Bauer Hockey
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| Industry | Sporting goods |
|---|---|
| Founded | Kitchener, Ontario, 1927 |
| Headquarters | Exeter, NH, United States |
| Products | Ice hockey equipment, inline skates |
| Owner | Performance Sports Group Ltd. |
| Website | http://www.bauer.com/ |
Bauer Hockey (renamed Nike Bauer from 2005 to 2008) is one of the leading manufacturers of ice hockey equipment, fitness and recreational skates and apparel. Bauer produces helmets, gloves, sticks, skates, shin guards, pants, shoulder pads, elbow pads, as well as goalie equipment. Bauer primarily developed and manufactured hockey skates prior to 1990, when it acquired the hockey assets of Cooper Canada Ltd. Bauer operates as a unit of Performance Sports Group Ltd. of Exeter, New Hampshire.
In 1927, the Bauer family, owners of Western Shoe Company, established the Bauer Skate company as it is known today in Kitchener, Ontario.
Bauer was the first hockey company to begin producing hockey skates in which the blade was permanently secured to the boot. The boot and blade were made by Bauer .This innovation changed the industry. In years following, Bauer Skate's top line was originally marketed under the trade name "Bauer Supreme".
The arrival of the George Tackaberry boot, made by CCM under the "Tacks" trademark (the Tackaberry name having been acquired by CCM in 1937) provided stiff competition. The Tackaberry boot with CCM Pro-Lite blade would be worn by all NHL scoring champions from 1939 through 1969. The "Tacks" series of CCM skates would later be retired by Reebok in 2006.
The ever popular Bauer Skate name regained dominance after the company undertook a pioneering step of paying superstar Bobby Hull to endorse their skates. This move, and the introduction soon after of the TUUK chassis, ushered in a new era for the company.
The current National Hockey League rule banning the use of fancy skates was introduced on September 24, 1927. At the time, this effectively outlawed all skates other than tube skates. The plastic/rubber stopper seen on the heel of later tube skates was developed by CCM in 1960 following an injury to the Montreal Canadiens' Maurice "Rocket" Richard in the 1958–59 season. It was made mandatory by the NHL in 1964.
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