That Canadian perennial, the hockey stick market, might change forever if a new stick from Louisville finds its target.
Graham Watson, vice-president of business development for Louisville Hockey, a division of Hillerich & Bradsby of Canada, says in time the company’s locjaw stick will ‘change the market structure’ of Canada’s hockey stick trade.
Watson says the North American wooden stick business sells about four million units a year at the moment, but adds change is in the air as stick buyers choose space age fibres over wood, and blade replacement over complete stick replacement.
The locjaw stick has a graphite shaft and an easily replaced wooden blade. A single set screw locks the blade into the shaft with the turn of a key.
Watson says once the blade is locked in it is well nigh impossible to remove.
The stick produces only a 3% to 4% harder shot, but offers consistent feel, weight, balance, and so on.
There are 14 models of blade and four kinds of reinforcement for them. Also, these new sticks do not splinter.
locjaw’s two 30-second tv spots one English, one French broke mid-month, and come from D’e-Anderson Advertising and Public Relations in Louisville, Ky., says its vice-president Bob Lauder.
They will run on tsn/rdn and Global Television until spring during major junior hockey games.
The locjaw advertising contrasts the system’s ease of blade changing with the hair dryer or propane torch method necessary to melt glue on other two-piece sticks.
Wallaceburg, Ont.-based Watson says the market for the locjaw stick is anyone from the recreational player to such National Hockey League stars as Mike Gartner and Mark Messier, who both use the stick.
A locjaw senior blade costs $25, a youth blade $20. A locjaw shaft costs between $20 and $89.
In time, Watson says, he expects Louisville’s competitors Koho, Bauer, Sherwood, Victoriaville and others to produce a stick similar to the locjaw.
