Mission Hockey

Lore & Background

The Dare Development Group was founded in Santa Ana, California on December 20, 1994 by Thomas V. Wilder, Kelly Burns, and Alexander Reynolds, three former employees of Canstar, the owner of Bauer Hockey. They left after Canstar was purchased by Nike in December 1994. Wilder, a native of Williamsburg, Virginia, had no exposure to hockey until the 1980 Miracle on Ice. The founders believed California was a rapidly growing market for hockey and saw roller hockey as a way to make the sport accessible in warmer climates. In July 1996, the founders sold the company to Bob Naegele Jr., who later founded the Minnesota Wild. Naegele appointed Steve Meineke as chairman and CEO. In its second year, Mission's sales were around $14 million.

Dare began manufacturing ice skates and protective equipment in 1997, and later that year changed its name to the Mission Hockey Company. Mission equipment was soon adopted by NHL players, with its M-1 line of sticks and gloves especially popular. In April 2004, Mission merged with Itech Sports Products Inc. to form Mission-Itech Hockey Ltd., with head offices in Kirkland, Quebec. Naegele became chairman, and Mission president Mike Whan was appointed president and CEO.

In February 2008, W. Graeme Roustan, in partnership with Kohlberg & Company, acquired Bauer Hockey from Nike. In September 2008, Bauer acquired Mission-Itech. After the takeover, the Mission and Itech names were phased out of hockey equipment in 2009, though Bauer continues to use the Mission brand on its inline skates. In October 2016, Performance Sports Group, Mission's parent company, filed for bankruptcy, and in January 2017 its assets were sold for $575 million.

Reader's Guide

Mission Hockey's significance lies in its rapid rise from a startup founded by former Bauer employees to a brand whose equipment was widely used in the NHL during the late 1990s and early 2000s. The company's origins in California reflected a strategic bet on the growth of hockey in warmer climates, with roller hockey as an entry point. Its M-1 line of sticks and gloves became especially popular among professional players. The merger with Itech in 2004 created Mission-Itech Hockey Ltd., consolidating two mid-sized manufacturers. The acquisition by Bauer in 2008, only six months after Bauer became independent from Nike, marked the end of Mission as a standalone brand in hockey equipment. Bauer phased out the Mission and Itech names from hockey gear in 2009 but retained the Mission brand for inline skates. The brand's legacy includes its role in the consolidation of the hockey equipment industry, as noted by Mission-Itech president Mike Whan, who said consolidation was essential for the long-term success of the overall hockey industry. The subsequent bankruptcy of Performance Sports Group in 2016 and sale of its assets in 2017 further underscored the shifting landscape of hockey manufacturing.

Did You Know?

• Mission Hockey was originally founded as Dare Development Group in December 1994 by three former Bauer employees.
• The company's first president, Thomas V. Wilder, had no exposure to hockey until the 1980 Miracle on Ice.
• Mission's M-1 line of sticks and gloves was especially popular in the NHL.
• Bauer continues to produce inline skates using the Mission branding.