Hespeler Hockey

Lore & Background

The Hespeler brand was created by Zachariah Adam Hall, who started the Hespeler Wood Specialty Company in 1921 in Hespeler, Ontario. The name came from Jacob Hespeler, a settler from Württemberg. The company produced hockey sticks under brands such as "Mic Mac" and "Red Flash," though it is uncertain when the first "Hespeler" stick appeared. In 1930, the company was acquired by Waterloo Wood Products, which consolidated several hockey stick manufacturers and later renamed itself Hespeler-St. Mary's Wood Specialty Company. The factory in Hespeler continued producing sticks through ownership by Cooper Canada, Charan Industries, Canstar Industries, Nike, and Roustan Hockey, until manufacturing ended in 2021 when operations moved to Brantford.

In 1987, businessman Steve Davies discovered that the Hespeler name had never been trademarked—because Hespeler was originally a town, the name could not be trademarked until it merged into Cambridge, Ontario in 1973. Davies acquired the trademark and formed Hespeler Hockey Inc. Cooper Canada sued Davies over the rights, but the lawsuit was dropped in 1990 when Canstar purchased Cooper. The first NHL player to use a new Hespeler stick was Colin Patterson of the Calgary Flames in game six of the 1989 Stanley Cup Final; because the brand had not paid the NHL licensing fee, Patterson blacked out the name. Davies sold Hespeler Hockey to First Team Sports in 1997, and Wayne Gretzky became an officer, director, and part-owner, using Hespeler equipment until his retirement in 1999. The brand later passed through Gen-X Sports, Huffy Corporation, and the Forzani Group, before Canadian Tire acquired it in 2011.

Reader's Guide

The Hespeler brand holds a unique place in hockey equipment history due to its dual lineage: the original factory-based manufacturing line that produced sticks for decades under various owners, and the revived brand that gained prominence through Wayne Gretzky's involvement. The factory in Hespeler, Ontario, was a major production site for wood hockey sticks from 1921 until 2021, surviving changes in ownership from Cooper to Nike to Roustan. The brand's revival in 1987 by Steve Davies, after discovering the name was untrademarked, led to a legal challenge from Cooper that was resolved when Canstar bought Cooper. Hespeler's most notable ambassador was Wayne Gretzky, who became a part-owner and used the equipment from 1997 until his retirement in 1999. Since Canadian Tire acquired the brand in 2011, Hespeler has been used sporadically alongside Sher-Wood and Victoriaville. The brand's significance lies in its long manufacturing heritage and its connection to one of hockey's greatest players.

Did You Know?

• The Hespeler name could not be trademarked until 1973, when the Town of Hespeler merged into Cambridge, Ontario.
• The first NHL player to use a revived Hespeler stick was Colin Patterson, who blacked out the name because the brand hadn't paid the NHL licensing fee.
• Hockey stick manufacturing in Hespeler ended in 2021 when Roustan Hockey moved operations to Brantford.