March 2010 Archives

From CBC.ca:

Bauer Hockey Corp. is recalling 13 models of junior hockey sticks due to excessive lead levels in the sticks' paint.

Last week, Health Canada announced Bauer Hockey Corp.'s recall of the Nike Bauer Supreme One50 composite hockey stick JR-52 due to excessive lead levels detected by the health agency in random testing.

Steve Jones, Bauer's director of global marketing, told CBC News on Thursday that following that recall, the company decided to independently test 200 other junior sticks for lead. All of the affected sticks were manufactured in China between 2004 and 2006, with one exception.

Twelve additional models were found to have lead levels exceeding U.S. standards, with several exceeding Canadian standards, which has higher allowable limits, according to Jones.

They are:

* Nike Bauer Supreme One90 Youth and Junior Stick (sticks, shafts, and replacement blades).
* Nike Bauer Supreme One50 Junior Stick (sticks, shafts and replacement blades).
* Nike Bauer Supreme One40 Junior Stick.
* Nike Bauer Supreme One70 Junior Stick.
* Nike Bauer/Bauer Supreme One75 Junior Stick (player and goalie sticks).
* Nike Bauer/Bauer Vapor XX Junior Stick (player and goalie sticks).
* Nike Bauer Supreme LTX Junior Stick.
* Nike Bauer Apollo Junior Stick.
* Nike Quest Apollo Junior Blade.
* Nike Bauer Supreme Force Junior Stick.
* Nike Bauer Vapor XVI Junior Stick.
* Nike Bauer Vapor XXX Lite "Woody" Junior Stick.
* Nike Bauer Supreme Accel Junior Stick.

The findings prompted the company to issue "stop sale" notices to retailers, though Health Canada has yet to amend its original recall notice to include the new sticks. Bauer too has not yet updated its website to reflect the new recall. There are 67,000 sticks affected in Canada and 100,000 worldwide.

Bauer is attempting to determine how the lead sticks passed initial testing. "We are obviously investigating how these fell through," said Jones. He said the company is in the process of destroying materials used for painting the sticks in China.

It has also implemented third-party testing to ensure "this never happens again."

Jones said Bauer has not received any reports of connected to the sticks. Last week, Health Canada's recall said it had not received any reports of illness stemming from the contaminated paint on the Nike Bauer Supreme One50 composite hockey stick.

The company is advising consumers to stop using the hockey stick immediately and to contact Bauer at 1-888-734-0443 to receive an "elite" stick. Jones says the elite sticks have been tested for lead and meet all regulations.

Read more: http://www.cbc.ca/sports/story/2010/03/18/nike-hockeystick-recall.html#ixzz0iebtprlA

... to a handful of local youth hockey players.

Jarret Stark (Colorado Rampage) and Michael Cummings (P.F. Chang's/Arizona) of San Bernardino captured state championships with their respective 18AAA MWEHL hockey clubs. The childhood best friends will play each other on Thursday in Phoenix in the first game of the MWEHL Divisional playoffs.

Thomas Freeman and Ryan Parkhouse of Rancho Cucamonga were recently profiled in the cover story of California Rubber magazine. Both play for the Fresno Monsters of the WSHL (Tier 3 Junior), which ended February as West Division champions with a 41-5-0-3 record. Freeman led the WSHL in assists (58) and finished second in points (82). Parkhouse was fourth in scoring (80 points) and second in goals (43).