Hockey goods giant CCM gets new captain at the helm

One of Canada's storied makers of hockey equipment has a new captain.

Rick Blackshaw is the new CEO of CCMHockey. The company is headquartered in Montreal and employs 450 people.

Last yearthe German sportswear giant Adidas sold CCM toToronto-based private equity firm, Birch Hill Equity, for $110 million US.

The California-native talked toCBCRadio's DaybreakhostMike Finnerty about his new role, his adoration for Montreal andhis vision for the future of Canadian hockey.

Here are excerpts from that interview, which have been edited and condensed for clarity.

What's your connection to Montreal?

I have a metaphysical connection to Montreal. My dad immigrated here in the late 1950s from London and my mom immigrated here from Belfast. They met, fell in loveand many years later had me so without Montreal, there would be no me.

Why did Birch Hill want to buy CCM from Adidas?

Does hockey go across different cultures and races the way it should?

I think that's a really great point. It's something that I've absolutely heard kicked around. I think sometimes you've got to have a diverse cast of athletes in the sport to really kindle that interest.

What about accessibility in terms of time and money? The equipment you sell is more expensive than picking up a soccer ball.

That's definitely a challenge. We worked very hard at our entry level products to provide great price value. We work with NHL Learn to Play program. We give away 35,000 sets of equipment. You can't just go out on the street and play hockey (unless you're playing street hockey). But soccer you can play on any street corner. Those are the things that I'd call bumps in the road on the way to participation in the road.

You talk about business opportunities in terms of growing the market, but what about productivity and efficiency? Are there going to be layoffs?

Definitely not. We have some nice momentum. We're seeking to make investment in product and product innovation and the brand. When I think of inefficiencies, it's really the way that we do business. If we have 1,500 individual models that must be made on a line, like sticks, there's the opportunity to whittle that down, focus on the sticks that are making us moneyand just be more profitable, for instance.