Hockey gear costs soaring in Minnesota, 50% Canada tariffs threaten to push prices higher

MINNEAPOLIS (FOX 9) - Tariffs on Canada could make an already expensive sport even pricier for hockey families.

Hockey gear prices soaring in Minnesota

For families with kids in hockey, the price of gear was already painful — and now it could get worse.

What we know:

Hockey has never been a cheap sport, and families like Kelly Rand's in St. Paul know that better than most. Her teenage twin boys are in the middle of growth spurts, meaning new equipment is a near-constant need.

The goaltender's helmet that cost $400 in 2022 now runs $1,000. The chest protector the family bought last year for $465 now goes for $900. When the family bought custom goalie gear a couple of years ago, the entire setup cost $3,300. Skate pairs that went for between $80 and $900 in 2016 are now $200 to $1,230, according to HockeySkates DB, a database that tracks prices from various companies.

"If a kid on the ice breaks a stick, every other parent is looking at that mom or dad going, 'Ahhh oh, no!'" said Rand. "You feel for them. How many $400 sticks can you afford in one season?"

Hockey sticks and skates are among more than 550 goods named in the tariffs by the White House. B&R Sports Director of E-commerce John Merola said custom equipment is also manufactured by True Hockey in Canada and imported into the U.S., with skates and goalie gear falling into that category. An average stick is now $200, Merola said, with high-end versions ranging up to $400. He noted that Bauer, CCM and True still make many custom items in Canada.

The tariff impact

Why you should care:

President Trump's administration levied a 50% tariff against Canada, and industry leaders say it couldn't come at a worse time. The Sports & Fitness Industry Association's manufacturers sales report shows the amount spent on hockey equipment increased 45.4% from 2020 to 2025, rising to $332.9 million from $228.9 million, alongside growing participation in the sport.

"This is not a minor blip by any means," said Sports & Fitness Industry Association CEO Todd Smith. "Even if manufacturers have moved over the last several years from Canada to other countries, there's still a healthy amount being manufactured in Canada and, yeah, this 50% tariff is a big deal."

According to U.S. International Trade Commission data — which does not separate ice and field hockey equipment — gear from Canada made up roughly 8.5% of imports last year, ranking fourth behind 52.7% from China, 13.2% from Vietnam and 9.5% from Thailand. Of the 2.1 million hockey sticks imported last year, trade data shows more than 1.5 million, or 74.1%, came from China and 268,000, or 12.8%, from Mexico, compared to 18,909, or 0.9%, from Canada.

What's next:

How quickly prices rise for consumers may depend on how long the tariffs stay in place. Economists say manufacturers and retailers may take a wait-and-see approach before passing costs on.

"It's hard to form expectations of the current tariff regime where tariffs are changing basically every day, it seems like," said Douglas. "But if there's an expectation that tariffs are going to be permanent or at least in place for the long term, then I think prices rise pretty instantaneously because the cost of production has risen and that gets passed on to consumers via a higher price."

Merola thinks long-term tariffs will push companies to move more production to the U.S., Asia or elsewhere. Roustan Hockey, described as the last major hockey stick factory in Canada, reaffirmed last week it will keep making sticks there despite the challenges.

"We remain committed to our employees, our customers and our manufacturing operations here in Canada," said founder W. Graeme Roustan in a statement after hosting federal minister Evan Solomon for a tour of the facility in Brantford, Ontario.

Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney said trade talks could resume if Washington became serious about negotiations.

Dig deeper:

Hockey participation in the U.S. has grown 7% over the past three years, a boom the Sports & Fitness Industry Association attributes to the 4 Nations Face-Off, the Winter Olympics and other factors. The National Hockey League, USA Hockey and various teams have contributed to that growth through learn-to-play programs that include free equipment and ice time.

Smith said the tariffs put all of that momentum at risk.

"This has, obviously, the potential to really stunt that growth," said Smith. "It couldn't be a worse time for tariffs to hit in terms of really having the possibility to increase costs."

The Sports & Fitness Industry Association is advocating for the tariffs to be removed entirely.

What we don't know:

It remains unclear how long the tariffs will stay in place or whether trade negotiations between the U.S. and Canada will resume. It is also unclear exactly how quickly — or by how much — manufacturers and retailers will pass the added costs on to consumers.