The US tariff on Canadian imports could send already soaring hockey gear prices even higher

Kelly Rand's teenage twin boys playing hockey in St. Paul, Minnesota, are going through expansion spurts that force the family to purchase new equipment what seems like all the time.

Key points

• The goaltender's $400 helmet in 2022 now runs $1, 000.
• An average stick is now $200, Merola remarked, with high-end versions ranging up to $400.
• "This not a minor blip by by any means, " Sports & Fitness Industry Association CEO Todd Smith remarked.
• Hockey sticks and skates are among the more than 550 goods named in the tariffs by the White House.
• "If a kid on the ice breaks a stick, every other parent is looking at that mom or dad going, 'Ahhh oh, no!'" Rand remarked.

For context, the goaltender's $400 helmet in 2022 now runs $1, 000. The chest protector they obtained last year for $465 now goes for $900.

For a sport that is increasingly expensive for everything from gear and ice time to travel and coaching, the latest round of 50% tariffs levied by President Donald Trump's administration against Canada was most unwelcome news as they threaten to ramp up rates even more.

"If a kid on the ice breaks a stick, every other parent is looking at that mom or dad going, 'Ahhh oh, no!'" Rand remarked. "You feel for them. How plenty of $400 sticks can you afford in one season?"

Hockey sticks and skates are among the more than 550 goods named in the tariffs by the White House. Custom equipment is additionally manufactured by True Hockey in Canada and imported into the U.S., according to B&R Sports Director of E-commerce John Merola. This person stated skates and goalie gear fit into that category.

In practice, an average stick is now $200, Merola remarked, with high-end versions ranging up to $400. He observed that Bauer, CCM and True still produce plenty of custom items in Canada.

"This not a minor blip by by any means, " Sports & Fitness Industry Association CEO Todd Smith remarked. "Even if manufacturers have moved over the last several years from Canada to other countries, there's still healthy amount being manufactured in Canada and, yeah, this 50% tariff is a big deal."

For now, the US tariff on Canadian imports could send already soaring hockey gear remains the part of the story worth watching, and further updates are likely as more details are confirmed.