The Hockey Reduced Trade Agreement

We recently had to increase our shipping cost to our neighbors to the north. It wasn’t a decision we made lightly, but after shipping a few units to Canada, we realized that the cost we incurred was just too high for us. We looked at all major shipping providers and even some unorthodox methods of getting a Pügi up north, some including a canoe and the Boundary Waters. However, the costs again were just too high.

It got us to thinking that there should be something done about this. There should be a Protectionist Act on all hockey items crossing the border from Minnesota to anywhere in Canada and vice versa. While the North American Free Trade Agreement helped some industries in the Americas, it didn’t solve the issue of logistics.*

Our idea might need to be pitched to the major shipping providers instead of government officials, however we do feel that our officials could get behind this proposal. I've seen our Governor skate before. It might be a very biased proposition (considering it would only benefit hockey companies), but we at Pügi feel that shipping from Canada to Minnesota or Minnesota to Canada should be considered domestic shipping for all hockey related items.

For example; we shipped five Pügis to Michigan (another state that could be added into the Hockey Reduced Trade Agreement) and one to Ontario. One Pügi in a package weighing under four pounds cost around $19 to ship.

This was the price that I kept coming up with online until finally we just went into a store! We think our products are great, but come on...

That was the cheapest shipping that we could find out of the major carriers. That one Pügi to Canada cost more than a package that weighed close to twenty pounds! Now I understand that there is about three hundred miles more to travel over land (approx. 550km?), but if that larger package was being sent to the furthest region of the contiguous United States, it still would have cost less. 

While I don’t know how positive the reception from carriers would be, I do think that Minnesotan and Canadian hockey companies would be very happy about the H.R.T.A. or the Hockey Reduced Trade Agreement.

Below I have listed a few resources if you feel as passionate about the issue as we do. Drop a line to the carriers and let them know what a great idea the H.R.T.A. is and that you mean business

https://www.ups.com/upsemail/input?loc=en_US

https://www.usps.com/help/contact-us.htm

http://www.fedex.com/us/office/customersupport/officeprint/faq/index.html

http://www.dhl-usa.com/en/express/shipping/customs_support.html

And if you don’t feel the same way, we still apologize for the increased shipping prices if you’re in Canada! 

Play hard, play fair and have fun!

-Taylor

*I don't claim to know anything about the North American Free Trade Agreement, nor do I think I should ever mention anything political again on this blog...

Blade Hockey; Minnesota Brand Giving Back and Cutting Costs

It isn’t a secret, hockey is an expensive sport. When all is said and done, a player can be skating around in more than $2,000 worth of equipment, easily. Skates get lighter, helmets are getting safer and sticks are made with technology that fifty years ago would have been unthinkable even at N.A.S.A. Some will note that the best pair of skates doesn't make you a good player, that is true. But still, even if you’re looking at a conservative price range of all the equipment that isn’t top of the line or maybe even used, a family that is considering having their child play might be convinced to stay away from the sport altogether. And truly they aren’t crazy for doing so.

It adds up quickly.

Blade Hockey is looking to tackle (or slash) the issue of cost. The Minnesota start-up has launched their brand with a mission to “reduce the cost of playing hockey for families in Minnesota”. Their goal is to provide low cost, but comparable quality equipment and apparel.

It also isn't a secret that hockey has a very tight knit community. Minnesota hockey players have a sense of pride in their hockey roots and the associations that they cut their teeth in. The other, equally important half of Blade Hockey’s two pronged mission is to give a percentage of their sales back to youth hockey programs across Minnesota. 10% of their stick sales go back to those programs and you get to choose which association you would like the donations to go to.

The founder of Blade Hockey has a story that is not too unfamiliar for many in the State of Hockey. He played youth hockey, high school, juniors and finished his playing career at a D-3 M.I.A.C. school. He knows what quality gear feels like, because he’s seen and experienced the progression throughout his career. 

I tried the Blade RZ stick out for myself the other day. It is a one-piece that has a very similar feel to a Bauer. The reason the price can be lower than the bigger names is because he is cutting out the middle man and selling directly to you. The pre-order price for a senior model is $149.00, with multiple different flex and curve pattern options and $99.00 for a junior model. And again, 10% of the stick sales go back to a youth association of your choice! 

Check them out at http://bladehockeyus.com/ . 

Play hard, play fair and have fun

-Taylor