The Rise and Fall of Easton Hockey - A Look Back by Guest Blogger James Duerr

As someone who was basically born with a hockey stick in my hand and now plays Division 1 hockey for UMass-Amherst, I’ve always had a passion for the gear and equipment that has shaped the game. Easton left a huge mark on the hockey industry, and I have to say, it’s always nice to see Travis Hamonic of the Ottawa Senators still rocking the Easton E400 helmet, keeping the brand’s story alive every time he steps on the ice. 

I’ll always remember opening a brand-new Easton RS hockey stick on Christmas Day. From what I can remember, that was the hottest stick on the market. Walking into my locker room the next time with that stick was the biggest boast of all time. I even made a TikTok about the Easton RS on ProStockHockey a few years ago. The point of the video was to show just how memorable that stick really was.

Another one of Easton’s sticks I remember is the Easton V9. I was playing my first year of AAA hockey in 2014-15, and I started the season in a bit of a slump. I’ll never forget switching to that stick, and suddenly I was scoring goals at will. Whether it was the stick or just me turning it around, I don’t know, but the puck was going in the net, so I kept using it.

I was born in 2004, so I wasn’t around for Easton’s early days, but the brand still had a big impact on my early hockey career. I played Tier 1 junior hockey in Green Bay for two years, and during that time, I spent countless hours working for GearGeek. I kept track of all the equipment NHL players were using. It might sound a little cliché, but during that time, I truly became a gear geek. That’s what got me curious about Easton’s history, because I’ve always found it interesting.

All I really knew back then was that Easton made the first aluminum stick, but that was about it.

Looking back, Easton wasn’t just a brand, it was a rite of passage. Every player I knew growing up had their own “Easton era,” whether it was the original Synergy, the Stealth, or the RS, like me. The designs were bold, the feel was unmatched, and the name just carried weight. It was the kind of gear that made you feel like a better player before you even stepped on the ice.

As I got older and more into the world of elite hockey, I noticed something strange, Easton gear started to fade. Bauer and CCM were everywhere, and suddenly that once-dominant Easton logo became rare to see. It made me curious: How did a brand that once dominated NHL locker rooms and youth hockey culture all but disappear?

That curiosity is what led me to dig deeper into Easton’s story. What I found was a brand that completely changed the game, not just in terms of technology, but in how hockey gear was marketed, used, and remembered. This blog is my attempt to lay out Easton’s journey, from its roots in archery, to revolutionizing stick design, to eventually fading from the spotlight, through both research and the lens of someone who grew up living and breathing hockey.

Long before the Easton Synergy or the RS lit up the ice, Easton was focused on hitting bullseyes, not backbars. Easton was founded in 1922 by Doug Easton, who was a pioneer in archery. The original company name was Easton Archery. He began by crafting his own bows and arrows out of cedar and pine. I have a little bit of experience in archery. I did it at summer camp for a few years when I was younger. As a hockey player who used to love Easton, I would’ve never guessed this all started with a guy making bows and arrows.

Doug was a perfectionist, and he hated how inconsistent wooden arrows were, so he started experimenting with new materials, like aluminum…(ironic). In 1941, Doug developed the first-ever aluminum arrow, which completely changed the sport of archery. Fast forward a few decades, and in the 1980s, Easton began producing aluminum hockey shafts, borrowing from the success they had in archery. I find it kind of funny that if another hockey company had done a little research into archery in the 1940s, they might’ve beaten Easton to the punch on this genius idea.

Easton’s first major hockey product was the aluminum shaft, which was stronger, lighter, and more responsive than anything else available at the time. This stick became legal in the 1980s. NHL players were slow to jump on board because they were used to the feel of wood and found the aluminum too stiff. In my time playing hockey, I’ve never once used a two-piece stick, so it’s funny to me how big of a deal it was back then. If I picked up a two-piece stick right now, I’d probably throw it straight in the trash, unless it was used and signed by Wayne Gretzky.

One of the early breakthroughs came when NHL players started using Easton’s aluminum stick. A lot of people say Wayne Gretzky used Easton’s first aluminum shaft, but that’s not true. The real pioneers were Brad Park of the Boston Bruins and Dave Christian of the Winnipeg Jets. When they first gave Easton’s aluminum shaft a try in the 80s, it turned heads, and other players later began to follow their lead.

Easton completely changed the game of hockey with that aluminum shaft. Looking back on my own younger years, I remember how eye-opening the Bauer 1X Lite was when it dropped. My old teammate and great friend Jack Phelan, who now plays at the University of Wisconsin, was the first person I saw use that stick. He walked into the locker room, and I remember picking it up. It felt like a pencil. That stick marked the jump from heavy to light, and it seriously changed how we looked at gear. I wasn’t around when the Easton aluminum came out, but I imagine that same feeling is what NHL players felt in the late 80s when they first got their hands on it. Just like the 1X Lite changed the game for my generation, the Easton aluminum shaft changed it for theirs.

By the 1990s, Easton had fully arrived. Wooden sticks began fading away, and the aluminum shaft was winning over NHL players. Even Wayne Gretzky, who had stuck with the wooden stick longer than most, made the switch to Easton. There is no better hockey player to be using your brand than Wayne Gretzky. I can relate this to how I felt growing up just outside of Chicago, watching Patrick Kane and Jonathan Toews dominate with Bauer sticks. When you see your favorite players using a certain brand, you want to use it too and be just like them. Seeing Wayne Gretzky make the switch from a wooden stick to the aluminum shaft gave Easton all the credibility in the world. If the best hockey player of all time is using an Easton stick, then every kid on the planet suddenly wants one in their hands, too. The floodgates opened; players like Brett Hull, Mike Modano, Paul Kariya, and Jeremy Roenick all became Easton guys. But Easton wasn’t done innovating; what came next would take hockey sticks to a whole new level and truly revolutionize the sport.

In 2001, Easton changed the game of hockey forever by releasing the Easton Synergy. The Synergy was one of the first one-piece composite sticks made primarily out of carbon fiber and fiberglass. Being born in 2004, this is up to my speed. I have no idea how players could use anything but a composite stick, and it amazes me how much the technology of hockey sticks has changed over time. Before the Synergy, most sticks were two-piece (aluminum shaft with wooden blade) or full wooden sticks. The Synergy combined lightweight design, strength, and enhanced puck feel, which was a major improvement over earlier materials. It wasn’t the first one-piece ever made, but it was the first one-piece stick to gain widespread adoption in the NHL. Scott Gomez was the first NHL player to use the Easton Synergy, and after that, the stick spread like wildfire.

Before the Synergy was released, Easton held about 40% of the NHL hockey stick market share. Within two years of the Synergy’s debut, Easton’s market share reportedly jumped to around 60% of the sticks used in the league. To put that into perspective, in the 2024-25 season, Bauer held the highest stick usage among NHL players, with approximately 39.89% of skaters using their sticks. Having 60% of NHL players using your stick is almost unheard of. It’s the kind of market dominance that not even Bauer or CCM, the current giants, have managed to reach in today’s game.

I wasn’t around to see the Easton Synergy in its glory days, but I’ve heard a lot about it. Like I mentioned earlier, I made a TikTok about the Easton RS on ProStockHockey with the caption, “It has been 10 years, get over it.” Many people commented that they felt the same way about the Easton Synergy, saying it was their favorite stick they ever used.

When I think about my favorite sticks of all time, considering the relevance of the time they were made, it’s clear that if I picked up the Easton Synergy now, I probably wouldn’t like it as much given how much stick technology has advanced since then. For me, four sticks stand out as absolute favorites: the Easton RS, Easton V9, Warrior Alpha DX, and CCM Jetspeed FT3 Pro.

It’s interesting to wonder how players back then compared the Easton Synergy to the sticks they had before or after. I wasn’t a Bauer user until I played in the USHL, but I know plenty of players who would say Bauer’s Vapor APX2 and Vapor 1X Lite also rank among the best. The Synergy set a new standard for hockey sticks, but Easton’s impact did not stop there. What followed continued to push the boundaries of product innovation and shaped the entire hockey equipment industry.

Around the time the Synergy came out, Easton also started pushing into other gear like gloves, skates, and eventually helmets, but it wasn’t all smooth sailing. In 2002, Easton introduced the Z-Bubble shaft, a hollow shaft with a bubble-like structure inside to absorb vibrations and improve puck feel. The Z-Bubble’s technology was impressive, but it never matched the popularity of the Synergy. Easton kept releasing new sticks, including the Synergy 5000 and Synergy 6000, which were upgraded versions of the original Synergy.

Around this time, Easton was also trying to become a full-gear brand. They had already released the Easton Z-Air Comp skates in 1999, which top NHL players like Peter Forsberg and Steve Yzerman used in the early 2000s. The Easton GX gloves were seen on guys like Mike Modano before the Synergy even dropped. Helmets were last to join the lineup. Easton came out with the S9 in the mid-2000s, followed by the S19. They were making a serious push to become a top brand in every part of the game.

Easton’s Stealth sticks changed the game starting in 2004. They were super light, quick on puck release, and built tough. Easton dropped a new Stealth model every year, each one improving on the last and making the line a go-to for players. Easton was one of the first companies to use this rapid-fire release strategy. Releasing new stick models annually wasn’t really a thing before the 2000s, but Easton changed that.

Easton started a trend that’s still going strong today. I can barely keep track of all the new sticks that these companies keep releasing, each trying to one-up the others and stay ahead. Easton set the bar high and put themselves ahead of the pack. Companies like Bauer and CCM had no choice but to keep up if they wanted to compete with Easton in the 2000s.

Looking into the late 2000s and 2010s, Easton kept making big moves. The two sticks I mentioned earlier were the Easton RS, which dropped in 2011, and the Easton V9 in 2013. A few different versions of the Easton Mako were also in the mix at that time. Additionally, Easton kept building on their existing lines like the Synergy and Stealth, while also upgrading their helmets, gloves, and skates.

The RS, V9, and Mako were all a really big deal when I was growing up. I remember those sticks being the loud talk in the locker room. Like I said before, the RS and V9 were two of my favorites. I didn’t like the Mako as much, but that stick had one heck of a graphic. When I saw it in stores, it caught my eye right away. As a kid, seeing a white stick like that was enough to make you beg your parents to buy it for you.

It’s wild to think that when I was growing up playing hockey, Easton gear was everywhere. As a huge Chicago Blackhawks fan, I vividly remember when the team picked up Tomas Kopecky during their 2010 run. I was just six years old, but I clearly recall him rocking Easton sticks, gloves, and a helmet, most likely the Easton S19 stick at the time. Easton went from dominating the NHL with around 60 percent of players using their equipment to practically disappearing off the map in just a few years. Today, Easton’s presence in the NHL is nearly extinct, except for a tiny footprint in helmets with Travis Hamonic still keeping the brand alive on the ice. It’s a crazy rise and fall for a company that once ruled the game.

One thing that’s interesting to note about the time when Easton was so successful is that their popularity exploded without the help of social media or modern influencer marketing. Their products spoke for themselves, spreading through word of mouth, highlight reels, and sheer performance on the ice. Nowadays, when new equipment is released, I see it all over Instagram, TikTok, and YouTube. But during the 2000s and early 2010s, Instagram was in its early days and wasn’t used by companies for marketing at all. Nobody my age used Facebook or Twitter. Back then, Easton couldn’t rely on constant digital advertising like hockey brands do today. Instead, their reputation spread through locker rooms, local rinks, and firsthand buzz. When one kid on my team showed up with an Easton RS, suddenly everyone wanted one.

During Easton’s glory days, one of the most underrated parts of its dominance was how good its gear looked. It started with the Synergy line, which introduced bold, clean color schemes—silver, blue, yellow—that popped on TV and in arenas. The first thing someone notices when picking out a stick is the graphic. When I was younger, that was basically all I looked at. Now, of course, I focus more on the feel and performance. But even today, when I choose what sticks I’ll use for the season, I still want them to look sharp. Easton had a unique eye for design that made their gear jump off the shelf. Whether you liked white sticks or not, I still think the Easton Mako had one of the best-looking graphics ever. Some guys might disagree, but to me, it was a perfect blend of flash and simplicity.

Easton produced so many memorable and visually striking designs over the years, it was tough to narrow down, but here are my top five favorite Easton graphics that really stood out to me:

Easton’s stick innovation was still strong, but issues emerged with their skates, helmets, and gloves. Easton was a little late in the game compared to Bauer and CCM, who were already dominating gear beyond the stick market. Easton’s helmets like the E700 had mixed reviews. It was a very light helmet, which some praised, but the protection aspect wasn’t great—and at the end of the day, the helmet is there to protect you. Warrior and Bauer were doing a stellar job in the glove game, while Easton’s gloves were known for being bulky and stiff. Easton skates never caught on at the NHL level, especially skates like the Easton Makos, which suffered durability issues and comfort complaints. Many NHL players who tried out the Mako skates quickly switched back to using brands like Bauer and CCM. This inability to compete effectively in the skate market was a significant blow to Easton’s overall brand strength and contributed to their decline.

In the late 2000s and early 2010s, Easton expanded heavily into skates, helmets, and gloves, which distracted focus from sticks. They still made great sticks in the early 2010s, but so did Bauer, CCM, and Warrior. NHL players under Easton contracts were expected to use the brand from head to toe, but many chose to switch to Bauer or CCM sticks instead, since Easton’s skates, gloves, and helmets just weren’t very good. Players preferred to use a stick from a brand that also offered top-tier gear overall, rather than being limited by Easton’s weaker equipment in other areas. With fewer pros willing to commit to Easton head-to-toe and the brand losing ground in stores, the brand started slipping out of the spotlight.

In 2014, Easton’s hockey division was acquired by Bauer’s parent company, Performance Sports Group (PSG). No new Easton-branded gear was developed or released by PSG. Easton’s final stick lines like the V9/V9E and the Synergy HTX remained in circulation for a short while. Then they were succeeded by the Sealth CX and Synergy GX. But after those two, PSG focused all of its energy on funding Bauer. By 2016, PSG filed for bankruptcy; and Easton was quickly fading out of the hockey world by then.

It’s disappointing to see a company that once ruled the hockey industry fall off the map so quickly. I remember in the early 2010s, nearly everyone on my youth team used Easton sticks, whether it was the Mako, RS, or V9E. They were everywhere in the locker room. But year after year, that presence faded. By the mid-to-late 2010s, Bauer completely took over. It wasn’t just the pros making the switch, kids followed what they saw in the NHL. Bauer had the momentum, and Easton, without strong skates or protective gear to back up their sticks, couldn’t keep up. What once was the most exciting and dominant name in hockey gear slowly became a memory.

For players like me who grew up during Easton’s peak, its decline feels personal. When I was younger, I played both hockey and baseball and I would say some of my favorite birthday or Christmas presents were Easton hockey sticks and baseball bats. I believe Easton still makes baseball bats, but obviously it’s sad to see the hockey side of things disappear. Even though Easton is gone from the hockey world, they changed the game with the aluminium stick followed by the one-piece stick along with bold graphics and standout designs. Easton’s products were consistently bold and ahead of their time.

Now I’m not trying to foreshadow anything but there is a brand that used to dominate the NHL then faded from relevance, and has recently made a comeback… Sherwood. Sherwood’s revival proves there’s still demand for legacy brands with history and loyal followings. I would love nothing more than for Easton to make a comeback, maybe one day. They could re-release sticks like the Synergy, Mako, and RS only using today’s technology of sticks. With today’s usage of social media I think the ceiling would be very high if Easton wanted to make a return to hockey. The name itself holds serious value, when players see the Easton logo, they remember greatness.

I tried to think of something I can relate the disappearance of Easton to someone who doesn’t play hockey and this is what I thought of. Easton’s story feels a lot like the Beatles. The Beatles were a band that changed music forever, most people would say they are the best band of all time. They changed the world with innovation and style. The Beatles broke up at the peak of their influence which left their fans wishing more, just like Easton. Fans always dreamed of the Beatles making a reunion, while people like me hope for Easton’s return. Like any classic band whose music outlives their final show, Easton’s influence on hockey gear will echo through generations, leaving fans hopeful for an encore.