NHL Equipment Program Has Kids
Covered From Head to Toe
By Harry Thompson
Christmas comes early for the boys and girls around the Bay State of Massachusetts as packages decked out in the colors and logo of the Boston Bruins arrive at their doorsteps.
It marks the first step in what the National Hockey League (NHL) hopes will be a long and happy journey for a youth hockey player and ultimately a lifelong fan of their favorite NHL team. So, when a kid takes their first strides on the ice wearing the colors of their local NHL team, such as the Bruins, they feel like they’re part of the team.
“When the gear arrives it’s like Christmas. The kid opens the box and goes, ‘Whoa, this is great! I love this gear!’” says Matt Herr, the senior director of youth hockey and industry growth for the NHL.
“That creates a connection between both the club and the player. In the end, our hope from the league side is that these kids not only connect to the NHL club but also continue in hockey and have a great experience.”
It’s a scene taking place in NHL cities and surrounding towns across the country as the NHL and its member teams look to break down the barriers that keep kids off the ice as part of its Learn to Play initiative, a collaboration between the league and the NHL Players’ Association through its Industry Growth Fund.
Working with their equipment partner at Pure Hockey, the NHL ensures that every boy and girl between the ages of four and nine years old enrolled in the program is properly outfitted with a complete set of starter equipment, free of charge.
“There’s a stigma that hockey is an expensive sport, and we don’t want people to stay away from the game because of the price,” says Ethan Nectow, the director of team sales for Pure Hockey. “This gives an opportunity to people who maybe couldn’t otherwise afford to enter the game and give their kids an opportunity to play.”
As the largest hockey retailer in the United States, Pure Hockey has the purchasing power and distribution network to outfit kids from coast to coast. In addition, Pure Hockey also has personnel with the passion and expertise to ensure that every boy and girl is properly fitted from the helmet on their head to the skates on their feet for maximum safety and enjoyment on the ice.
Pure Hockey representatives spend countless hours and days visiting rinks and stores around the country to meet with parents and answer their questions on everything from how to properly size a pair of skates to how to tape a hockey stick.
“The customer service that these players are provided from Pure Hockey is phenomenal,” Herr says. “They have people that are professionally fitting them to get the proper size because if your skates are too big or your shin guards are falling off, you’re not going to have a good experience.”
Some teams, like the Bruins, turn the equipment fitting sessions into an event for the entire family with appearances by the team mascot and famous alumni.
“It’s great to meet the kids, which I think is a really important piece of what we do,” says Gary Howard, Pure Hockey’s area manager. “It’s also the excitement they see from us and how close-knit and family-orientated the hockey world is.”
After their measurements are taken, each boy and girl is given a hockey stick and jersey before they return home and patiently wait for their gear to arrive. The excitement that comes when the gear arrives is often chronicled by parents who share photos and videos on team websites and social media platforms.
“When these kids open their gear for the first time to try it on and the parents are posting videos or pictures, the satisfaction of making sure they are as safe as possible and their gear fits properly for the proper mobility and comfort is all I could ask for,” Howard says.
“It’s a game we all love. Just knowing that we are able to help it grow is unbelievable,” Howard says. “The opportunity we’re given to work with these NHL teams is awesome. Words can’t describe how we feel.”
