The RinkFor the not so ready for prime-time players, coaches, referees, and the people that have to live with them. Discuss experiences in local leagues, coaching tips, equipment, and training.
Agreed. It's ALL about marketing. The big name companies are paying the stars $3-4 million a year to use their gear because they generate more than $3-4 million dollars of sales from us, the consumers.
From the companies' standpoint, signing a superstar like Ovie will be like striking gold. It's all about increasing their market share from sales.
For most people out there, they will make their purchase because a certain "superstar" wears that brand. It's a psychological effect to think that a certain product is superior than the other because the "pros" use it.
In reality, the gear used by the pros are of totally different quality compared to the consumer products. I.E. pro-stock. The gear used by the pros are completely custom made whereas the consumer level products are mass-produced. We won't get the extra-edge the pros are getting in their equipment in ours. The product could be still better but the margin isn't as big as the companies are making it seem.
Another good example of this are "disguised" sticks. Pros may use older model sticks and even think they may be superior to the new models but are forced to disguise their sticks due to marketing. For the million of hockey viewers out there, newer is better so they will go out and buy the newer version for $50-$100 more because they saw the pros use it.
Ovie will choose the best "equipment" that suits his game, but don't be native in thinking that half the reason wasn't due to endorsement from the company
I could not agree more. This is simply how it is. "Emotion" drives human purchases more than logic. Any marketer will tell you the same. Endorsements do nothing more than create an image for a product that people will pay more for as a result of because they think they will derive some extra benefit from it which is ridiculous. I'm not saying a product is bad because a star uses it. I'm saying he chose that company because they paid him the most $$, he's probably using a custom version, the version offered to consumers is over priced, and it's the same product it was regardless of whether he's using it or not. It's irrelevant. What a star NHL player uses shouldn't weigh into what anyone on here uses or even what the guy sitting next to Ovie in the locker room uses.
None of us are immune to all the BS marketing thrown at us everyday, but try not to be so naive. Ask yourself why you want a certain skate, stick, pair of gloves, etc. Probably because someone told you to want it
Rumour has it that he was quite frustrated with CCM's sticks last season, and would spraypaint the logos off of sticks from competing brands so he could play with them from time to time.
I wouldn't be too surprised to see Ovechkin forego a sponsorship deal with an equipment manufacturer so as to have the freedom/flexibility to use whatever equipment he wants.
I've heard of guys using the stick they like and having it painted to look like another stick in order to please their sponsor. I've heard of it being done within the same company mostly though. But I'm guessing since it's Ovi, if part way through his deal he likes another company's stick, his sponsor will get him that stick and paint it like one of their own just to keep Ovi happy (and get their sponsorship money's worth).
I don't think I've heard of companies painting up other companies' sticks, but I've seen guys spray paint and black out sticks before (including the famous Brett Hull "Mission" stick where he wrote Mission with a Sharpie on a spray painted Easton). Typically they just use the different product and nobody knows or cares aside from a handful of people.
And yes the only ones who base their purchases off endorsements are kids probably 8-18. Almost any time I see kids in the hockey store they're talking about Ovechkin or Crosby when holding a CCM or Reebok stick (and assuming he uses that model and curve too).
I don't think I've heard of companies painting up other companies' sticks, but I've seen guys spray paint and black out sticks before (including the famous Brett Hull "Mission" stick where he wrote Mission with a Sharpie on a spray painted Easton). Typically they just use the different product and nobody knows or cares aside from a handful of people.
And yes the only ones who base their purchases off endorsements are kids probably 8-18. Almost any time I see kids in the hockey store they're talking about Ovechkin or Crosby when holding a CCM or Reebok stick (and assuming he uses that model and curve too).
I read an article on puck daddy awhile back about players' gear. If they have a contract with CCM but like the Bauer gloves better. CCM will usually take the bauer glove but make the outside look like one of the CCM line gloves. I believe he did mention companies rebranding sticks and other gear with their logo. Im still trying to find the article
Edit: found one article about it, IK there was another
Quote:
When I played in the minors, I learned about NHLers with endorsement deals who didn't even use the products of the company that was paying them, despite appearances. Here's a random example: say Joe Thornton(notes) likes Eagle gloves, but has a deal to use CCM. Well, CCM will get him Eagle gloves, then custom-modify them to look like their latest CCM's — if your name is big enough, this can be made to work with sticks (and skates) as well. Talk about the best of both worlds.
I work in a hockey store and I'll tell you marketing high end players like ovie seem to sway the 14 and under or the beginer hockey players... The older or more competitive players know what they want comfort wise...(Example myself most of my gear is bauer not because Stamkos or Ovie but because I like the feel) where when I am at work I've had
younger kids come in and say "ooo
i want a ccm stick because ovie"
so in a sense marketing high end
players makes a huge difference.... I expect bauer sales
to go up and ccm sales to go down
... IMO
Ps: the year Ovie scored 65 yes was using that one95 twig
I work in a hockey store and I'll tell you marketing high end players like ovie seem to sway the 14 and under or the beginer hockey players... The older or more competitive players know what they want comfort wise...(Example myself most of my gear is bauer not because Stamkos or Ovie but because I like the feel) where when I am at work I've had
younger kids come in and say "ooo
i want a ccm stick because ovie"
so in a sense marketing high end
players makes a huge difference.... I expect bauer sales
to go up and ccm sales to go down
... IMO
Ps: the year Ovie scored 65 yes was using that one95 twig
I figure that the equipment supplied to pro players is still quite a bit different from what you get in store anyways, right? A stick tailor made for Ovechkin is going to be quite a bit different from the stick I'd buy at your store, even though they both have the same paintjob. Different blade, different flex, different height, and possibly a modified kick point, right? I stumbled upon a Brian Gionta pro return stick once that looked like a junior stick on the shelf with the exception of a senior blade and a high flex rating.
I've also heard that the names they use for curves are all a marketing gimmick as well, and rarely match what the player actually uses. As far as I know, they don't even really change the curves much either. They just slap new player names on existing curves every so often.
I've also heard that the names they use for curves are all a marketing gimmick as well, and rarely match what the player actually uses. As far as I know, they don't even really change the curves much either. They just slap new player names on existing curves every so often.
Yeap, Easton's Sakic is now Hall. I also seem to like the curve alot better now for some odd reason now too.
Yeah gloves are easy/common. MIA and Eagle would do that all the time, putting another logo on their stuff. Sticks though I still haven't seen/heard a company literally painting up another stick. There have been junior teams at least that would put one sponsor's stickers over logos or black them out.
The names definitely don't match the curves, they're just to sell sticks. Which is dumb. How many people are going to buy a stick specifically because the curve is named Zetterberg or Hall? If it's for kids, that's even worse because their curve and lie would be different all the time.
I figure that the equipment supplied to pro players is still quite a bit different from what you get in store anyways, right? A stick tailor made for Ovechkin is going to be quite a bit different from the stick I'd buy at your store, even though they both have the same paintjob. Different blade, different flex, different height, and possibly a modified kick point, right? I stumbled upon a Brian Gionta pro return stick once that looked like a junior stick on the shelf with the exception of a senior blade and a high flex rating.
I've also heard that the names they use for curves are all a marketing gimmick as well, and rarely match what the player actually uses. As far as I know, they don't even really change the curves much either. They just slap new player names on existing curves every so often.
Yes the equipment we get is called "Stock Equipment" which have a difference in flex and curves but the curves are generic pre set curves example Bauser Naslund is now a Backstrom Lindros is now Kane Malkin is now the Stamkos etc so yes its not the curves they use in the nhl its just a name slapped on for younger kids to say they want like their favorite players
Now you can buy pro stock gear online or at equipment sales wear you can get the gear like they actually use
Ovi's One95 had a custom flex profile where it was a lot stiffer in the lower part and a lot whippier up top to raise the kickpoint. Between that and the 77 flex he was bending those things in half.
Yeah gloves are easy/common. MIA and Eagle would do that all the time, putting another logo on their stuff. Sticks though I still haven't seen/heard a company literally painting up another stick. There have been junior teams at least that would put one sponsor's stickers over logos or black them out.
The names definitely don't match the curves, they're just to sell sticks. Which is dumb. How many people are going to buy a stick specifically because the curve is named Zetterberg or Hall? If it's for kids, that's even worse because their curve and lie would be different all the time.
Ive seen prostock sticks for example it was an Easton SE16 but it was dressed as theEaston EQ50 because the EQ50 just came out and is spouse to be better then the se16 but it isnt it was marketing that way .......... so yes some pros do have sticks dressed as others
Ive seen prostock sticks for example it was an Easton SE16 but it was dressed as theEaston EQ50 because the EQ50 just came out and is spouse to be better then the se16 but it isnt it was marketing that way .......... so yes some pros do have sticks dressed as others
i think what he meant was a stick from one company being dressed as another company's stick...ie like a ccm being dressed as a bauer or vice versa and not one model being dressed as another within the same company.
the new bauer APX skates are $200 more expensive than the competitors' top of the line skates. Why else do they think they can get away with that pricing?
Is the APX technology really worth $200 (almost 1/3 of the price) more than the other skates?
Is the APX technology really worth $200 (almost 1/3 of the price) more than the other skates?
really doubt on that.. Well the materials and the construction are better for sure, but 200$ more than any other top line skate its pure fantasy! They can say "we have X7.0 that are priced like any other top line skate" and i'd say "yes is true", but 799$ it's a lot of money! Can't imagine how much they will cost here in italy lol
the new bauer APX skates are $200 more expensive than the competitors' top of the line skates. Why else do they think they can get away with that pricing?
Is the APX technology really worth $200 (almost 1/3 of the price) more than the other skates?
The top of the line in anything is never where your value is. It's prestige priced. They know the people that have it will buy it simply because they want the "best". The other thing it does is help the rest of the line sell by creating an image. Same reason that car makers produce a limited production performance model of their normal line.
Once thing about that skate. Aluminum in the blades? Really aluminum? That's great for the pros who can replace them every game, but how durable are those blades going to be over years of use? Sharpenings last as long? How will they stand up to slap shots to the blade?
