CCM Hockey is a Canadian

brand A brand is a name, term, design, symbol or any other feature that distinguishes one seller's goods or service from those of other sellers. Brands are used in business, marketing, and advertising for recognition and, importantly, to create and ...

ice hockey equipment In ice hockey, players use specialized equipment both to facilitate the play of the game and for protection as this is a sport where injuries are common, therefore, all players are encouraged to protect their bodies from bruises and severe fract ...

owned by

Altor Equity Partners Altor Equity Partners is a private equity firm focused on leveraged buyout and growth capital investments in Sweden, Denmark, Finland, Norway and the DACH region. History The firm, which is based in Stockholm, Sweden Stockholm (; ) is th ...

through its portfolio company Sport Maska Inc. The history of the brand traces to 1905, when Canada Cycle and Motor Limited, founded in 1899, began manufacturing hockey equipment as a secondary business. After Canada Cycle went bankrupt in 1982, it sold off its cycling and hockey divisions to separate owners. The hockey division was acquired by Sport Maska, a Quebec-based manufacturer of jerseys. In 1991, Sport Maska was placed under the ownership of a new holding company called SLM International. By 1998, SLM's portfolio of brands had grown to include

Canadien French Canadians, referred to as Canadiens mainly before the nineteenth century, are an ethnic group descended from French colonists first arriving in France's colony of Canada in 1608. The vast majority of French Canadians live in the provi ...

, CCM, Heaton,

Jofa The Jewish Orthodox Feminist Alliance (JOFA) is an Orthodox Jewish organization providing educational services on women's issues, with the aim of expanding "the spiritual, ritual, intellectual, and political opportunities for women within the f ...

, Koho, and

Titan Titan most often refers to: * Titan (moon), the largest moon of Saturn * Titans, a race of deities in Greek mythology Titan or Titans may also refer to: Arts and entertainment Fictional entities Fictional locations * Titan in fiction, fictiona ...

, and in 1999 SLM changed its name to The Hockey Company. In 2004,

Reebok Reebok International Limited ( ) is an American footwear and clothing brand that is a part of Authentic Brands Group. It was established in England in 1958 as a companion company to J.W. Foster and Sons, a sporting goods company which had bee ...

purchased The Hockey Company, but a year later was itself purchased by

Adidas Adidas AG (; stylized in all lowercase since 1949) is a German athletic apparel and footwear corporation headquartered in Herzogenaurach, Bavaria, Germany. It is the largest sportswear manufacturer in Europe, and the second largest in the ...

. In 2017, Adidas sold all of its hockey operations and brand rights, which remained consolidated under Sport Maska, to the

private equity Private equity (PE) is stock in a private company that does not offer stock to the general public; instead it is offered to specialized investment funds and limited partnerships that take an active role in the management and structuring of the co ...

firm Birch Hill Equity Partners. In October 2024,

of Sweden purchased a majority stake in Sport Maska, and in January 2025 was joined by Northleaf Capital Partners. CCM's range of products for hockey includes sticks, skates,

helmets A helmet is a form of protective gear worn to protect the Human head, head. More specifically, a helmet complements the skull in protecting the human brain. Ceremonial or symbolic helmets (e.g., a Custodian helmet, policeman's helmet in the Unite ...

shoulder pads The human shoulder is made up of three bones: the clavicle (collarbone), the scapula (shoulder blade), and the humerus (upper arm bone) as well as associated muscles, ligaments and tendons. The articulations between the bones of the shoulder m ...

elbow pad Elbow pads are protective padded gear worn on the elbows to protect them against injury during a fall or a strike. Elbow pads are worn by many athletes, especially hockey players, cyclists, roller skaters, skateboarders, volleyball players, ...

goaltender mask A goaltender mask, commonly referred to as a goalie mask, is a mask worn by goaltenders in a variety of sports to protect the Human head, head and face from injury from the ball or puck, as they constantly face incoming shots on goal. Some sports ...

s, goaltender pads, goaltender gloves,

knee pad Knee pads or kneepads are protective gear worn on knees to protect them against impact injury from falling to the ground or hitting an obstacle, or to provide padding for extended kneeling.Their primary purpose is to shield this vulnerable ...

s, throat collars, and team uniforms for the

American Hockey League The American Hockey League (AHL) is a professional ice hockey league in North America that serves as the primary developmental league of the National Hockey League (NHL). The league comprises 32 teams, with 26 in the United States and 6 in Cana ...

History

Canada Cycle and Motor era, 1905–1982

CCM was founded in 1899 after the collapse of the bicycle market. Established "when the operations of four major Canadian bicycle manufacturers amalgamated: H. A. Lozier,

Massey-Harris Massey Ferguson is an agricultural machinery manufacturer, established in 1953 through the merger of farm equipment makers Massey-Harris of Canada and the Ferguson-Brown Company, Ferguson Company of Ireland. It was based in Coventry then moved t ...

, Goold, and Welland Vale Manufacturing." CCM produced

bicycles A bicycle, also called a pedal cycle, bike, push-bike or cycle, is a human-powered or motor-assisted, pedal-driven, single-track vehicle, with two wheels attached to a frame, one behind the other. A is called a cyclist, or bicyclist. ...

for many years in the area of

Weston, Toronto Weston is a neighbourhood and former town in Toronto, Toronto, Ontario, Canada. The neighbourhood is situated in the northwest of the city, south of Highway 401 and Highway 400/Black Creek Drive, east of the Humber River (Ontario), Humber River, ...

Ontario Ontario is the southernmost Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada. Located in Central Canada, Ontario is the Population of Canada by province and territory, country's most populous province. As of the 2021 Canadian census, it ...

. They also briefly produced the Russell automobile. By 1905, with saturation in the bicycle market, CCM began producing hockey skates using

scrap steel Scrap consists of recyclable materials, usually metals, left over from product manufacturing and consumption, such as parts of vehicles, building supplies, and surplus materials. Unlike waste, scrap can have monetary value, especially recover ...

that was left over at the plant from the manufacture of bicycles and automobiles, and subsequently began manufacturing other hockey gear. In 1937, CCM acquired the Tackaberry brand made by a

Manitoba Manitoba is a Provinces and territories of Canada, province of Canada at the Centre of Canada, longitudinal centre of the country. It is Canada's Population of Canada by province and territory, fifth-most populous province, with a population ...

n named George Tackaberry and ''"Tacks"'' remained the company's signature skate until late 2006, when the Tacks line was replaced with the ''"Vector"'' line, then the ''"U+"'' line, and''"RBZ"'' line, now the ''"Jetspeed"'' line. The ''"Tacks"'' line was later reintroduced in 2014.

Sport Maska era, 1983–present

CCM Inc. went bankrupt in 1982, and in January 1983 the company was sold in two parts. The bicycle division was sold to Pro-Cycle Inc. of St. Georges-de-Beauce, Quebec, while the hockey division was sold to Sport Maska Inc., also of Quebec. Sport Maska been founded by Gérard Cóté in 1936 as G. C. Knitting Inc. In 1976, David Zunenshine (1929–2013) purchased the company and in 1979 renamed it after the Seigneurie de Maska. The company entered the toy industry in 1988 through the acquisition of Coleco Industries and in 1990 when they acquired another financially troubled company,

Buddy L Buddy L (also known as Buddy "L" or Buddy-L) is an American toy brand and company founded in 1920 as the Buddy L Toy Company in East Moline, Illinois, by Fred Lundahl.The Hockey Company -- Company History
Funding Universe (retrieved 15 September 2010) CCM logo

SLM/The Hockey Company ownership, 1991–2004

In 1991, Zunenshine created a Delaware holding company to consolidate his portfolio of businesses. The company was called SLM International Inc., an acronym for St. Lawrence Manufacturing. SLM purchased Kevin Sports Toys International Inc. (the maker of the

Wayne Gretzky Wayne Douglas Gretzky ( ; born January 26, 1961) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey player and former head coach. He played 20 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL) for four teams from 1979 to 1999. Nicknamed "the Great One ...

NHL hockey game), Norca Industries Inc. (a plastic toy manufacturer of such products as swimming pools, sleds, and sandboxes), and Innova-Dex Sports Inc. of Montreal (a bicycle helmet manufacturer). SLM filed for

Chapter 11 Chapter 11 of the United States Bankruptcy Code ( Title 11 of the United States Code) permits reorganization under the bankruptcy laws of the United States. Such reorganization, known as Chapter 11 bankruptcy, is available to every business, w ...

bankruptcy protection in 1995, selling off Buddy L and the SLM Fitness equipment business. The company emerged from bankruptcy protection in 1997 and reorganized. The company acquired Montreal-based Sports Holdings, Inc, in 1998, and became the world's top producer of hockey merchandise adding the brands Koho,

, Canadien and Heaton. Titan and Canadien were well-known brands of wooden hockey sticks in the 1980s and 1990s, with Wayne Gretzky having used the Titan 2020 while playing with the

Edmonton Oilers The Edmonton Oilers are a professional ice hockey team based in Edmonton. The Oilers compete in the National Hockey League (NHL) as a member of the Pacific Division (NHL), Pacific Division in the Western Conference (NHL), Western Conference. Th ...

. Heaton was known for its goaltending equipment, which was used for years by

Martin Brodeur Martin Pierre Brodeur (; born May 6, 1972) is a Canadian–American former professional ice hockey goaltender and current team executive. He played 22 seasons in the National Hockey League (NHL), 21 of them for the New Jersey Devils, with whom ...

as well as many other NHL goaltenders. In 1999, SLM was renamed The Hockey Company.

Reebok and Adidas ownership, 2004–2017

In June 2004,

purchased The Hockey Company. All brands other than the CCM brand were retired and Reebok introduced its own RBK Hockey gear, later to be rebranded as Reebok Hockey. Reebok in turn was acquired by

in 2005. In the fall of 2013, Adidas created a new goaltending equipment line under the CCM brand name. Beginning in 2015, Adidas began phasing out the Reebok name from their hockey equipment lines, by creating equivalent or similar product lines under the CCM name.

Birch Hill ownership, 2017–2024

In 2017, Adidas sold its hockey operations, where were held by Sport Maska Inc., to a Canadian private equity firm, Birch Hill Equity Partners, for around $100 million.Adidas laces up $100M hockey brand sale
by Josh Kosman, 20 July 2017 In 2018 CCM hired a new CEO, Rick Blackshaw. Blackshaw told the media that "We have some nice momentum. We're seeking to make investment in product and product innovation and the brand.

Altor ownership, 2024–present

In October 2024,

of Stockholm purchased a majority share in Sport Maska from Birch Hill. In January 2025, Northleaf Capital Partners of Toronto acquired the minority share in the company.

Products and marketing

CCM manufactures a wide range of ice hockey equipment at all price points, from recreational to professional. One major rival is

Bauer Hockey Bauer Hockey LLC is an American manufacturer of ice hockey equipment, fitness and recreational skates and apparel. Bauer produces helmets, gloves, sticks, skates, shin guards, pants, shoulder pads, elbow pads, hockey jocks and compression under ...

. CCM was one of the official licensees,

sponsors Sponsor or sponsorship may refer to a person or organization with some role (especially one of responsibility) regarding another person or organisation: *Sponsor (commercial), supporter of an event, activity, or person *Sponsor (legislative), a per ...

, and on-ice suppliers of hockey equipment for the

National Hockey League The National Hockey League (NHL; , ''LNH'') is a professional ice hockey league in North America composed of 32 teams25 in the United States and 7 in Canada. The NHL is one of the major professional sports leagues in the United States and Cana ...

(NHL) until 2014. CCM has changed its logo multiple times but use all three. NHL player George Parsons was forced to retire due to a career-ending eye injury in 1939. He then became involved with CCM hockey, helping to develop helmets and facial protection which would be safer for players. By early 1976, CCM had developed a hockey helmet complete with eye and face shield and lower face protector that was both approved by the

Canadian Standards Association The CSA Group (formerly the Canadian Standards Association; CSA) is a standards organization which develops standards in 57 areas. CSA publishes standards in print and electronic form, and provides training and advisory services. CSA is composed ...

and endorsed by the

Canadian Amateur Hockey Association The Canadian Amateur Hockey Association (CAHA; ) was the national governing body of amateur ice hockey in Canada from 1914 until 1994, when it merged with Hockey Canada. Its jurisdiction included senior ice hockey leagues and the Allan Cup, ...

. Main endorsers of CCM players gear include

Sidney Crosby Sidney Patrick Crosby (born August 7, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey Centre (ice hockey), centre and Captain (ice hockey), captain of the Pittsburgh Penguins of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "Sid the Kid" and dubb ...

Alexander Ovechkin Alexander Mikhailovich Ovechkin (, ; born 17September 1985) is a Russian professional ice hockey Winger (ice hockey), left winger and Captain (ice hockey), captain of the Washington Capitals of the National Hockey League (NHL). Nicknamed "the ...

Patrice Bergeron Patrice Bergeron-Cleary (born July 24, 1985) is a Canadian former professional ice hockey centre (ice hockey), centre who played 19 seasons in the National Hockey League, all with the Boston Bruins. He served as Captain (sports), team captain f ...

Nathan MacKinnon Nathan Raymond MacKinnon (born September 1, 1995) is a Canadian professional ice hockey centre and alternate captain for the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League (NHL). MacKinnon was selected first overall by the Avalanche in the ...

, and

Connor McDavid Connor Andrew McDavid (born January 13, 1997) is a Canadian professional ice hockey Centre (ice hockey), centre and Captain (ice hockey), captain of the Edmonton Oilers of the National Hockey League (NHL). Selected first overall by the Oilers ...

. In recent decades, CCM has been one of the most used goalie pads in the NHL. This popularity was in large part due to CCM's partnership with Quebec-based goalie equipment company Équipements de gardien de but (EGB) (name stylized as Lefevre'' on products and marketing materials), a family business that began making hockey equipment in the 1970s. Some notable goalies that used CCM were

Marc-André Fleury Marc-André Fleury (; born November 28, 1984) is a Canadian retired professional ice hockey goaltender. Drafted out of the Quebec Major Junior Hockey League (QMJHL) first overall by the Pittsburgh Penguins in the 2003 NHL entry draft, Fleury p ...

and

Carey Price Carey Price (born August 16, 1987) is a Canadian professional ice hockey goaltender currently under contract with the Montreal Canadiens of the National Hockey League (NHL). Considered one of the best goaltenders in the world during his career, ...

. During 2020 CCM and Lefebvre decided to end their partnership. Today CCM offers the Extreme Flex, Axis, and the youth YT Flex goalie products.“CCM Goalie Series”
''CCM Hockey''

References

{{DEFAULTSORT:Ccm (Ice Hockey) Canadian brands Sportswear brands Motorized bicycles Sporting goods manufacturers of Canada Companies based in Montreal Canadian companies established in 1899 Ice hockey equipment manufacturers Bandy brands Manufacturing companies established in 1899 1899 establishments in Ontario