| In today's world, when most people think about hockey | | | | Even though us roller hockey players saw Reebok |
| equipment, they think Reebok. Back when I was I | | | | skates and started to see other Reebok gear, like |
| playing hockey, it was a different story. I think I started | | | | sticks and gloves show up, nobody really purchased it. |
| playing hockey in 1995 or 1994. I can't remember which | | | | Eventually, Nike bought the company of Bauer. This |
| year it was. All I know is that at that time period in my | | | | was a good move by Nike as Bauer was a trusted |
| life, I was a roller hockey freak. I worked my way from | | | | hockey company. I had stopped playing inline hockey a |
| cheap equipment that broke easily, to what was the | | | | few years later. Although I did notice a change when I |
| standard for professional players at the time. I also | | | | came back to the sport. |
| noticed that the more expensive the equipment got, | | | | Reebok hockey equipment was everywhere. They |
| the better my hockey playing was. | | | | were literally all over the sport. They were in use by a |
| I knew a whole bunch about hockey gear back then. I | | | | whole host of NHL players. Reebok was also the |
| was in all the sports stores every month getting a new | | | | official equipment provider to the National Hockey |
| stick or some new hockey wheels for my skates. At | | | | League. I always wondered how a company that |
| some point, I can't remember when, but I saw Reebok | | | | seemed so far behind get to the top? The answer |
| skates start appearing. I think it was around the same | | | | was simple. Reebok followed Nike's lead from years |
| time Nike came into the sport of hockey with their | | | | earlier and bought some trustworthy hockey |
| own brand of equipment. Their were a few big brands | | | | companies. In 2004, they purchased CCM, Koho and |
| that I knew about and so did every other inline hockey | | | | Jofa. After awhile, they phased out Jofa and kept the |
| player. These brands were CCM, Jofa, and Bauer. In | | | | CCM and Reebok names because they were their |
| my opinion, those were the top 3. All the stores had | | | | best selling brand. My opinion can be summed up in |
| equipment by those manufacturers. | | | | three words, smart move Reebok. |