Titan (ice hockey)

Lore & Background

Titan OY was founded in Tampere, Finland in 1966 by Antti-Jussi Tiitola, an engineer by training. The company began by manufacturing alpine skis, but within its first year of operations it also started producing ice hockey sticks. Until the 1960s, hockey stick manufacturing was seen primarily as carpentry; Tiitola introduced science and technology to the design and production of sticks.

In 1972, Tiitola sold Titan OY to the sporting goods company Karhu, which changed its name to Karhu-Titan. Karhu continued manufacturing Titan sticks, and in 1979 transferred production to its partly owned Canadian arm, Karhu-Titan Canada Ltd. That same year, Karhu signed a deal with Wayne Gretzky to use Titan sticks exclusively. The company made a specially designed model for him that he used until 1990, at which point he switched to an Easton two-piece aluminium stick.

In 1998, Karhu Canada (renamed Sports Holdings Corporation) was purchased by SLM International, which was renamed The Hockey Company the following year. At that time, the Titan brand was mostly phased out. After subsequent ownership by Reebok and Adidas, the hockey operations were sold in 2017 to Birch Hill Equity Partners and consolidated in Sport Maska Inc. Although Sport Maska's main brand is CCM, occasionally it makes retro sticks and apparel using the Titan name.

Reader's Guide

Titan's significance lies in its role as a pioneer in the technological evolution of the ice hockey stick. Before Titan, stick manufacturing was largely a carpentry trade; founder Antti-Jussi Tiitola, an engineer, applied scientific principles to design and production, setting a new standard for the industry. The brand's association with Wayne Gretzky from 1979 to 1990 further cemented its legacy, as Gretzky used a specially designed Titan model exclusively during that period. The brand's journey through multiple corporate owners—from Karhu to SLM International, The Hockey Company, Reebok, Adidas, and finally Birch Hill Equity Partners—reflects the consolidation of the hockey equipment industry. Although the Titan brand was mostly phased out after 1998, its occasional revival as retro sticks and apparel under Sport Maska's CCM umbrella keeps its heritage alive. Titan's introduction of engineering to stick making and its link to one of hockey's greatest players ensure its place in the sport's equipment history.

Did You Know?

• The company began by making alpine skis before producing hockey sticks in its first year.
• Wayne Gretzky used a specially designed Titan stick exclusively from 1979 until 1990.
• The Titan brand is now owned by Birch Hill Equity Partners through Sport Maska Inc., which occasionally makes retro Titan products.