Victoriaville

Victoriaville is a Canadian ice hockey equipment brand whose origins date to 1945, when Henri Mailhot established Mailhot & Frères in Victoriaville, Quebec. The business began as a hockey-stick maker and became one of the most prominent Canadian names in the sport during the second half of the twentieth century. Its geographic identity was closely connected to Victoriaville and to the Mailhot family, whose members operated the company for approximately two decades after Henri Mailhot transferred control to four of his sons in 1952. The company developed at a time when the National Hockey League stick market was dominated by CCM and Northland. During the 1960s, Victoriaville broke through that established order and became a leading supplier to professional players. The brand benefited from its association with Montreal Canadiens star Jean Béliveau, who had grown up in Victoriaville and knew the Mailhot family. Béliveau used the company's sticks for much of his later career, while other prominent players, including Bobby Orr, Bobby Hull, Rod Gilbert, Larry Robinson, and Frank Mahovlich, were also associated with the brand. By the end of the 1960s, Victoriaville reportedly held about 65 percent of the hockey-stick market, making it one of the strongest Canadian sporting-goods brands of its era. Product development was central to the company's identity. The Mailhot family pursued innovations in stick construction, including a fibreglass blade that became the subject of patent litigation with Sher-Wood owner Léo-Paul Drolet in the 1950s. Drolet prevailed in the case, but the episode illustrates the competitive and technically innovative environment in which Canadian hockey-stick manufacturers operated. In the late 1960s, the corporate name was changed to Victoriaville Hockey Sticks Limited, aligning the company more directly with its principal brand. Victoriaville entered a long period of ownership changes in 1971, when the Mailhot brothers sold the business to the Kendall Company of Massachusetts. Kendall was acquired by Colgate-Palmolive in 1972, and the hockey operation was later placed within CKR Inc. In 1981, Victor Alfred Farr bought the division and incorporated it as Victoriaville Hockey Sticks (Canada) Inc. He also introduced the related Vic brand. A major factory fire in January 1987 caused approximately three million dollars in reported damage and was followed by the transfer of operations to Les Equipment Sportifs Davtec in Daveluyville. The brand subsequently passed through several sporting-goods owners. Davtec's relevant operations were acquired by USA Skate Company, which later became part of California Pro Sports. California Pro sold the USA Skate operations to Rawlings in 1997, transferring rights to the Victoriaville, Vic, and McMartin names. Rawlings sold its hockey operations to VP Sports in 2001, with the Victoriaville assets placed in a Quebec company called the Vic Hockey Company. Forzani Group acquired Victoriaville in 2003 through Intersport North America. Intersport was consolidated with other Forzani businesses in 2009 to form INA International. Canadian Tire Corporation acquired Forzani Group in 2011 and subsequently continued to own the brand through INA. Victoriaville is now part of Canadian Tire's portfolio of hockey-equipment names, alongside Sher-Wood and Hespeler. Publicly available reference material emphasizes the brand's historical hockey-stick significance; detailed current product ranges, corporate leadership, manufacturing locations, and a dedicated official website are not clearly documented.

Victoriaville's history began in 1945 in Victoriaville, Quebec, where Henri Mailhot founded Mailhot & Frères and created a hockey-stick brand identified with the town. In 1952, control passed to four of his sons—Gérard, Bertrand, Léo-Paul, and Raymond—who managed the business for roughly twenty years. Their period of stewardship established the family as an important participant in Quebec's hockey-equipment industry. During the 1950s, the company competed against established manufacturers such as CCM and Northland. The Mailhots pursued construction improvements and trademarked a fibreglass blade design. Sher-Wood proprietor Léo-Paul Drolet challenged the associated patent, arguing that he had produced fibreglass blades before the patent application. Drolet won the legal case in 1957. Despite that setback, Victoriaville expanded its market position during the following decade. The brand's breakthrough was particularly visible in the National Hockey League. Jean Béliveau, a Montreal Canadiens star who had grown up in Victoriaville and knew the Mailhot family, adopted the company's sticks after testing prototypes supplied by the brothers. His endorsement and continued use helped the brand gain credibility among professional players. By the end of the 1960s, Victoriaville sticks were associated with players including Bobby Orr, Bobby Hull, Rod Gilbert, Larry Robinson, and Frank Mahovlich. The brand was reportedly the leading hockey-stick company in the NHL era of the 1960s and held approximately 65 percent of the hockey-stick market. During the late 1960s, Mailhot & Frères adopted the name Victoriaville Hockey Sticks Limited. The family era ended in January 1971, when the company was sold to the Kendall Company of Massachusetts. Kendall created a sports division containing Victoriaville and other sporting brands. Colgate-Palmolive acquired Kendall in 1972. In 1976, the Canadian operations of several Colgate-Palmolive-related companies were combined into CKR Inc., and Victoriaville Hockey Sticks became a CKR division. Victor Alfred Farr bought the hockey division from CKR in 1981 and incorporated it as Victoriaville Hockey Sticks (Canada) Inc. Under Farr, the company introduced the related Vic name. A January 1987 factory fire caused substantial damage, reported at approximately three million dollars. After the fire, operations were taken over by Les Equipment Sportifs Davtec, which operated a plant in Daveluyville. Davtec was later acquired by USA Skate Company of Long Island. California Pro Sports acquired USA Skate in 1996, and in 1997 sold the USA Skate operations to Rawlings. The transaction included the Victoriaville, Vic, and McMartin names. Rawlings sold its hockey operations to VP Sports in 2001. VP Sports established the Vic Hockey Company in Quebec to acquire the Victoriaville hockey assets and trademarks. In September 2003, Forzani Group acquired the brand through Intersport North America. Forzani later acquired Hespeler, another historic Canadian hockey name, and in 2009 merged Intersport with other businesses to form INA International. Canadian Tire acquired Forzani Group in May 2011, renamed the retail group FGL Sports, and retained Victoriaville within its brand portfolio. Canadian Tire has continued to produce Victoriaville equipment alongside Sher-Wood and Hespeler. The available reference material does not establish a detailed current product catalog, dedicated website, present manufacturing site, or named current brand executive. Consequently, Victoriaville is best documented as a historically significant hockey-stick brand that remains under Canadian Tire ownership, rather than as a separately reported public company.

• 2011

  Canadian Tire ownership

  [1]Victoriaville (ice hockey)en.wikipedia.org

  Canadian Tire acquired Forzani Group and became the ultimate owner of Victoriaville.

• 2003

  Forzani Group acquisition

  [1]Victoriaville (ice hockey)en.wikipedia.org

  Forzani Group acquired Victoriaville through Intersport North America.

• 1997

  Rawlings obtains the brand names

  [1]Victoriaville (ice hockey)en.wikipedia.org

  Rawlings acquired USA Skate's operations and obtained rights to the Victoriaville, Vic, and McMartin names.

• 1987

  Factory fire

  [1]Victoriaville (ice hockey)en.wikipedia.org

  A fire damaged the Victoriaville plant, after which production operations were transferred to Davtec.

• 1981

  Return to independent ownership

  [1]Victoriaville (ice hockey)en.wikipedia.org

  Victor Alfred Farr purchased the hockey division from CKR and incorporated it as Victoriaville Hockey Sticks (Canada) Inc.

• 1971

  Sale to Kendall

  [1]Victoriaville (ice hockey)en.wikipedia.org

  The Mailhot brothers sold Victoriaville Hockey Sticks to the Kendall Company.

• 1960

  Expansion among elite hockey players

  [1]Victoriaville (ice hockey)en.wikipedia.org

  During the 1960s, Victoriaville emerged as a leading professional hockey-stick brand and reportedly reached about 65 percent of the stick market.

• 1957

  Fibreglass-blade patent dispute

  [1]Victoriaville (ice hockey)en.wikipedia.org

  Sher-Wood owner Léo-Paul Drolet challenged the Mailhot family's fibreglass-blade patent claims and won the resulting case.

• 1952

  The Mailhot brothers take over

  [1]Victoriaville (ice hockey)en.wikipedia.org

  Four of Henri Mailhot's sons assumed control and operated the company through its principal family-owned period.

• 1945

  Henri Mailhot establishes the business

  [1]Victoriaville (ice hockey)en.wikipedia.org

  Henri Mailhot founded Mailhot & Frères in Victoriaville, Quebec, creating the business that became associated with the Victoriaville hockey-stick brand.

A historically important Canadian hockey-equipment brand associated with professional-grade sticks, domestic manufacturing heritage, and the traditional Quebec hockey culture.

• Ice hockey sticks · 1945

  Victoriaville hockey sticks

  The brand's principal and historically defining product. Victoriaville sticks became prominent in professional hockey during the 1960s, when the company competed with established Canadian manufacturers and developed construction features including fibreglass blade technology. The sticks were used by several notable NHL players and gave the brand its strongest market identity.

• Ice hockey sticks and equipment · 1981

  Vic

  Vic was a related brand introduced during Victor Farr's ownership of Victoriaville in the 1980s. Later ownership transactions treated the Vic name as part of the same hockey-equipment asset portfolio as Victoriaville. Detailed current specifications and availability are not documented in the supplied references.

• 2011

  Canadian Tire acquires Forzani GroupM&A

  Background

  Forzani Group owned Victoriaville through the INA-related corporate structure.

  Action taken

  Canadian Tire acquired Forzani Group and assumed ultimate ownership of Victoriaville.

  Aftermath

  Canadian Tire continued to maintain Victoriaville alongside its Sher-Wood and Hespeler hockey brands.

  Acquisition consideration. CAD 770 million (2011 acquisition)

  Source

• 2003

  Forzani Group acquires VictoriavilleM&A

  Background

  Following ownership by Rawlings and VP Sports, the brand and its hockey assets were available for another strategic owner.

  Action taken

  Forzani Group acquired Victoriaville through its Intersport North America subsidiary.

  Aftermath

  The brand was later consolidated into INA International, which became its ownership vehicle within Canadian Tire's sporting-goods portfolio.

  Source

• 1987

  Operations move after the factory fireStrategy

  Background

  A fire caused major damage to the Victoriaville plant in January 1987.

  Action taken

  The hockey operations were taken over by Les Equipment Sportifs Davtec, which operated a factory in Daveluyville.

  Aftermath

  The brand continued through further ownership changes rather than ending with the loss of its original plant.

  Reported fire damage. Approximately CAD 3 million in damage (January 1987)

  Source

• 1971

  The Mailhot family sells the company to KendallM&A

  Background

  After approximately two decades of family management, the Mailhot brothers chose to sell Victoriaville Hockey Sticks.

  Action taken

  Kendall Company acquired the hockey-stick business and placed it within a new sports division.

  Aftermath

  The transaction began a succession of corporate owners, including Colgate-Palmolive, CKR, and later independent sporting-goods companies.

  Source

1. 1Victoriaville (ice hockey)en.wikipedia.org