Ovechkin not renewing CCM endorsement

[MattKingDelToro 2]

Haha, I wonder what they're going to rename the Crazy Ovi curve.

[chippa13 1844]

They'll just call it "viagra".

[li7039 0]

I think it will have less to do with cash and more to do with who makes a stick that he likes. No company wants another repeat of the Mission/Hull fiasco.

tried for the past 10min to find a pic of that. anyone want to help me out? I remember the black shaft with him writing mission on it

[raganblink 82]

Yeah, names like Staal, Kane, Toews, and Stamkos are hardly household names. The same can be said of Lindros and Bure.

They are hockey household names. But you're more likely to hear about Ovechkin and Crosby. Hockey people know who Toews is. Non-hockey people don't. That's the difference.

Bauer isn't going around dropping huge dime to sign these guys.. they already love bauer gear and don't need a paycheck to wear it. From what I've heard from Reebok/CCM, Ovi was taking up nearly all of their $$$ to spend on players. Then they just signed 4 of the top 5 draft picks this year to CCM. Spread the wealth around instead of giving it mostly to one guy.

Which makes sense, granted Ovi is top 2 known hockey player on the planet right now, and you'd love to see him in your gear - but when he and one other person on the entire team wear CCM gear, (and we're being generous here) then it looks like it isn't popular equipment. They'd rather have 2-3 guys per team fully decked out in their gear (non-AHL callups) then see 15 guys in the whole league decked out in their gear.

[the_sock 1]

One thing I would like to throw in there regarding CCM not resigning Ovi, they could have done a review of his contract to see if his name has had the magic effect (affect, I hate those two words) of increasing sales. If I'm not mistaken, his OVI line of protective and skates did not do well. Are people (who don't know any better) are picking up CCM sticks because it says Ovechkin in place of other brands? In the end, Adidas/Reebok/CCM is in the business of making money and if paying Ovechkin money that isn't giving a good ROI, then it's smart to walk away, regardless of Ovi's own personal preference of products.

Personally, I think he wasn't always the best poster boy, switching back to his old U+ Pros, his undeniable love of the ONE95 stick and of course, images of other brand protective gear stiched to his pants. Then again, in the end, it was all about the money and ROI.

[DarkStar50 679]

I love to read about speculation....

[Chadd 916]

I love to read about speculation....

Especially when it's a rumor that has circulated twice a year for the last couple years. Eventually it will come true.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

I know the Ovechkin rumour mill spins frequently, but it has been confirmed. Move to Bauer expected, but not confirmed.

The other thread is locked, so sorry for cluttering the board, but it is official now

Click for full story

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capitals-insider/post/agent-capitals-alex-ovechkin-parts-ways-with-ccm/2011/08/03/gIQAT25HsI_blog.html

When Alex Ovechkin attempts to bounce back from the worst goal-scoring season of his NHL career, he'll be doing it wearing a different brand of skates and wielding another company's stick.

IMG's David Abrutyn today confirmed reports that Ovechkin has decided to make a change and won't be renewing his endorsement deal with equipment manufacturer CCM, which expires at the end of the month. Ovechkin won't be sporting Reebok ReeZig sneakers anymore, either

“I can confirm that Alex has decided that he is going to go in another direction,” Abrutyn told me in a phone interview. “Obviously, [equipment] is an important part of what a hockey player does on a day-in and day-out basis, and he felt he wanted to go in a different direction.”

[DField56 0]

I know the Ovechkin rumour mill spins frequently, but it has been confirmed. Move to Bauer expected, but not confirmed.

The other thread is locked, so sorry for cluttering the board, but it is official now

Click for full story

http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/capitals-insider/post/agent-capitals-alex-ovechkin-parts-ways-with-ccm/2011/08/03/gIQAT25HsI_blog.html

too bad for CCM, when will crosby leave reebok? lol

[Jarick 5]

Makes me wonder...superstition or just didn't like the product?

[nicksmission14 0]

Yikes real bad news for CCM.

[Allsmokenopancake 0]

Makes me wonder...superstition or just didn't like the product?

When training camp rolls round I try to get to a few of the midweek practices where it's less crowded, and get wandering all over the ice level to snap photos (I had the photos of Matt Bradley using the Combat sticks here last year).

Ovechkin has used Bauer, Easton and Warrior at various practices, I'm not sure if they were other guys sticks (I know he used Semin's Bauer when he first started using them, and I just picked up a Semin pro-stock at the Caps sale, it's similar to Ovechkins curve), or actual manufacturers demos sent to him.

I would say it's a case of not liking the product (I also believe he wore Bauer skates in the RSL before starting his NHL career. When we did the season ticket holder party locker room tour, he had old assed bauer shoulder pads too (with his old #32 on them)

[halfmoonyote 0]

Ovechkin has used Bauer, Easton and Warrior at various practices, I'm not sure if they were other guys sticks (I know he used Semin's Bauer when he first started using them, and I just picked up a Semin pro-stock at the Caps sale, it's similar to Ovechkins curve), or actual manufacturers demos sent to him.

It's interesting going through the stick rack at Verizon Center pro shop at various times throughout the season. You get a glimpse at what the guys have tried in practice. I've seen Semin Warrior sticks, Green Sherwood and Warrior, and various other practiced used stuff. I'm sure every team is similar, just speaking directly to this point.

[fastbrother7 0]

Wow. Thats rough. I never really wore CCM stuff anyways though, but Ovie is my favorite player. Good luck to CCM, Im sure they will be fine though. I doubt Crosby will ditch Reebok though. Im curious about what Warrior is going to do. It seems as though all they need is a legit skate and helmet ( which I heard was in the works ) and they will be ready to really get in the ring with the big boys.

[noodle3872 40]

Last summer,THN reported Toews was going to Bauer but people questioned it. Bauer took a long time to announce the endorsement deal too which added to speculation. I'm sure by now Ovi has picked his gear and I'm willing to believe he'll be decked out in Bauer.

[chippa13 1844]

Scuttlebut I heard last night is that Ovechkin signed an apparel deal with Nike and The Hockey Company didn't want to try to keep him because of it.

[ponder 0]

Long term I think CCM will do better putting all that endorsement money they gave to Ovechkin into a large number of lower level players. As I said before, seeing a large number of players using a brand should make you (on some level) think "this brand is legit, look how many NHLers use it," while seeing one star (but few other players) using the brand makes you think "he's wearing the gear for the big paycheque, not necessarily the performance of the gear itself." The most successful gear companies in hockey (Bauer and Easton) take this quantity over quality approach with respect to the players they sign, and it certainly seems to be working out for them.

Short term though, this could hurt. They've heavily tier their image to Ovechkin, everyone is gonna know he left, and many will be thinking "he left cause their gear sucks." He wasn't the greatest endorser in the first place, often using older CCM gear or even gear from other companies, but still, I'll bet there will be a short term sales hit.

Ironically I think CCM's most recent skate, stick and protective offerings have been great, the first time they've been truly competitive in terms of quality with the other major companies/brands in a little while.

[DarkStar50 679]

CCM will be fine without OV. At the end of the day, it is the equipment that must perform and sell itself. Bauer has always taken that strategy as their primary push. As mentioned, CCM will be better off on the endorsement/marketing side by adding to their young stable of Tavares, Myers, and Pominville(all featured in their 2011 catalog).

[wrangler 157]

So what will happen with the Ovi line of equipment? Do they have to just stop making it with his name on it, or do they have a period of time to wind it down?

[xrickyb86x 1]

Posting for first pics of laces down to his knees and a ducktail spine protector on Bauer gear. lol.

[chippa13 1844]

Hockey Company, Reebok, Adidas, whatever the parent company is these days.

[Sichy 6]

It looks like the rumour that Alex Ovechkin has an endorsement deal with Bauer will be announced soon enough, Bauer has posted a teaser on Facebook.

Refer to the following link for the video clip, "This Year Will Be Different",

[JR Boucicaut 3760]

It was an one horse race.

[tscharf 0]

Anyone find it peculiar that Ovechkin has announced his endorsement deal with "Nike" and not "Bauer"?

[MilleniumFalcon 5]

2 days ago in Moscow