The Easton brand was one of the most popular in the hockey world in the early 1990s thanks to Wayne Gretzky’s use and endorsement of the company’s hockey sticks.
Easton was located in Van Nuys, California at the time with facilities in Salt Lake City, Utah, Canada and Mexico and was a division of Easton-Bell Sports. The most popular Easton sticks at the time were the Synergy and Stealth models.
What Happened to Easton Hockey Sticks and Equipment?
Easton stopped manufacturing hockey gear in 2016 when the company was acquired by Bauer Performance Sports.
This meant customers were only able to access Easton equipment which was still on the market as existing inventory in sports stores. Bauer then integrated various Easton technologies into its own brand of hockey gear as a way to lure Easton’s customer base over to Bauer.
This strategic move enabled Bauer to expand its market and strengthen its position when it came to hockey equipment.
All Easton-made gear was now sold under the Bauer name; however, some specific Easton products were simply discontinued. Since the two companies more or less merged together under the Bauer name it meant they could share ideas, expertise, technology and product-development processes. This meant Bauer’s hockey equipment performance, design, and quality was improved overall.
Brief History of Bauer
The Bauer company was founded in Canada in 1927 in Kitchener, Ontario by Roy Charles Bauer and its headquarters are now located in the USA in Exeter, New Hampshire. Between 2005 and 2008 the company was known as Nike Bauer and is now a unit of Peak Achievement Athletics.
The Bauer family originally owned the Western Shoe Company and then formed the Bauer Skate company. It became a division of Greb Industries in 1965, then Warrington Products in 1974 and Canstar Sports in 1988. The company bought Cooper Canada in 1990 and was sold to Nike in 1994.
Nike sold out to Roustan Inc. and Kohlberg & Company in 2008 and also purchased the Mission-Itech brand the same year. Bauer bought the Easton softball and baseball in 2014 and in 2016 added Easton’s hockey equipment branch.
However, Bauer’s parent company Performance Sports Group ended up filing for bankruptcy in 2016 and in 2017 it was taken over by Peak Achievement Athletics Inc.
Bauer Introduces Modern Easton Synergy Hockey Sticks (2023 Model)
@justhockeytoronto Going back in time with the classic Silver & Yellow Easton Synergy sticks that you can grab for yourself strictly online. #eastonsynergy #synergygrip #bauerhockey #justhockeytoronto ♬ HOT – Ktlyn
The famous Easton Synergy stick was first produced in 2001 and was one of the first one-piece graphite hockey sticks on the market.
Now the Bauer company is bringing the Easton Synergy back in 2023 in a limited edition and can be found in classic silver and yellow colour options.
Bauer is advertising the lightweight carbon fiber stick as “old school look, new school game” and it weighs in at just 425 grams. The new version of the Easton Synergy is built with updated materials for improved performance and feel.
These are some of the outlets where you’ll be able to find the new Easton Synergy stick:
| Stick | Outlet/Location |
| 2023 Easton Synergy Composite Yellow | See price on PureHockey USA |
| 2023 Easton Synergy Composite Silver | See price on PureHockey USA |
| 2023 Easton Synergy Composite Yellow | See price on ProHockeyLife Canada |
| 2023 Easton Synergy Composite Silver | See price on ProHockeyLife Canada |
What Happened to Easton Sponsored Partners and Players?
When Easton became a part of Bauer it meant that the hockey players who were previously sponsored by Easton and endorsing the company’s products were now offered to continue their endorsements with Bauer products.
Can You Still Buy Old Easton Hockey Gear?
Since Easton ceased to manufacture products under its own name in 2016, it’s not easy to find the company’s equipment on the market anymore.
All of the gear that can be found is now several years old, but if you search long and hard enough, you may be able to find some on the internet at shopping outlets such as eBay, Sidelineswap, Facebook Marketplace, Kijiji, and other used marketplaces.
Jamie is the founder of Hockey Response and he is the chief writer/ lead editor. Jamie has been playing hockey for over 20 years. He was the defenseman of the year in NL and has played Jr A level hockey. Jamie has coached several kids hockey camps and he was the assistant coach of the Western Kings.