Reebok hockey article on ESPN.com

[JGraz15 53]

http://sports.espn.go.com/nhl/columns/story?id=1912193

Says Koho and Jofa are gone

[Reaper 0]

Another two names with history disappear from the hockey equipment landscape...

[Dan_The_Man_16 0]

No more Jofa elbow pads! :( Booooooooooo!

[crosskore 0]

Iam sure the new rbk stuff will be just like jofa, just have a rbk name sticthed on it.

[Sir Douglas 22 0]

As sad as it is, the article is undoubtedly right. Hockey needs to start causing a stir and be seen more and the stars, even if they don't like it, need to start being viewed as on the same level as the stars of other pro sports. Right now people just don't see them in the same light, and if it takes a war of brands to do so then i'm all for it. Some sacrifices need to be made.

[Mikael21 0]

I dont belive it. Jofa is from Sweden and why should reebok move to Sweden? 99% Pure Jofa, and is one of the biggest Hockey company..

[EBondo 233]

99% Pure Jofa, and is one of the biggest Hockey company..

I agree with you Mikael, Jofa is one of the biggest hockey companies out there, I saw something in a hockey magazine about a year ago, and it said 99% of all NHL players wear at least one piece of Jofa equipment, so why would they go under? Oh well if they put RbK on their equipment and its the same as Jofa, I really liked Jofa equipment, I've had the same elbow pads from them for 4 years and I ahve loved them, and honestly I am disappointed we will not see it anymore.. :(

[GeeZa32 0]

This article is so bad. This wont turn into a "shoe war". Basketball will always have the upper hand in the marketing department. You cant wear Nike skates around town like you can a pair of TMac's. Basketball shoes appeal to the players and the casual "I wanna look cool" kids too. Your not gonna sell a pair of skates to a non-hockey player because you have a swoosh on it, nike or reebok. If anything, your gonna have CCM/Koho/Jofa purists switching to a company like Bauer because they dont want to be part of the "new wave" of culture to hit the NHL.

[Sir Douglas 22 0]

Yea, but if you make hockey more appealing you can hopefully influence more people to play and go see games. Also, i just agree with the "celebrity" aspect. Who would you rather see on a billboard..Forsberg or TMac? I would like to know the sport i love is stable and has popularity, even if it took companies becoming flashy and appealing, glorifying the sport that way, to do so. No matter how they do it, if people see the sport and think it looks awesome, cosmetically or not, it will be better for us and the sport as a whole.

[Fletch 219]

I hope Koho and Jofa don't go away....I have never liked the Reebok logo, and the Koho line of goal pads (580's, 585's, 590's) are the best looking and arguably the best performing pads out there. I would hate to see the Reebok logo on them.

[GeeZa32 0]

Yea, but if you make hockey more appealing you can hopefully influence more people to play and go see games. Also, i just agree with the "celebrity" aspect. Who would you rather see on a billboard..Forsberg or TMac? I would like to know the sport i love is stable and has popularity, even if it took companies becoming flashy and appealing, glorifying the sport that way, to do so. No matter how they do it, if people see the sport and think it looks awesome, cosmetically or not, it will be better for us and the sport as a whole.

You wont see Forsberg on a billboard unless you live in Colorado or Sweden, regardless of what company he is pushing. You CANT sell a product to non-hockey players. Cant be done. Hell, I bet you can put Forsberg on a billboard for Synergy skates with a huge, "BUY FROM EASTON.COM AND GET $200 OFF" and still not sell a pair to a non-hockey player. I hate to say it, but for hockey, your either born to play it or your not. Basketball, you can pick up anyday of the week. But for hockey, you can just have a mid-life revelation and say, "I wanna throw down $1000-1500 on a sport ive never played!!!".

[Sir Douglas 22 0]

GeeZa...I'm not talking about people just going out and playing, I'm also talking about people going to watch. If the sport looks flashy and cool enough it can attract new intrest and new fans. Also, if its done right, whos not to say that one day smaller kids might not see one of the flashy ads or see some of the flashy equipment and want to play. If its done right I do believe than can cause enough commotion to get the sport gaining more popularity. You also don't have to play to be a fan.

[thunderbirds_are_go 0]

We sell plenty of skates to non-hockey players for public session skating, and they definitely want "cool" gear. So skates and soft goods (jerseys, t-shirts etc) could be promoted this way, but you're right about the rest of the gear - it's pretty game specific. We don't play American football here - how is that gear promoted?

[GeeZa32 0]

I understand where you care coming from, but to me, its unrealistic. Reebok didnt acquire THC to gain NHL popularity. It acquired THC for the stuff that makes the world go round, money. They think they can throw out the koho and jofa tags and throw a swoosh(you'd call reebok's logo a swoosh too right???) on it and start a revolution. That revolution the produces a wave of cash to corporate offices.

Some of the things that draw casual people to hockey are, the hits, the fights, the goals. All of which are down in recent years. Up are the traps, the penalties and the off-ice controversies. You cant market the players who "appeal" to the casual fan(spare a FEW flashy fowards). You cant show player who is intense and try and pump a product, because there arent enough marketable "intense" guys.

[GeeZa32 0]

We sell plenty of skates to non-hockey players for public session skating, and they definitely want "cool" gear. So skates and soft goods (jerseys, t-shirts etc) could be promoted this way, but you're right about the rest of the gear - it's pretty game specific. We don't play American football here - how is that gear promoted?

How many top of the line skates have you sold to public skaters??? Im gonna go out on a limb and say one or two-to-none. No company is going to pump their mediocre products to the public. CCM/Reebok isnt going to make a billboard or run an ad for the Vector 3.0. They may pump the Pros then in a small corner show the 7s and 6s, but the huge SPLASH will be for the $400 duds.

[Mikael21 0]

And if Jofa is going under, should CCM work alone? Or is Reebok and CCM togheter? I heard that Jofa, CCM , and KOHO where a very smart combination. Jofa make protective

CCM, Sticks and skates

Koho, goalie pads..

What should Reebok do? Make cool and flashing stuffs? Where is the HOCKEY?? If Jofa going under what should Reebok do? Wrote Reebok on Jofas pads??

[Kovy_Ribs_Fedo 3]

I've seen JS Giguere with Reebok goalie equipment last week.

[Edge 0]

I personally think Rbk will do good for hockey. I'm sure they will incorperate the past designs from the Jofa and Koho manufacturers into the current designs

[Sniper407 0]

Yea, but if you make hockey more appealing you can hopefully influence more people to play and go see games.  Also, i just agree with the "celebrity" aspect.  Who would you rather see on a billboard..Forsberg or TMac? I would like to know the sport i love is stable and has popularity, even if it took companies becoming flashy and appealing, glorifying the sport that way, to do so.  No matter how they do it, if people see the sport and think it looks awesome, cosmetically or not, it will be better for us and the sport as a whole.

You wont see Forsberg on a billboard unless you live in Colorado or Sweden, regardless of what company he is pushing. You CANT sell a product to non-hockey players. Cant be done. Hell, I bet you can put Forsberg on a billboard for Synergy skates with a huge, "BUY FROM EASTON.COM AND GET $200 OFF" and still not sell a pair to a non-hockey player. I hate to say it, but for hockey, your either born to play it or your not. Basketball, you can pick up anyday of the week. But for hockey, you can just have a mid-life revelation and say, "I wanna throw down $1000-1500 on a sport ive never played!!!".

I think that this is the part that most non-hockey players arent getting... hockey isnt like basketball at all... the athletes in the two sports have totally different mindsets. you cannot even START to compare the two sports. you put it perfectly in your post

[nyntwun 2]

They think they can throw out the koho and jofa tags and throw a swoosh(you'd call reebok's logo a swoosh too right???)

It's kind of ironic, but the Reebok logo is called a VECTOR.

[PMurphy17 25]

The article is extremely opinioned based. The writer never once metions talking to Reebok/THC or quotes any executives. Consider that the writer is suggesting the "Bettman" approach that every corner of the USA loves the game of hockey and its players. Go read some Buccigross archives and you'll find might better ideas for the game and its growth. I wonder how the Million Nike spent on Super Mario turned out. The writer is also suggesting that paying 18 and 19 year olds 10's of millions of dollars is smart business.

Take a step back and realize that about 5 years ago The Hockey Company barely existed. CCM was in Chapter 11, they bought Karhu(KOHO, TITAN and JOFA) and formed The Hockey Company, and early on they were looking to sell off some of the brand names. In that 5 years they have solidified a # 1 position in the industry. It would be shocking if Reebok took control and started imparting their ways on what seems to be a well run company.

And as some know and realize that was exactly what Nike did and they were unsuccessful.

[Chadd 916]

I don't think I've ever agreed with a writer less than I do in this case. Not to mention the main reason RBK bought THC was the licensing deals for soft goods more than anything else. In addition to Bucci's stuff, I always like Jon Dolezar's writings as well. I haven't seen any of his columns since the end of the season, I hope he wasn't a casualty of the lockout as well.

[Petey21 1]

I wonder if this will affect the plants that Jofa and Koho have in Europe? Jofa makes equipment in Sweden and I THINK (not sure) that Koho makes at least some of their stuff (at least their sticks) in Finland. Would these be left intact or would they move the plants to some low salary country somewhere in order to make more money for Reebok? And I wonder if their equipment lines would be in use still but with a Reebok logo, for example, the Jofa 690 helmet, would that still be around or replaced by that new Reebok helmet?

[Mikael21 0]

I wonder if this will affect the plants that Jofa and Koho have in Europe? Jofa makes equipment in Sweden and I THINK (not sure) that Koho makes at least some of their stuff (at least their sticks) in Finland. Would these be left intact or would they move the plants to some low salary country somewhere in order to make more money for Reebok? And I wonder if their equipment lines would be in use still but with a Reebok logo, for example, the Jofa 690 helmet, would that still be around or replaced by that new Reebok helmet?

Yeah you have right..What is going to happend?? Jofa comes from a Swedish village called Mallung and i dont think reebok wants to have their factory in a little village :P

[Chadd 916]

Of course Reebok wants it in a little village, they just want the village to be in Thailand. You're talking about a company that takes less than a dollars worth of parts, pays their assemblers a few cents an hour and sells the shoes for $100+.