EST. 1998
AK HOCKEY × CCM
Five years in. Here's what that partnership has looked like, what we think it should look like next, and exactly what we're asking for.
Five years in. Here's what that partnership has looked like, what we think it should look like next, and exactly what we're asking for.
| Area | Earlier Partnership | Now & Next 12 Months |
|---|---|---|
| Camps | About 10 per year, mostly the Kelowna summer camp (roughly 9 weeks) plus Scottsdale for one year | 11 stops across North America plus Kelowna (12 total); Kelowna alone runs every week in July and August, about 8-9 weeks on its own |
| Coaches | About 10 coaches outfitted annually, used only as needed. 50% off all gear and apparel, with a $2,000 max per coach on the website as well. | 10 core coaches outfitted annually, scaling as AK expands |
| Audience | Camp and social reach | 18.5K Instagram today, targeting 75K+, with growth sought across every channel |
| Digital | Testing data and camp content | AK 360 player reports, challenges, and trackable CCM referrals, now fully custom-built in-house: more organized, more efficient, and easy to extend with anything CCM wants per player (current gear, sizing, you name it) |
CCM continues supplying one pair of skates and one stick award per camp, for Fastest Player and Most Improved Player or Skater, with inventory scaling to the agreed calendar.
AK coaches already wear and feature CCM at every camp, testing session, and training block. We'd like to add CCM shorts, shirts, and hats to that kit too, co-branded with AK. Whether our coaches are walking into the rink or out of it, every player and parent sees CCM. That's added professionalism and visibility at every single stop, not just on the ice.
At the start of our partnership we received a couple of vertical banners, and it's made a real difference. We'd love more: banners, demo equipment, anything CCM can send. We already bring a full travel setup to every stop, our speed gates, banners, tablecloth, extra jerseys, so adding CCM signage into that mix is easy. It elevates the experience for players, shows what our coaches actually use, and helps sell CCM equipment on the spot.
Three giveaways a year: a stick-and-skates prize, with entries requiring a minimum of three actions (like the post, share the post, follow both accounts). We ran one of these early in the relationship back in 2023, before we had anywhere near the following we do now, and it pulled over 3,700 entries. It's one of the best ways to grow both brands' online presence while putting CCM's newest equipment in front of a much bigger audience.
The content angle: since it's already in Montreal, AK's team can arrive a couple of days early with Aiden and the research team to film marketing content on the why behind CCM's products. Aaron can speak directly to it as a professional power-skating coach with 30 years of experience, youth through NHL, on why this gear is actually built right for every level it's sold to.
That "why" is the piece missing from CCM's marketing today. It's what makes the gear desirable, helps parents and players understand what they're buying and why, and gives them an edge over their competition.
AK Hockey International