Reebok?

Why is Reebok suddenly into hockey? I wouldn’t bring up the whole subject, but the other night while watching hockey my wife asked what was on the blue line marker on the boards. I told her it was the Reebok symbol. We both sat silently absorbing what ever revelation we both were making in our heads and it was the same question. Reebok?

Is the NHL turning its back on traditional hockey companies like CCM and Bauer? When most fans think Reebok, very seldom does hockey come to mind. And Reebok is scoring the big payoffs with Sid “the Kid” Crosby in their new “hard-hitting” ad featuring the rookie wearing Reebok pump skates and the slogan “I am what I am” (Popeye would be proud). That’s right I said pump skates. I thought that died in the ‘90s.

Even when Nike decided to get into the hockey market, it barely made much noise. It tried to take the sport like it did with the NFL and the NBA, make every jersey for every team and sales will follow. But most players stayed with the traditional CCM, Bauer, Itech, and even Mission.

As anyone played with the Reebok gear yet? Is it that fantastic that everyone should be thinking, “For my hockey needs, I have to go to Reebok!”? I know I haven’t. But of course I am dirt poor and can barely pay rent in DC let alone buy new hockey equipment.

So while I sit here and scratch my head wondering whether or not it is a good thing Reebok is so interested in the NHL all of a sudden, I can’t help but wonder what other random companies we will see in the next couple of years.

K-Swiss will make fashionable white skates, Enyce can do a whole hip-hop look for the new NHL, KangaROOs skates for the kids or anyone from Australia (do they have hockey down-under?), Adidas could do shin pads, and who wouldn’t love Doc Martin’s new line of gloves and shoulder pads.

So why should it seem so out of place to see Reebok on the back of the jerseys, or promoting the blue line, or have a new “hard-hitting” ad featuring the league’s top rookie. I don’t know, but somehow it just does.