Trump's 50% Tariff on Hockey Sticks Misses Most Gear

On July 20, President Trump signed proclamations imposing a 50% tariff on Canadian goods, including hockey sticks, set to take effect August 19. The move sounds like a direct hit on the sport's biggest gear brands, but the actual impact may be narrow.

Bauer, CCM, and Sherwood all have Canadian headquarters and some production in Quebec. Bauer runs plants in Blainville and Saint-Jerome, CCM is based in Montreal, and Sherwood traces back to a Sherbrooke factory from 1949. But the vast majority of sticks and protective gear these companies sell in the U.S. is manufactured in China and other parts of Asia, not Canada. When those goods ship directly to American retailers like Dick's Sporting Goods or Pure Hockey, they never cross the Canadian border and won't face the tariff.

The duty will land on equipment actually assembled or finished in Canada before export. Bauer's Quebec-based skate and protective gear production feeds the U.S. market and will see the full 50% surcharge. CCM's Canadian operations supply American shelves and face real exposure. Sherwood, owned by Canadian Tire Corporation, has a smaller U.S. footprint but still operates within a supply chain that could feel the squeeze.

The one manufacturer hit hardest is Roustan Hockey, Canada's last major traditional wood stick factory. The Brantford, Ontario plant produces about 400,000 sticks a year, half sold in the U.S. Roustan also owns The Hockey News. The tariff spares most expensive composites arriving from China and instead hits a historic shop making a technology the NHL abandoned.

For players, the tariff could push prices higher on Canadian-made skates and protective gear, but most composite sticks won't be affected. There is no made-in-America hockey stick. The White House framed the move as retaliation for Canadian trade practices, but it's American hockey families who will pay the added cost.