CCM is a Canadian ice-hockey equipment brand with roots in Canada Cycle & Motor and ownership under Sport Maska.
Last updated August 31, 2026
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Overview
CCM is a Canadian ice-hockey equipment brand whose history extends from the early twentieth-century Canadian manufacturing company Canada Cycle and Motor Limited, commonly known as CCM. Although Canada Cycle and Motor was established in 1899 through the consolidation of several bicycle manufacturers, the CCM business began making hockey equipment in 1905, when a saturated bicycle market encouraged the company to use surplus steel from bicycle and automobile production for hockey skates. The brand subsequently expanded into a broad range of hockey equipment and became one of the most recognizable names in the sport. A defining part of CCM's heritage is its skate business. In 1937, Canada Cycle and Motor acquired the Tackaberry skate brand, whose Tacks line became one of CCM's signature product families. The Tacks name was discontinued and replaced by successive Vector, U+, and RBZ lines in the 2000s, but it was revived in 2014. This product-history continuity helped CCM preserve a strong association with traditional hockey skate design while continuing to introduce new materials and performance technologies. The original Canada Cycle and Motor company entered bankruptcy in 1982. In January 1983, its assets were divided: the bicycle operations went to Pro-Cycle, while the hockey division was acquired by Sport Maska, a Quebec-based manufacturer that had previously specialized in jerseys and related apparel. Sport Maska later assembled a much larger hockey portfolio. In 1991, its owner established SLM International as a holding company, and by the late 1990s the group controlled brands including CCM, Canadien, Heaton, Jofa, Koho, and Titan. SLM became The Hockey Company in 1999 and was, for a period, one of the largest hockey-merchandise businesses in the world. Reebok acquired The Hockey Company in 2004, and Adidas acquired Reebok in 2005. Under Reebok and Adidas, most of the acquired hockey brands were retired or consolidated, leaving CCM as the principal surviving name. Adidas used CCM for a new goaltending line from 2013 and increasingly moved hockey products away from the Reebok name from 2015 onward. Adidas sold its hockey operations and associated brand rights, held through Sport Maska, to Birch Hill Equity Partners in 2017. CCM remains focused on hockey equipment across recreational, amateur, collegiate, professional, and goaltending segments. Its portfolio includes skates, sticks, helmets, facial protection, protective equipment, uniforms, and goalie gear. The brand has maintained substantial visibility through professional-player endorsements and relationships with elite hockey organizations. Prominent players associated with CCM equipment have included Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, Patrice Bergeron, Nathan MacKinnon, and Connor McDavid, although endorsement arrangements can change over time. CCM has also been a major supplier of goaltending equipment, including products sold through its Extreme Flex and Axis families. In October 2024, Swedish private-equity firm Altor Equity Partners acquired a majority stake in Sport Maska from Birch Hill. Northleaf Capital Partners joined the ownership structure with a minority investment in January 2025. CCM therefore continues as an active specialist sports-equipment brand under private ownership, with its identity centered on ice hockey performance, player protection, fit, and product innovation.
History
CCM's corporate roots lie in Canada Cycle and Motor Limited, a Canadian manufacturer formed in 1899 through the combination of four bicycle producers: H. A. Lozier, Massey-Harris, Goold, and Welland Vale Manufacturing. The company operated in the Weston area of Toronto and initially concentrated on bicycles. It also briefly manufactured the Russell automobile. As the bicycle market became increasingly saturated, the company sought additional uses for its manufacturing capacity. In 1905, Canada Cycle and Motor began producing hockey skates from scrap steel left over from bicycle and automobile production. Hockey equipment became an important secondary business, and the CCM name gradually became associated with skates and other hockey products. In 1937, the company acquired the Tackaberry brand, created by Manitoba manufacturer George Tackaberry. The resulting Tacks skate line became a long-running signature of CCM and an important part of the brand's identity. Player safety became another notable area of development. After NHL player George Parsons suffered a career-ending eye injury in 1939, he became involved with CCM's hockey business and contributed to work on helmets and facial protection. By early 1976, CCM had developed a hockey helmet incorporating an eye and face shield and a lower-face protector. The product had been approved by the Canadian Standards Association and endorsed by the Canadian Amateur Hockey Association. Canada Cycle and Motor entered bankruptcy in 1982. In January 1983, the company was divided between separate buyers. Pro-Cycle acquired the bicycle division, while Sport Maska Inc. acquired the hockey division. Sport Maska had been established in 1936 as G. C. Knitting Inc.; it was acquired by David Zunenshine in 1976 and renamed Sport Maska in 1979. Under Sport Maska, the CCM hockey business became part of a broader sports and hockey portfolio. In 1988 and 1990, the company expanded into toys through acquisitions of Coleco Industries and Buddy L. In 1991, Zunenshine created SLM International, a Delaware holding company whose name referred to St. Lawrence Manufacturing. SLM acquired additional sports and toy businesses, including Kevin Sports Toys International, Norca Industries, and Innova-Dex Sports. SLM entered Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection in 1995, divested Buddy L and its fitness-equipment business, and emerged from protection in 1997 after reorganization. SLM acquired Montreal-based Sports Holdings in 1998. This brought brands such as Koho, Titan, Jofa, Canadien, and Heaton into the group alongside CCM. The enlarged company became a major hockey-merchandise producer. Titan and Canadien were especially known for wooden sticks, while Heaton had a strong reputation in goaltending equipment. In 1999, SLM changed its name to The Hockey Company. Reebok purchased The Hockey Company in June 2004. Reebok retired most of the acquired brands and introduced hockey products under the RBK and later Reebok Hockey names, while CCM remained the principal legacy brand. Adidas acquired Reebok in 2005. During Adidas ownership, CCM continued to be used for hockey products, including a new goaltending range introduced in 2013. From 2015, Adidas increasingly replaced Reebok-branded hockey products with equivalent CCM lines. In 2017, Adidas sold its hockey operations and associated rights, held through Sport Maska, to Birch Hill Equity Partners. Under Birch Hill, CCM continued developing equipment for professional and amateur players. Rick Blackshaw became chief executive in 2018, and the company publicly emphasized investment in product development and innovation. CCM's modern portfolio covers sticks, skates, helmets, facial protection, player protective equipment, uniforms, and goaltending products. The brand has been visible through professional endorsements and supply relationships, including associations with players such as Sidney Crosby, Alexander Ovechkin, Patrice Bergeron, Nathan MacKinnon, and Connor McDavid. It also became one of the most frequently seen goaltending brands in elite hockey. CCM worked with Quebec-based goaltending-equipment maker Équipements de gardien de but, whose products were marketed under the Lefevre name, although that partnership ended in 2020. CCM subsequently continued with its own Extreme Flex, Axis, and youth YT Flex goaltending products. In October 2024, Altor Equity Partners acquired a majority interest in Sport Maska from Birch Hill. Northleaf Capital Partners became a minority investor in January 2025. CCM remains an active, privately held hockey brand operating within Sport Maska and competing primarily in the global ice-hockey equipment market.
- 2025
Northleaf joins Sport Maska ownership
[1]Northleaf Capital Partners takes a minority interest in Sport Maska.
- 2024
Altor acquires a majority stake in Sport Maska
[1]Altor Equity Partners becomes majority owner of Sport Maska and its CCM brand.
- 2020
CCM and Lefevre end their goaltending partnership
[1]CCM and Quebec-based goaltending-equipment partner Lefevre end their commercial partnership.
- 2017
Birch Hill acquires CCM hockey operations
[1]Adidas sells the hockey business and brand rights held through Sport Maska to Birch Hill Equity Partners.
- 2014
Tacks line returns
[1]CCM reintroduces the historic Tacks product family after several successor skate lines.
- 2013
CCM goaltending line introduced under Adidas
[1]Adidas develops a new goaltending-equipment line using the CCM brand.
- 2005
Adidas acquires Reebok
[1]Adidas becomes the ultimate corporate owner of Reebok's hockey operations.
- 2004
Reebok acquires The Hockey Company
[1]Reebok purchases The Hockey Company and consolidates most of its hockey brands.
- 1999
SLM becomes The Hockey Company
[1]The holding company adopts The Hockey Company name as its hockey portfolio expands.
- 1998
Sports Holdings acquisition expands the hockey portfolio
[1]The acquisition adds Koho, Titan, Jofa, Canadien, and Heaton to the group.
Products and positioning
Performance-oriented hockey equipment brand serving players and goaltenders from youth and recreational levels through elite and professional competition. CCM emphasizes hockey heritage, technical product development, player protection, fit, and visibility through professional athletes.
Skates and hockey equipment · 1937
Tacks
Tacks is CCM's historic skate family, tracing its identity to the Tackaberry brand acquired in 1937. After being replaced by successive Vector, U+, and RBZ lines, the Tacks name returned in 2014. The family represents CCM's traditional performance-skate heritage while incorporating modern construction and fit technologies.
Skates and hockey equipment
Jetspeed
Jetspeed is a major CCM product family spanning skates and other hockey equipment. It followed earlier Vector, U+, and RBZ naming platforms and is positioned around speed, responsiveness, and performance for competitive players.
Hockey sticks and equipment
Ribcor
Ribcor is a CCM hockey-equipment family best known for sticks. It is associated with quick release, puck handling, and responsive shaft construction, and forms part of CCM's player-equipment range for competitive hockey.
Goaltending equipment
Extreme Flex
Extreme Flex is a CCM goaltending-equipment family covering goalie pads and related products. It is designed for goaltenders seeking flexibility, movement, and contemporary pad construction across elite and other playing levels.
Goaltending equipment
Axis
Axis is CCM's goaltending family for pads and associated goalie equipment. It complements the Extreme Flex range and is marketed as a performance platform for modern goaltending movement and coverage.
Youth goaltending equipment
YT Flex
YT Flex is CCM's youth-oriented goaltending range. It adapts the brand's goalie-equipment approach for younger players and is part of the product portfolio that followed the end of CCM's partnership with Lefevre.
Brand decisions
2024
Altor acquires majority control of Sport MaskaM&ABackground
CCM was operating under Sport Maska following Birch Hill's ownership of the hockey business.
Action taken
Altor Equity Partners acquired a majority stake in Sport Maska from Birch Hill Equity Partners.
Aftermath
CCM continued under a new majority financial owner, with Northleaf later joining as a minority investor.
2020
CCM ends partnership with LefevreStrategyBackground
CCM had worked with Quebec-based goaltending-equipment maker Équipements de gardien de but, marketed as Lefevre.
Action taken
CCM and Lefevre ended their partnership.
Aftermath
CCM continued offering goalie equipment under its own Extreme Flex, Axis, and youth YT Flex families.
2017
Adidas sells hockey operations to Birch HillM&ABackground
Adidas decided to divest its hockey operations and associated brand rights.
Action taken
The hockey business, held through Sport Maska, was sold to Birch Hill Equity Partners.
Aftermath
CCM returned to independent private-equity ownership and continued as a specialist hockey-equipment company.
Reported transaction value. Approximately US$100 million (2017)
2015
Reebok hockey branding is phased toward CCMStrategyBackground
Adidas had inherited both Reebok's hockey business and the CCM brand.
Action taken
Adidas began replacing Reebok-branded hockey lines with equivalent or similar CCM-branded products.
Aftermath
CCM became the dominant surviving consumer-facing hockey brand in the combined portfolio.
2013
New CCM goaltending lineProduct launchBackground
Adidas was managing hockey products while the CCM name remained the principal legacy hockey brand.
Action taken
Adidas introduced a new goaltending-equipment line under the CCM name.
Aftermath
Goaltending became a continuing part of CCM's product architecture, later including Extreme Flex, Axis, and YT Flex products.
2004
Reebok acquires The Hockey CompanyM&ABackground
The Hockey Company had assembled a large portfolio of hockey brands, including CCM and several specialized equipment names.
Action taken
Reebok purchased The Hockey Company and consolidated most of the portfolio under CCM and Reebok Hockey branding.
Aftermath
The acquisition was followed by Adidas's purchase of Reebok in 2005, placing CCM within Adidas's sports-business structure.
1983
Separate sale of the bicycle and hockey divisionsM&ABackground
Canada Cycle and Motor's bankruptcy required the company to dispose of its operating divisions.
Action taken
The bicycle division was sold to Pro-Cycle, while Sport Maska acquired the hockey division and the CCM hockey business.
Aftermath
CCM continued as a hockey-focused brand under Sport Maska rather than as part of the original diversified manufacturer.
Sources1 sources
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