CCM (ice hockey)
Canadian ice hockey equipment brand since 1905.
CCM is a Canadian brand of ice hockey gear. It is owned by Altor Equity Partners through Sport Maska Inc., the company that holds the brand. The brand’s roots go back to 1905, when Canada Cycle and Motor Limited—a company founded in 1899—started making hockey equipment on the side. CCM’s product line includes sticks, skates, helmets, shoulder pads, elbow pads, goaltender masks, goaltender pads, goaltender gloves, knee pads, throat collars, and uniforms for the American Hockey League.
The story begins with Canada Cycle and Motor, which was created in 1899 after four major Canadian bicycle makers—H. A. Lozier, Massey-Harris, Goold, and Welland Vale Manufacturing—merged. The company made bicycles in Weston, Toronto, and briefly built the Russell automobile. By 1905, the bicycle market was saturated, so CCM started producing hockey skates from leftover scrap steel at the plant, then expanded into other hockey gear. In 1937, CCM bought the Tackaberry brand, created by Manitoban George Tackaberry. The “Tacks” skate line remained the company’s signature until late 2006, when it was replaced by the “Vector” line, then the “U+” line, then the “RBZ” line, and now the “Jetspeed” line. The “Tacks” line was brought back in 2014.
In 1982, CCM Inc. went bankrupt. In January 1983, the company was split: the bicycle division went to Pro-Cycle Inc. of Quebec, and the hockey division was sold to Sport Maska Inc., also of Quebec. Sport Maska had been founded in 1936 by Gérard Côté as G. C. Knitting Inc. In 1976, David Zunenshine bought the company and renamed it in 1979 after the Seigneurie de Maska. Sport Maska moved into toys in 1988 by buying Coleco Industries, and in 1990 it acquired Buddy L Corp., a struggling U.S. maker of steel and plastic toy cars and trucks.
In 1991, Zunenshine set up a Delaware holding company called SLM International Inc. (short for St. Lawrence Manufacturing) to manage his businesses. SLM bought Kevin Sports Toys International Inc. (maker of the Wayne Gretzky NHL hockey game), Norca Industries Inc. (maker of plastic toys like swimming pools, sleds, and sandboxes), and Innova-Dex Sports Inc. of Montreal (a bicycle helmet maker). SLM filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy in 1995, selling off Buddy L and its fitness equipment division. It emerged from bankruptcy in 1997 and reorganized.
Quick Facts
- Industry
- Sporting goods
- Trade Name
- CCM Hockey
- Founded
- in Weston, Ontario, Canada
- Founder
- <!-- or
- Hq Location City
- Montreal, Quebec
- Hq Location Country
- Canada
- Products
- Ice hockey sticks, skates, helmets, shoulder pads, elbow pads, goaltender masks, knee pads, throat collar, team uniforms / Inline skates / Bicycles
- Owner
- The Hockey Company (1991–2004) / Reebok (2004–2005) / Adidas (2005–2017) / Birch Hill Equity Partners (2017–2024) / Altor Equity Partners / (2024–)
- Parent
- Sport Maska Inc.
Facts from the source article.
Lore & Background
CCM was founded in 1899 after the collapse of the bicycle market, when four major Canadian bicycle manufacturers amalgamated. By 1905, with saturation in the bicycle market, CCM began producing hockey skates using scrap steel left over from bicycle and automobile manufacturing, and subsequently began manufacturing other hockey gear. In 1937, CCM acquired the Tackaberry brand, and 'Tacks' remained the company's signature skate until late 2006, when it was replaced by the Vector line, then the U+ line, RBZ line, and now the Jetspeed line; the Tacks line was reintroduced in 2014.
CCM Inc. went bankrupt in 1982, and in January 1983 the hockey division was sold to Sport Maska Inc. of Quebec. In 1991, Sport Maska was placed under a new holding company called SLM International. By 1998, SLM's portfolio included Canadien, CCM, Heaton, Jofa, Koho, and Titan. In 1999, SLM was renamed The Hockey Company. Reebok purchased The Hockey Company in 2004, and Reebok was itself acquired by Adidas in 2005. In 2017, Adidas sold its hockey operations to Birch Hill Equity Partners. In October 2024, Altor Equity Partners purchased a majority stake in Sport Maska, joined by Northleaf Capital Partners in January 2025.
Reader's Guide
CCM's significance lies in its long history as a major manufacturer of ice hockey equipment, from its origins in the early 20th century to its current status under private equity ownership. The brand has been a key supplier of gear at all price points, from recreational to professional, and was one of the official licensees, sponsors, and on-ice suppliers of hockey equipment for the National Hockey League until 2014. CCM has changed its logo twice but continues to use all three. The brand's legacy includes the development of safer equipment: after NHL player George Parsons retired due to a career-ending eye injury in 1939, he became involved with CCM hockey, helping to develop helmets and facial protection. By early 1976, CCM had developed a hockey helmet with eye and face shield and lower face protector approved by the Canadian Standards Association and endorsed by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. CCM has been one of the most used goalie pads in the NHL, in large part due to a partnership with Quebec-based goalie equipment company Équipements de gardien de but (EGB), which ended in 2020. Notable goalies who used CCM include Marc-André Fleury and Carey Price.
Did You Know?
- CCM originally stood for Canada Cycle and Motor Limited, which began making hockey skates in 1905 using scrap steel from bicycle and automobile production.
- In 1937, CCM acquired the Tackaberry brand, and 'Tacks' skates remained the company's signature until 2006; the line was reintroduced in 2014.
- After CCM went bankrupt in 1982, its hockey division was sold to Sport Maska Inc., a Quebec-based jersey manufacturer.
- NHL player George Parsons, forced to retire due to an eye injury in 1939, helped CCM develop safer helmets and facial protection.
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