
St. Louis Blues - At the start of the season who would've thought the Blues would be leading the league in points and would be the 1st team to clinch a playoff berth? If you claim to have said this you are either a liar or the biggest Blues fan. If I am a GM in the Western Conference I would not want to play the Blues. Even though they lack a premier player like Ovechkin, Iginla, Datsyuk, Toews, ect. this team is dangerous. They are very talented, very physical, incredibly detail oriented, they have incredible goaltending, and Ken Hitchcock is by far the favorite to win the Jack Adams for best coach. The only teams that I could see giving the Blues trouble are Detroit and Vancouver because of their star power.
Detroit Red Wings - Let's face it, their recent slide is completely tied to their injury situation. Losing Datsyuk, Lidstrom, and Howard in a week hurt, and not to mention when they came back into the lineup this week guys like Franzen and Helm got hurt and they'll be out for a while. In my opinion this team is the "sleeping giant" (Pearl Harbor reference, what a terrible movie) in the entire NHL. The way this team can win when they are on is unmatched by anybody, and they've been doing it my entire life (20 years, 6 months, 18 days). Their Cup dreams like so many other teams reside in their goaltender's play in the playoffs. And the Wings will either sink or swim depending on Howard's health and his performance in the playoffs.
Nashville Predators - This team is the perfect playoff team, top 10 in offense, defense, power play, penalty kill. In the playoffs teams win on special teams and goaltending. This team has qualities in the 3 categories that match any other team in the NHL. The moves this team made at the deadline bringing in the other Kostitsyn, Gaustad, and Hal Gill solidify this team's roster. There's no holes in this line up, and their top-6 forwards, top-4 defensemen, and goalies are all healthy going into the playoffs. On top of that Alexander Radulov, for my money the top player not playing NHL hockey, may decide this week whether he is going to return to the NHL after a 4 year hiatus. Because of his contract situation with the Predators, if he comes back he doesn't have to pass through re-entry waivers, and he is fully elidigable for the playoffs (Marty Turco who signed with the Bruins after the trade deadline isn't elidgeable to play in the playoffs). Make no mistake about it, if the Pred's get Radulov they're adding a top-6 forward into their lineup.
So there's my list. If I were a betting man I would put my money with one of those 8 teams to win the cup. With that said though any team in the playoffs, especially out of the West, can beat any other team, no question about it.
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