New U.S. tariffs on Canadian imports, including hockey sticks and skates, could further inflate prices for already expensive equipment, impacting families participating in the sport. The tariffs, affecting more than 550 goods, come at a time when hockey gear costs have been steadily rising.
Parents like Kelly Rand of St. Paul, Minnesota, have already seen significant price increases. The goaltender helmet her teenage son used in 2022 for $400 now costs $1,000, and a chest protector purchased last year for $465 is now priced at $900. "If a kid on the ice breaks a stick, every other parent is looking at that mom or dad going, ‘Ahhh oh, no!’" Rand said. "You feel for them. How many $400 sticks can you afford in one season?"
John Merola, Director of E-commerce at B&R Sports, confirmed that items like skates and goalie gear, some of which are custom-made by companies like True Hockey in Canada, are among the goods subject to the tariffs. An average hockey stick now costs around $200, with high-end models reaching $400. Major brands such as Bauer, CCM, and True still produce custom items in Canada.
"This is not a minor blip by any means," said Todd Smith, CEO of the Sports & Fitness Industry Association (SFIA). "Even if manufacturers have moved over the last several years from Canada to other countries, there’s still a healthy amount being manufactured in Canada and, yeah, this 50% tariff is a big deal."
According to SFIA data, spending on hockey equipment increased by 45.4% between 2020 and 2025, reaching $332.9 million from $228.9 million. This rise coincides with increased participation in the sport.
While gear from Canada represented about 8.5% of U.S. hockey equipment imports last year, according to U.S. International Trade Commission data, Chris Douglas, a professor of economics at the University of Michigan-Flint, suggested that a 50% price increase across the board for sticks might be unlikely given Canada's smaller market share. However, he noted that increased demand could still drive up prices, potentially by $50 or more per stick. "Hockey is expensive with the equipment, ice time and so forth, so maybe there’s a family right on the margin where $50 or $100 in additional cost causes them not to enroll their kids at hockey any longer," Douglas said.
Historically, when the Trump administration imposed tariffs on China, some large manufacturers like Bauer and CCM initially absorbed the costs before eventually passing them on to consumers. Merola indicated a similar approach might be taken this time, delaying the immediate impact of the tariffs on consumers. Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney has suggested that trade talks could resume if negotiations with Washington become serious.
The duration of the tariffs is a key factor, according to Douglas. "If there’s an expectation that tariffs are going to be permanent or at least in place for the long term, then I think prices rise pretty instantaneously because the cost of production has risen and that gets passed on to consumers via a higher price."
Merola anticipates that long-term tariffs could incentivize companies to shift production to the U.S., Asia, or other regions. Roustan Hockey, the last major hockey stick factory in Canada, has stated its commitment to continuing manufacturing operations in Brantford, Ontario.
The SFIA is actively lobbying for the removal of these tariffs, particularly in light of a reported 7% increase in U.S. hockey participation over the past three years. Smith expressed concern that the tariffs could hinder this growth. "This has, obviously, the potential to really stunt that growth. It couldn’t be a worse time for tariffs to hit in terms of really having the possibility to increase costs."