Hockey Gear Review: A New Kind Of Blade Tape, and a Contest For B/R Hockey Fans!

So why is this a hockey dream made reality?

Richard Findlay has played hockey all his life.  Eventually becoming a landscaper by trade, it would be fair to say he assumed his life would go on without ever working in pro hockey.   It was through continued play and passion for the game that he eventually found his unexpected place in the hockey industry.

Vancouver rearguard Willie Mitchell is the face of BladeTape, but NHLers such as Minnesota's Nick Schultz and San Jose Shark Jody Shelley also play with it.  Use in the big leagues helped make Richard Findlay's NHL dreams come true.

Detailed further in the company website’s “Tale of the Tape”, Findlay recounts the myriad ups and downs along the way to realising his own hockey dream.  He developed the idea at the side of a rink, using an old bike tire section on his blade and discovering unique benefits.  Properties were refined, a prototype built, and production rights sought.  Early efforts were scrapped when a similar patent for a rubber cricket bat sleeve from 1896 was discovered; legally, the inner-tube inspired hockey-sock wasn’t different enough for Findlay to use it as his own.  Piles of work, results, and refinements were shelved, occasionally dusted and reviewed over the next decade.  In 2006 the work was revisited, the technology and design studied, and more improvements made, resulting in two adhesive thermoplastic pads: an original inventive step.  After all that, Findlay was told that in his time away from the project, he had been beaten to the punch by an inventor in the US.  “Everything I had was already patented.”

Believing fiercely in his hockey tape design, Findlay was unwilling to let more than a decade’s worth of dreams go to waste.  He contacted the Pennsylvania-based patent holder, who was impressed by the Canadian’s work on the project and passion to bring it to life.  Already a successful inventor, the man in PA was unable to give the tape his full attention, and after much discussion felt Findlay was dedicated to the job.  A few signatures and a cheque or two later, and the whole ball of wax was owned by Findlay, though he insists of being labelled “co-inventor” in deference to the Hershey-related originator.

The advent and growing popularity and availability of one-piece composite sticks gave the product new life.  Composite blades tend to be more bouncy and stiff than wooden ones, often making the puck more difficult to control, especially when received with force.  Since two of the main features of the rubber tape are shock absorption and improved puck handling, the advent of the boisterously-bladed one-piece stick helped BladeTape get a foot in the door.

Findlay listened to all the tape and stick-related concerns of hockey players.  Ragged tape which needed to be fixed mid-game, wet fabric and stick blades, poor puck control with composites, constantly taping and re-taping along with the amount of waste generated by doing so made the list.  Once he felt he had the answers to such questions, BladeTape hit the market.  

They also developed a few related products, including Grip/TipTape, which is used on the shaft as grip and on the top and toe of the blade to prevent water or gameplay damage; and Goalie BladeTape, specifically designed for goal-sticks with net-keeping needs in mind.  They also found ways to ensure colours and images stay sharper, longer.

The effort paid off.  Starting with smaller leagues, youth hockey, and rec teams, the new tape started to spread.  Brian Burke’s involvement led to greater NHL exposure, as well as a feature by Ron MacLean on Hockey Night In Canada during the 2007 playoffs; MacLean is still seen regularly with well-used BladeTape on his stick. The product was also the focus of a full review on The Score (video link), and the endorsement of various hockey players and professionals hasn’t hurt either.  

BladeTape is an officially licensed NHL product, which means it is available with team logos, and approved by the League. They currently print the emblems of 20 NHL clubs, and are working on including the remaining ten teams.  The “green” implications of less wasted tape were instrumental in securing rights to use Vancouver 2010 Olympic and Paralympic designs.  BladeTape is also available in a range of colours and is customisable, allowing teams and players to add their own images, logos, sweater numbers, etc.    

Richard Findlay is proud of the little details he's put into BladeTape.  He hopes his hockey dreams can help other players in every form of the game. [Photo insert: Jason Payne, The Province, 2008]

Although affiliation with NHL players et al. has been fantastic, it's the involvement with 'grass roots' hockey which Findlay says his company finds most gratifying. Mr Findlay, his partners and staff are easy to contact, and they report regular calls from across the country from teams, players, parents, and coaches.  It is the feedback from everyday people they appreciate most, and their site features testimonials from every variety of player.

Conclusion?

As with any athletic or performance equipment, product choice is personal.  There is no universal right or wrong hockey kit, only personal preference.  I’m not here to tell anyone what gear to use; I don’t write advertisements or jingles, and there is nothing that makes me more uncomfortable than selling things.  I am here to keep the hockey community informed about anything that affects the game they love and in many cases the game they play.  BladeTape is one such item, and brilliantly illustrates how it can be the simplest things which make the biggest impact.  Considering the benefits I experienced, the chance it could help a person’s game, and the reasonable cost of an initial trial purchase given the length of time it lasts, BladeTape is well worth a try!  

What do you think?  When it comes to hockey tape, “What are YOU playing with”, and why?  How much energy do you put into choosing or maintaining your hockey gear?  Please feel free to ask any questions, or add your thoughts.

Want to put it to the test yourself?  Here’s a chance for you and your team to try it, and tell the hockey world what you think.  A random draw will win one Bleacher Report hockey reader (or writer) with a ½ Team Custom Pack, enough, they say, to last the roster (including goalie) the rest of this season.  Customised artwork will also be added.  Drawing will take place New Year’s Eve (31 December, 2008).  Enter the contest before then!  If you don't play hockey, you can tell your friends who do, or use it as a reason to start playing yourself!

What kind of hockey equipment would YOU like to see reviewed next?  M MacDonald Hall is Bleacher Report's Calgary Flames Community Leader and NHL Columnist, and is always open to new ideas and suggestions.  Drop a note on Mac's profile, or send an email if you have any comments or questions.

 

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