Brand Spotlight: Hoser Hockey
Get to know the story behind one of the hottest new hockey brands
One of the things that I love about youth hockey is going into a pro shop on a weekend, getting some skates sharpened, picking up some tape, whatever it is. In many ways, it is like the barber shops of years gone by. A meeting place, a community gathering around the pads and gear. You might stumble into a conversation about a team or a tournament, or game that you witnessed. And, it is there, right next to you, an entire ecosystem, and entire world of products competing for your attention and your dollar. Most people don’t even realize what it takes to get into a shop, to get space on the rack or the shelves. We just flip a credit card and get the tape, the laces or the skates we need and get on our way to the next game. But, there is a lot to it and there are exciting things happening in the retail space.
For the most part, it is dominated by the big brands, which is no surprise. But, what I have started to notice, and what I have been excited about over the years, are the smaller players elbowing their way into the shops. Hoser Hockey is one of those brands that is working its way in. Based in Connecticut, this company is doing great things with great quality. Shop by shop, rink by rink, led by Owner Sean McVey, Hoser is leading with passion, and a true desire to put the best hockey products front and center, and into the hands of youth hockey players. His team is full of people who have grown up playing the game we all love. Sean graciously took some time to answer some questions over email, I hope you enjoy our conversation!
YHD: Sean, when did the company begin?
SM: We started in CT in 2017. The Hoser Story can be found here: https://www.hoserhockey.org/pages/what-is-hoser-hockey . In short, hockey provided me with so much (friends & life lessons) and I would love to see more people having that experience growing up. There is so much to learn through the game that applies to life after it.
YHD: Hockey products haven’t seen a new brand in tape and laces for many years, why was now the time to jump into the space?
SM: We actually started with only selling laces. As we grew we recognized that to grow the brand and support pro shops & retail stores, we need to have a more built out product lineup. So, the next logical product was to get tape into the Hoser lineup! Tape is also such an essential item in hockey whether it is shin pad or stick tape, it is always needed.
YHD: There are some big players with lots of space in rink shops, what’s your approach to grabbing real estate in these stores?
SM: Our approach is to provide a great product at great price and to get the message across of what we are trying to accomplish as a company. We love to support the smaller guys who have a tough time meeting MOQ requirements or have specific needs that larger companies have a tough/slow time "approving" of. You're human, we're human, and that is something we always remember at Hoser Hockey. The message we provide of course ties into one of the reasons we started the company. We want more people to experience the game growing up and a major barrier is the cost of entry to play. There are some tremendous programs that mitigate the cost of entry and we want to do our part by supporting those programs/leagues and other entities that share that goal.
YHD: Let’s talk about tape. Something people buy by the case these days, especially if you have several players in your house. Why should a shop stock Hoser hockey tape? What do you feel separates your tape products from others on the market?
SM: When you stock Hoser Hockey tape, and any Hoser products for that matter, you are supporting a brand that has a true passion of growing the sport. To be honest, I personally nor any other Hoser Hockey owners have taken a dollar out of the company. It all stays in the business to continue to grow and continue our efforts to grow the game. Our tape has been altered to provide proper adhesive and durability so it does not rip off the stick in games/practices.
YHD: Currently you are selling only to shops, so you have plans to develop a direct to consumer approach?
SM: To be totally candid, yes we have thought about it. We started DTC but with the pandemic we decided to only sell to shops. We felt that it was time for small stores that have always supported players, parents and teams to receive some help. The DTC approach hurts these kinds of stores. I will say the business world is moving in that direction and the DTC approach has only been expedited with COVID-19. There are certain adjustments businesses must make or else they die off so we will see what the future holds.
YHD: On wax laces, such a great point you make about having the right ratio of wax to cloth. Tell me about your hockey playing years and how that plays a role in the products you develop?
SM: I have played ever since I was 3. Being born and growing up in Canada it was just natural. My career peaked playing juniors then went off to South Kent Prep School where I did not play much due to a lack of hard work and training. At the time I thought it was awful - I was recruited there to play and wasn't good enough to get consistent playing time. However, this was one of the best things to happen to me. What I found was that eventually natural talent didn't compete with all the other players who were just as good if not better talent wise and worked 3X as hard training. This was one of the great life lessons hockey taught me and boy am I happy to learn it early in life. This has driven me to go work my face off for what I love. Playing all these years it was great for developing products. You just know what works, what doesn't and I can recall moments where I wished certain products worked in different ways or had different attributes to them. For the Hybrid laces this was a no brainer. I recall when I would get waxed laces because of the hold they provide but they would damage my skate, I'd have to wash my hands after and there would still be residual wax on them no matter what. I wanted the hold of waxed laces without the negative attributes. Stick wax was the same. I loved the friction tape growing up and you don't see much of it anymore. Instead of recreating that, we developed stick wax that provides the same tackiness and is produced with all natural ingredients with beeswax being a large component. I believe experience in product development is the best thing to have. You can study and read a whole bunch of material but nothing beats the real life experience of using these products for 25+ years.
YHD: How do you see youth hockey playing a role in the development of your brand?
SM: Youth hockey plays a major role in two ways. For the business side, we want younger players acclimated with our brand so they have a standard of what great products are. Our hope is that they love what we provide so we can continue our efforts in supporting youth programs and people starting out in hockey. For me personally, I just love seeing people get into hockey for the first time. As we all know it is just such a great sport to be involved in from the life lessons to the countless friends you make along the way.
YHD: What do the next ten years look like for the Hoser Hockey Brand?
SM: The next ten years will follow what our goal is - to grow the game. One thing we are focused on now is assisting the growth of women's hockey. We work with the PWHPA as well as the NWHL (now known as the PHL) to support them with great service, products and pricing. We will continue our efforts to support the game of hockey and grow it for all to enjoy.
Thanks for your time Sean! Be sure to look for Hoser Hockey products at a rink near you!
Note: Over the course of time, I will be interviewing intriguing brands and taking a look at the story behind their success. From the personalities to the products, from the big brands to the boutiques, I am excited to explore the intersection of retail and youth hockey. Please share if you know someone who would enjoy the conversation.
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