Preparing for puck drop: How a Quebec company plays a part in the NHL

A photograph of different pucks from Inglasco. (CTV News)

Stanley Cup playoff action is a sport of its own for a company in Quebec’s Eastern Townships entrusted with providing pucks to all 32 NHL teams.

Inglasco is now in full production, printing logos on warmups and fan souvenir pucks, and preparing official ones for the games.

Those adorned with the Montreal Canadiens’ “C” logo are most popular, with orders in the thousands, while with many other teams pick up hundreds per game.

“Montreal is doing 3,000 to 4,000 every game,” says Inglasco CEO, Anita Chandan. “It’s a very devoted fan base.”

Orders are coming in for the Canadiens’ collectibles from across the country.

Inglasco has to move quickly to ship the pucks based on how many games are played in each round, and which teams move on to the next round.

“We call that a ‘hot market,’” says Chandan. “We’re able to react quickly because we are not importing, we are actually making the product right here.”

Most of the raw pucks are made in Canada, and decorated and embellished at Inglasco’s facilities in old army barracks in Sherbrooke, Quebec.

“We are basically Quebec’s little-known secret,” says global sales manager Jason Drolet. His grandfather founded the original company that manufactured hockey sticks – the Sherwood-Drolet Corp Ltd. – a part of the organization that has since been sold.

And while Drolet says he is a fan of all 32 NHL teams, there is a special excitement in the air at the company for the Montreal Canadiens’ playoff run.

“It’s a pretty cool time,” says Drolet. “It’s super exciting and like the fans, we are behind the team.”

The official pucks used during games are not sold to fans and are equipped with sensors for tracking. Along with pucks used during practices and warmups, they have to be shipped well ahead of faceoffs so they can be frozen to reduce excessive bouncing on the ice.

Inglasco is also the official supplier for the Professional Women’s Hockey League (PWHL) and is now printing champions’ pucks in honour of the victorious Montreal Victoire, which are also a hot item.

“The fan base has really been growing and buying merchandise,” says Chandan. “We have a lot of products going out this week.”

Inglasco also sells a wide of range of collectible and commemorative products for other leagues, and is preparing for a busy summer with products for FIFA and for the Blue Jays’ fiftieth anniversary.

But for now, the Montreal Canadiens car flags are the biggest sellers as fans fly the Canadiens’ colours.

Workers at Inglasco are watching the Habs’ playoff run closely, and there are rumours of a superstition among those preparing the pucks.

“I have heard that there’s a few kisses and good wishes going with every puck that is going to the Bell Centre,” says Chandan.

A ritual they hope will help the team win and decorate more pucks with the “C” of the Montreal Canadiens for a run to the Stanley Cup.