Latest news with #youthhockey
CTV News
16-05-2025
- Sport
- CTV News
12-year-old's brand new $300 hockey stick breaks three times just days after warranty expires
An Ontario family is frustrated after spending $1,000 on three hockey sticks that ended up breaking. Parents have reached out to CTV News expressing their concerns about the rising cost of hockey sticks, and in one Ontario family's case, they were shocked a brand new hockey stick broke just ten days after the warranty had expired. Ontario family frustrated after spending $1,000 on three hockey sticks that ended up breaking For hockey players, it usually happens at the worst time. Sticks breaking when a big play is about to be made. Luckily, there's an equipment manager on the bench to provide them with a new one. But for families and recreational players, broken sticks are a major expense as new ones can cost hundreds of dollars. In one Ontario family's case, they were shocked when a brand new hockey stick broke just ten days after the warranty had expired. 'So, this is the CCM JetSpeed FT7 Pro. The stick has broken three times this season,' said Matthew Iaboni of Maple. Broken hockey stick A CCM JetSpeed FT7 Pro is seen snapped in half in this viewer photo. (CTV News Toronto) Iaboni supports his 12-year-old son, John Luca Iaboni, with his budding hockey career. John Luca plays double AA for the Vaughan Rangers and would love to have a future with the sport. 'I would go to the NHL if I could make it and play with the big boys,' said John Luca. John Luca had a great spring season in hockey, but unfortunately broke three of his hockey sticks which sell for $300 each plus tax. It cost the family budget about $1,000. 'It's a big investment for parents to make and for them to break, it's frustrating and disappointing,' Iaboni told CTV News. You can buy a composite hockey stick for about $100, but there are models than can run $200, $300, $400 or more. Regardless of the cost of the stick, the warranty that comes with them is usually the same. 'The warranty lasts 30 days. A stick that he's been using around day 40 or 45, it ends up breaking. It's been three sticks we have gone through and they have broken in three different spots,' said Iaboni. He believes sticks should come with a longer warranty. 'It would be nice if CCM or any other manufacturer stood behind their product for more than 30 days.' When CTV News reached out to CCM on Iaboni's behalf, a spokesperson said in a statement, 'Our hockey sticks are warranted for 30 days from purchase date against manufacturing defects. We assess warranty claims on a case-by-case basis.' CCM also said that the company reached out to the Iaboni family and reviewed the photos of the broken sticks. They apologized for the frustration and will be giving John Luca their newest stick which launches this month. 'We are very appreciative of our customers and want to ensure that they have a great experience with our brand on and off the ice,' CCM told CTV News. 'We have contacted these clients via email and assured them that their claim has been approved, and we will be replacing the stick at no charge to them.' According to CCM's website, it reserves the right to 'repair' or 'replace' any product determined to be defective. If they believe a stick has been abused, the warranty will be considered void.
CBC
14-05-2025
- Sport
- CBC
Gold ulu heads to Hockey Hall of Fame to mark Nunavut's historic Arctic Winter Games win
Social Sharing It was an offer so special, David Clark thought at first it must be fake. But the offer was real, and now Clark's gold ulu from the 2023 Arctic Winter Games (AWG) is going to be displayed at the Hockey Hall of Fame in Toronto. Clark was the coach of Nunavut's U18 male hockey team when the team defeated Alaska at the 2023 games in Alberta to bring home the gold. It was the territory's first gold in hockey at the AWGs. "I couldn't be more proud," Clark said about his gold ulu going on display. "You know, like, I'm just a kid from Nunavut and I never thought I would go to the Hockey Hall of Fame for anything. "Getting my gold medal at the Hockey Hall of Fame and having those boys be part of it just means the world to me. I'm getting emotional just talking about it." The hall of fame's interest began with a recent visit from a group of young hockey players. Lee Barter is a youth hockey coach in the Greater Toronto Area (GTA). He's helped to facilitate a youth hockey exchange where teams from southern Ontario visited Rankin Inlet, Nunavut, and Rankin players visited the GTA. While the Nunavut players were in Ontario, they visited the Hockey Hall of Fame archives. Barter said the museum had set aside special Nunavut items like Jordin Tootoo's jersey. Tootoo is a Rankin-born former NHLer and was the first Inuk to make the major league. Barter said his team told archives staff that several of the players on prior exchanges had been part of the gold-winning AWG team, and the hall of fame was interested in acquiring a jersey or gold ulu to pay tribute to the win. "When they realized that there was a historic moment that had happened that they could commemorate, they were happy to reach out and we were excited to help make the connection," Barter said. Having had many of the players on that winning team participate in the exchange, Barter said it's been special to follow those players' progress as young athletes and see the AWG win. "We were very proud of them from here in Toronto, so we're obviously excited to see that they'll be celebrated at the hall of fame," he said. For Clark, the recognition shows the value of working hard and dreaming big. "I knew when we were going there, I said, 'we have the team.' We got the team and I believed when we left that, hey, we're going to win."
