who pays for NHLers gear?

[JR Boucicaut 3801]

Here's the thing - I have to read these forums. Every post.

However, you choose not to, and you speculate on something that has been talked about already in the thread.

How's that supposed to make me feel?

[fastmiele 59]

speaking of teams paying for all player equipment, how about specific examples like Brendan Shanahan and his reported stash of 10,000 Easton aluminum shafts. Did the team have to fork out the entire bill ?

[Gummer12 134]

I think he bought those out of pocket

[furlanitalia 1]

In light of the GM meetings this week it was proposed that players pay for their own gear. Doug Mclean Mentioned that in his last year with Columbus they spent $500,000 on gear, and that Paul Coffey would go through 22 pairs of skates in a year (and he would have them stitched to be stiffer before he would wear them).

And apparently in San Jose, the sticks that the three stars give away are just promo sticks that are cheaper, not the actual sticks the player uses.

[Hockeyman11385 1]

The San Jose 3 star sticks are just little wood sticks with San Jose Sharks on the shaft and a straight blade. I'm sure they cost all of $5.

[Tailboard Jockey 25]

And apparently in San Jose, the sticks that the three stars give away are just promo sticks that are cheaper, not the actual sticks the player uses.

Yeah, they're just Sharks promo youth-sized wood sticks that the Sharks players autograph and hand out to the rich kids on the glass.

[Jarick 5]

It would make sense to have an allowance for the players, and if they go over, buy their own stuff. Might even have the unintended consequence of players requesting more durable sticks, which would trickle down to the consumer level.

[cptjeff 0]

That seems like a fair compromise. Might have a chilling effect on pro stock availability though. Pros might order less stuff, and they'll probably be willing to use more of the older stuff, especially in areas like sticks.

It would keep guys like coffey from ordering gloves with paper thin palms and replacing them every period though.

[Gummer12 134]

Baseball players have to buy their gear...But on the flipside, they get paid a lot more. Baseball Min Salary is roughly what, $850K? NHL is 750..but throw in reentry waivers, and examples like Legacy just getting picked up by CAR for 500K, and plus you have a lot of Two way contracts, and so many players that are primarily AHL players that barely make 50-75K that get called up without warning, and then make them shell out a couple grand for gear just to be able to play maybe One game? And also College rookies getting signed at the end of their College season via whatever contract they sign. Plus if you get guys buying their own gear, you'll end up with guys still wearing some really old and unsafe equipment that they've been using since Pee Wee's, and the influx in injuries in today's game would just be outrageous. Just makes More sense to just have all the gear necessary on hand ready at any given moment.

[cptjeff 0]

The minimum MLB salary is less then the NHL's, actually. $390,000. But they also have a lot less gear to buy.

But you make a lot of good points. Good reasons a spending cap is the furthest the NHL should go.

[furlanitalia 1]

I think one of the biggest complaints some GM's are having is guys that order a 12 batch of sticks, and only use 4 of them because they find flaws in the other 8. Even Coaches have their own pattern now and get custom sticks.

[shotty 7]

my theory is this: if you work in an office environment, your desk, your computer, your pens, pencils, phone, internet service is all supplied by your employer in order for you to get your job done. the players are part of a union, and paid by their respective teams. they're not self employed and as such, they shouldn't have to be responsible for their work related tools. if they possess the star power to earn additional income through endorsement, good for them. if they can grease their pockets by getting a few extra thousand dollars from equipment manufacturers for wearing key pieces of equipment, good for them. supplying the best athletes in the game with the equipment that will help them score goals, win games, attract fans and make the team money is all part of running a successful business. however, if the players choose to be malicious (smashing sticks, abusing equipment) or frivolous (tossing sticks that dont "feel" right, flipping a stick per home game to the fans, etc) with the tools provided by the team, i'm all about making the players buck up.

in keeping with the office analogy: the guy in accounting is going to use more paper than the guy in HR, and the girl in marketing is going to use more color toner than the guy in accounting, and the guy in sales is going to eat more corporate lunches than the girl in admin. just like the guy who blocks shots is going to need more shin pads and skate repairs than the center who takes 15 draws per game who'll need more sticks than the fourth liner who plays 6 minutes a game and goes into the corners and burns up his pants, breaks his helmet in a fight and likes super thin palms on his gloves.

hockey is a an expensive business. some people would say that its the GMs that made the sport this way by offering the huge contracts and transforming these guys into prima donna rock stars who "need" 7+ pairs of skates per year.

i say if you want to run a solid business, provide the tools necessary.

[Gummer12 134]

The minimum MLB salary is less then the NHL's, actually. $390,000. But they also have a lot less gear to buy.

But you make a lot of good points. Good reasons a spending cap is the furthest the NHL should go.

Sorry, you're right..NFL is the number I quoted

[furlanitalia 1]

If players buy their own gear though it is all a tax write off for them though, is it not?

[shotty 7]

they could, but it's hardly an incentive. team gets the write offs now, and they need it more than the players do.

[Harv 86]

Just to add to this thread..

My GM of our college team happened to sit next to Brooks Orpiks' dad on a flight. Orpiks dad is a Bauer rep and deals with Boston College. He said that Boston College forks out about 100k a year JUST in sticks.

I couldn't believe it.

[furlanitalia 1]

Wow. That's about 4-5k per player, or about 20-30 sticks per player (assuming $200 sticks). Actually not crazy considering a 30-40 game schedule, plus final four.

[Race4LastPlace 31]

my theory is this: if you work in an office environment, your desk, your computer, your pens, pencils, phone, internet service is all supplied by your employer in order for you to get your job done. the players are part of a union, and paid by their respective teams. they're not self employed and as such, they shouldn't have to be responsible for their work related tools. if they possess the star power to earn additional income through endorsement, good for them. if they can grease their pockets by getting a few extra thousand dollars from equipment manufacturers for wearing key pieces of equipment, good for them. supplying the best athletes in the game with the equipment that will help them score goals, win games, attract fans and make the team money is all part of running a successful business. however, if the players choose to be malicious (smashing sticks, abusing equipment) or frivolous (tossing sticks that dont "feel" right, flipping a stick per home game to the fans, etc) with the tools provided by the team, i'm all about making the players buck up.

similar to a racket abuse fine in pro tennis....

[westcoastsniper 0]

yeah! let those guys foot the bill for their gear whore ways.... then they'll know what our pain is like trying to scrape together the shekels for a new stick or skates.

[Chadd 916]

they could, but it's hardly an incentive. team gets the write offs now, and they need it more than the players do.

Better to not spend it at all, than to write it off.

[shotty 7]

they could, but it's hardly an incentive. team gets the write offs now, and they need it more than the players do.

Better to not spend it at all, than to write it off.

true. the same reasoning that i applied to the players applies to the organization (avoid cost wherever possible), but when it comes down to it, there's a cost to doing business, and as such, companies get bigger write offs for providing equipment necessary to work than the employees do. plus, businesses that operate in the hundreds of millions in revenue appreciate the "costs".

[Chadd 916]

they could, but it's hardly an incentive. team gets the write offs now, and they need it more than the players do.

Better to not spend it at all, than to write it off.

true. the same reasoning that i applied to the players applies to the organization (avoid cost wherever possible), but when it comes down to it, there's a cost to doing business, and as such, companies get bigger write offs for providing equipment necessary to work than the employees do. plus, businesses that operate in the hundreds of millions in revenue appreciate the "costs".

For teams struggling to break even, or make a profit, the write off doesn't help as it's still an expense and they still lose money. You would probably see some players getting gear for free and the price of gear would likely go up for us to make up for that.

[Speedz98 15]

You would think the manufacturer would just give the player the gear without having the team pay for it. Save money that way. Instead of like 50K a year, give them the gear for free. Or am i just crazy lol

Also, kinda funny how, these atheletes with there 500 k to 5 mil contracts get stuff for free. You would think they would need free stuff lessss. Yeah yeah I get it, how it's all marketing to get non pro players buying the gear.

[Chadd 916]

You would think the manufacturer would just give the player the gear without having the team pay for it. Save money that way. Instead of like 50K a year, give them the gear for free. Or am i just crazy lol

Also, kinda funny how, these atheletes with there 500 k to 5 mil contracts get stuff for free. You would think they would need free stuff lessss. Yeah yeah I get it, how it's all marketing to get non pro players buying the gear.

Most of the tools I need to do my job are provided by the company I work for. In fact, that has been the case at every just about every company I've worked for.

[Gummer12 134]

Just like Chadd stated earlier....if the manufacturers gave the gear to the pros for Free..they would have to pass that cost along to the Retail side of the business to Recoup those losses.