OTTAWA — Erik Karlsson has become the poster boy for cut-resistant hockey socks.
Literally.
Within hours of the Ottawa Senators being sidelined for the season, a photo of Karlsson writhing in pain after his left Achilles tendon was lacerated by the skate of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke was featured on the Tuff-n-Lite Hockey website.
It was a nervy move since Karlsson was not a client of the maker of cut-resistant socks and wrist bands.
However, Tuff-n-Lite’s Montreal born-and-raised founder, David Nerman, said Karlsson was an object lesson because he may not have been seriously injured if he had been wearing cut-resistant socks.
“This injury is serious and it’s sad, but, if it can open up a conversation, like with Sid (Crosby of the Penguins) and concussions, then maybe some good can come out of it,” Nerman said Thursday in an interview from Montreal.
“It’s like the guy who gets his teeth knocked out and says ‘Oh, I should have been wearing a mouthguard.’ Well, he should have been wearing a mouthguard before he got his teeth knocked out.
“It’s like, ‘That is never going to happen to me,’ and then it does.”
Tuff-n-Lite is a division of the Supreme Corporation, a North Carolina-based company that makes engineered yarns (or composite fibres).
Its cut-resistant protective gear is used by 14 National Hockey League teams, including the Senators, four American Hockey League teams and all six Canadian Women’s Hockey League teams.
It’s a big business.
Many companies, including major hockey-equipment manufacturers such as Bauer, Easton and Reebok, market various cut-resistant socks and equipment.
Nerman, who is also an actor, is probably better known as Albert, the manservant angel to Linda Kash in television commercials for Philadelphia Cream Cheese.
An enthusiastic beer-league player, Nerman entered the cut-resistant material business after seeing a couple of horrific injuries in Montreal.
One was to Canadiens defenceman Andrei Markov on Oct. 1, 2009, when he suffered a sliced foot tendon after being cut by the skate of goaltender Carey Price. He missed 35 games.
The other was the season before to forward Robert Lang. He suffered a severed Achilles tendon in his left leg during a contest against the Boston Bruins and missed the final 32 regular-season games and the playoffs.
During his research into fabrics that are commonly used in cut-resistant material, such as Kevlar, Dyneema and Spectra, Nerman came upon the Supreme Corporation, which was making a knitted safety fabric touted as 15 times stronger than steel.
That led to a prototype that Nerman took to the Canadiens — it didn’t hurt that Montreal general manager had been his Outremont baseball coach in the 1970s — and then back to Supreme for modifications.
The rest is more or less history.
Today, Tuff-n-Lite says its socks have the highest cut-resistant rating, Level 4 (on a scale of 5), on the market. (The test involves drawing a blade over the fabric at various loads.)
“If Markov and Lang were wearing this sock, they wouldn’t have missed a game,” Canadiens equipment manager Pierre Gervais told the Montreal Gazette.
Today, about half the Canadiens, including Markov and forward Travis, wear Nerman’s socks. Senators centre Jason Spezza and defenceman Chris Phillips also wear them.
Caroline Ouellette, a veteran of Canada’s women’s team, has worn Tuff-n-Lite socks since being cut on both leg and arm.
Moen was an early convert after getting clipped near the left ankle during a game three years ago. Wearing Nerman’s socks, all he received was a superficial scrape.
Supreme is now expanding the line into protective socks for short-track speedskating and figure skating, but it has still been an uphill battle to get NHL players to wear protective clothing, just as it is to get them to wear face shields.
Hockey players are well known for being superstitious about what they wear. They also don’t easily change what they’ve worn. Manufacturers have taken pains to make their products as comfortable as possible.
“It stinks that there has to be an injury like this for people to take notice,” Nerman said.
“But be it our sock or another sock, they should be wearing some protection.”
Mario Demers, chief operating officer of Ottawa-based Pro-Formance Insights (PFI), which makes safety products for sports and high-risk professions such as police, has faced similar frustrations.
His company’s Bodyarmour line includes protective shirts, pants, and socks.
Former Senators winger Shean Donovan used the equipment and former Binghamton Senators centre Corey Locke still does.
The sad part for Demers is that these discussions about protective equipment only start after someone is hurt.
“No one talked about neck protection until (Buffalo Sabres goalie) Clint Malarchuk almost bled to death after getting his throat cut,” he said.
“And concussions have always been around, but the fear of losing Sidney Crosby got everyone to pay attention. It’s unfortunate. What’s it going to take?”
He’s even more worried about what could happen to a youngster playing a game at his neighbourhood rink.
“The NHL is one thing,” he said. “They have top help for their players. They have doctors at the rink and ambulances are on standby.
“But what happens if it happens to a kid in the middle of nowhere, where there’s no medical attention?”
Demers’ company exhibited its products during the Bell Capital Cup minor hockey tournament, and he said and the reception from parents was enthusiastic.
“When they see it, they get it,” he said.
Senators general manager Bryan Murray said the team could only suggest that players wear cut-resistant equipment.
The NHL team has cut-resistant stocks in stock, just as it has guards that can be worn over skates to reduce the risk of foot injuries caused by pucks.
Murray said he didn’t see many players using the additional protective equipment. Rather, they stick with what they’ve always worn.
“They want to be able to play at a high speed and they think some of this stuff is cumbersome, so they take the risk of not wearing them,” Murray said.
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Senators+defenceman+Erik+Karlsson+becomes+poster+resistant+hockey+socks/7967512/story.html#ixzz2KvZzf7Fk
Literally.
Within hours of the Ottawa Senators being sidelined for the season, a photo of Karlsson writhing in pain after his left Achilles tendon was lacerated by the skate of Pittsburgh Penguins forward Matt Cooke was featured on the Tuff-n-Lite Hockey website.
It was a nervy move since Karlsson was not a client of the maker of cut-resistant socks and wrist bands.
However, Tuff-n-Lite’s Montreal born-and-raised founder, David Nerman, said Karlsson was an object lesson because he may not have been seriously injured if he had been wearing cut-resistant socks.
“This injury is serious and it’s sad, but, if it can open up a conversation, like with Sid (Crosby of the Penguins) and concussions, then maybe some good can come out of it,” Nerman said Thursday in an interview from Montreal.
“It’s like the guy who gets his teeth knocked out and says ‘Oh, I should have been wearing a mouthguard.’ Well, he should have been wearing a mouthguard before he got his teeth knocked out.
“It’s like, ‘That is never going to happen to me,’ and then it does.”
Tuff-n-Lite is a division of the Supreme Corporation, a North Carolina-based company that makes engineered yarns (or composite fibres).
Its cut-resistant protective gear is used by 14 National Hockey League teams, including the Senators, four American Hockey League teams and all six Canadian Women’s Hockey League teams.
It’s a big business.
Many companies, including major hockey-equipment manufacturers such as Bauer, Easton and Reebok, market various cut-resistant socks and equipment.
Nerman, who is also an actor, is probably better known as Albert, the manservant angel to Linda Kash in television commercials for Philadelphia Cream Cheese.
An enthusiastic beer-league player, Nerman entered the cut-resistant material business after seeing a couple of horrific injuries in Montreal.
One was to Canadiens defenceman Andrei Markov on Oct. 1, 2009, when he suffered a sliced foot tendon after being cut by the skate of goaltender Carey Price. He missed 35 games.
The other was the season before to forward Robert Lang. He suffered a severed Achilles tendon in his left leg during a contest against the Boston Bruins and missed the final 32 regular-season games and the playoffs.
During his research into fabrics that are commonly used in cut-resistant material, such as Kevlar, Dyneema and Spectra, Nerman came upon the Supreme Corporation, which was making a knitted safety fabric touted as 15 times stronger than steel.
That led to a prototype that Nerman took to the Canadiens — it didn’t hurt that Montreal general manager had been his Outremont baseball coach in the 1970s — and then back to Supreme for modifications.
The rest is more or less history.
Today, Tuff-n-Lite says its socks have the highest cut-resistant rating, Level 4 (on a scale of 5), on the market. (The test involves drawing a blade over the fabric at various loads.)
“If Markov and Lang were wearing this sock, they wouldn’t have missed a game,” Canadiens equipment manager Pierre Gervais told the Montreal Gazette.
Today, about half the Canadiens, including Markov and forward Travis, wear Nerman’s socks. Senators centre Jason Spezza and defenceman Chris Phillips also wear them.
Caroline Ouellette, a veteran of Canada’s women’s team, has worn Tuff-n-Lite socks since being cut on both leg and arm.
Moen was an early convert after getting clipped near the left ankle during a game three years ago. Wearing Nerman’s socks, all he received was a superficial scrape.
Supreme is now expanding the line into protective socks for short-track speedskating and figure skating, but it has still been an uphill battle to get NHL players to wear protective clothing, just as it is to get them to wear face shields.
Hockey players are well known for being superstitious about what they wear. They also don’t easily change what they’ve worn. Manufacturers have taken pains to make their products as comfortable as possible.
“It stinks that there has to be an injury like this for people to take notice,” Nerman said.
“But be it our sock or another sock, they should be wearing some protection.”
Mario Demers, chief operating officer of Ottawa-based Pro-Formance Insights (PFI), which makes safety products for sports and high-risk professions such as police, has faced similar frustrations.
His company’s Bodyarmour line includes protective shirts, pants, and socks.
Former Senators winger Shean Donovan used the equipment and former Binghamton Senators centre Corey Locke still does.
The sad part for Demers is that these discussions about protective equipment only start after someone is hurt.
“No one talked about neck protection until (Buffalo Sabres goalie) Clint Malarchuk almost bled to death after getting his throat cut,” he said.
“And concussions have always been around, but the fear of losing Sidney Crosby got everyone to pay attention. It’s unfortunate. What’s it going to take?”
He’s even more worried about what could happen to a youngster playing a game at his neighbourhood rink.
“The NHL is one thing,” he said. “They have top help for their players. They have doctors at the rink and ambulances are on standby.
“But what happens if it happens to a kid in the middle of nowhere, where there’s no medical attention?”
Demers’ company exhibited its products during the Bell Capital Cup minor hockey tournament, and he said and the reception from parents was enthusiastic.
“When they see it, they get it,” he said.
Senators general manager Bryan Murray said the team could only suggest that players wear cut-resistant equipment.
The NHL team has cut-resistant stocks in stock, just as it has guards that can be worn over skates to reduce the risk of foot injuries caused by pucks.
Murray said he didn’t see many players using the additional protective equipment. Rather, they stick with what they’ve always worn.
“They want to be able to play at a high speed and they think some of this stuff is cumbersome, so they take the risk of not wearing them,” Murray said.
© Copyright (c) The Ottawa Citizen
Read more: http://www.ottawacitizen.com/news/Senators+defenceman+Erik+Karlsson+becomes+poster+resistant+hockey+socks/7967512/story.html#ixzz2KvZzf7Fk
Tuff N Lite Hockey The Newest CWHL Sponsor
March 4, 2011
Toronto, ON - The Canadian Women's Hockey League is proud to announce the latest sponsorship support from Tuff-n-Lite Hockey. In addition to becoming a sponsor, Tuff-n-Lite Hockey will be the official supplier of cut resistant hockey socks for all CWHL players.
Tuff-n-Lite Hockey socks are lightweight and breathable armour that resist the potentially disastrous effects of injury from a skate blade. The product protects players as well as providing extreme comfort by rapidly pulling heat from the body with Tuff-n-Lite Cool. Additionally, every pair is treated with Micro-Texpur® to eliminate odor, fungus and bacteria.
Dave Nerman, President of Tuff-n-Lite, commented on the new sponsorship, "Tuff-n-Lite Hockey is pleased to announce their association to become an official sponsor/supplier of the Canadian Women's Hockey League. Tuff-n-Lite Hockey is proud to say that all players in the league will be wearing Tuff-n-Lite Hockey cut resistant skate socks."
March 4, 2011
Toronto, ON - The Canadian Women's Hockey League is proud to announce the latest sponsorship support from Tuff-n-Lite Hockey. In addition to becoming a sponsor, Tuff-n-Lite Hockey will be the official supplier of cut resistant hockey socks for all CWHL players.
Tuff-n-Lite Hockey socks are lightweight and breathable armour that resist the potentially disastrous effects of injury from a skate blade. The product protects players as well as providing extreme comfort by rapidly pulling heat from the body with Tuff-n-Lite Cool. Additionally, every pair is treated with Micro-Texpur® to eliminate odor, fungus and bacteria.
Dave Nerman, President of Tuff-n-Lite, commented on the new sponsorship, "Tuff-n-Lite Hockey is pleased to announce their association to become an official sponsor/supplier of the Canadian Women's Hockey League. Tuff-n-Lite Hockey is proud to say that all players in the league will be wearing Tuff-n-Lite Hockey cut resistant skate socks."
A sock tougher than steel
Spotlight story: Tuff-n-Lite socks are cut-resistant and have already saved one injury
DAVE STUBBS, The Gazette
Published: Saturday, March 20, 2010"
I lived my fantasy," he said, grinning.
Markov's October injury got Nerman thinking. That, and Lang's Achilles tendon, and the two horrible lacerations to the lower leg suffered by Vancouver Canucks' Kevin Bieksa this year and two seasons ago.
So he began studying cut-resistant materials that might work in hockey socks. Nerman says his naïveté probably didn't hurt; had he known much about the garment trade, he'd probably have turned tail.
He learned about the properties of cut-resistant fabrics Kevlar, Dyneema and Spectra before he happened upon the North Carolina company Tuff-n-Lite, which was manufacturing for police and military applications a knitted fibre 15 times stronger than steel.
In short order, Nerman received a prototype 13-inch sock fashioned to his suggestions, and before long he formed a company division called Tuff-n-Lite Hockey.
While no fabric can claim to be cut-proof, his sock is practically impervious to a sharp blade. A recent lab test, simulating a 215-pound player slashing the material while skating 15 mph, showed virtually no compromise.
With the look, feel and stretch of cotton, the sock is in fact breathable armour that is cool to the touch, draws heat and moisture away from the skin and is odour- and fungus-free because of an Eco-Green antimicrobial treatment.
A prototype in hand, Nerman called on the Canadiens' Gervais at the team's Brossard practice rink. He left with samples of the socks worn by the team and a recommendation that he add two inches to his model's length.
"A few weeks later, David came in with these socks and I thought they were great," said Gervais, who ordered enough for the Bell Centre, Brossard and road-trip trunks.
Gervais said he'll get a dozen or more calls per season "from people who are inventing the greatest thing on Earth, but they disappear as quickly as they came." But he'll always listen, constantly on the lookout for means to better protect players and improve his equipment crew's efficiency. No matter the company or product, he will supply the Canadiens with the widest variety of the best modern equipment and let players make their choice.
Of course, hockey's creatures of habit or superstition aren't easily convinced to try something new, even if it has Gervais's endorsement. Exhibit A: the over-boot skate guard that only some on the Canadiens are wearing.
But more than half the team is pulling on the Tuff-n-Lite socks because of a feel very much like what they're accustomed to and an improved moisture control. The superior protection is an invisible bonus, to which Moen will attest.
The sock is now worn by the Canadiens, Dallas Stars, Atlanta Thrashers, Carolina Hurricanes and some on the Canucks. The Florida Panthers came calling on Thursday.
A wristguard also has been introduced, and Nerman says additional pieces, like neck protectors and undergarments, are in the works. The products soon will be more widely available at retail, but for now can be ordered through the company website.
If the pros are the marketing summit, for Nerman the Canadiens are the tallest peak.
As a boy, he worshipped the Forum ice on which they skated. And now he's outfitting their feet.
For more on the product, go to tuffnlitehockey.com
dstubbs@thegazette.canwest.com
© Montreal Gazette 2010
Spotlight story: Tuff-n-Lite socks are cut-resistant and have already saved one injury
DAVE STUBBS, The Gazette
Published: Saturday, March 20, 2010"
I lived my fantasy," he said, grinning.
Markov's October injury got Nerman thinking. That, and Lang's Achilles tendon, and the two horrible lacerations to the lower leg suffered by Vancouver Canucks' Kevin Bieksa this year and two seasons ago.
So he began studying cut-resistant materials that might work in hockey socks. Nerman says his naïveté probably didn't hurt; had he known much about the garment trade, he'd probably have turned tail.
He learned about the properties of cut-resistant fabrics Kevlar, Dyneema and Spectra before he happened upon the North Carolina company Tuff-n-Lite, which was manufacturing for police and military applications a knitted fibre 15 times stronger than steel.
In short order, Nerman received a prototype 13-inch sock fashioned to his suggestions, and before long he formed a company division called Tuff-n-Lite Hockey.
While no fabric can claim to be cut-proof, his sock is practically impervious to a sharp blade. A recent lab test, simulating a 215-pound player slashing the material while skating 15 mph, showed virtually no compromise.
With the look, feel and stretch of cotton, the sock is in fact breathable armour that is cool to the touch, draws heat and moisture away from the skin and is odour- and fungus-free because of an Eco-Green antimicrobial treatment.
A prototype in hand, Nerman called on the Canadiens' Gervais at the team's Brossard practice rink. He left with samples of the socks worn by the team and a recommendation that he add two inches to his model's length.
"A few weeks later, David came in with these socks and I thought they were great," said Gervais, who ordered enough for the Bell Centre, Brossard and road-trip trunks.
Gervais said he'll get a dozen or more calls per season "from people who are inventing the greatest thing on Earth, but they disappear as quickly as they came." But he'll always listen, constantly on the lookout for means to better protect players and improve his equipment crew's efficiency. No matter the company or product, he will supply the Canadiens with the widest variety of the best modern equipment and let players make their choice.
Of course, hockey's creatures of habit or superstition aren't easily convinced to try something new, even if it has Gervais's endorsement. Exhibit A: the over-boot skate guard that only some on the Canadiens are wearing.
But more than half the team is pulling on the Tuff-n-Lite socks because of a feel very much like what they're accustomed to and an improved moisture control. The superior protection is an invisible bonus, to which Moen will attest.
The sock is now worn by the Canadiens, Dallas Stars, Atlanta Thrashers, Carolina Hurricanes and some on the Canucks. The Florida Panthers came calling on Thursday.
A wristguard also has been introduced, and Nerman says additional pieces, like neck protectors and undergarments, are in the works. The products soon will be more widely available at retail, but for now can be ordered through the company website.
If the pros are the marketing summit, for Nerman the Canadiens are the tallest peak.
As a boy, he worshipped the Forum ice on which they skated. And now he's outfitting their feet.
For more on the product, go to tuffnlitehockey.com
dstubbs@thegazette.canwest.com
© Montreal Gazette 2010
A cut above
By Eddie Mitchell
Aug 25, 2011 - 7:59:31 AM
CHARLOTTE, NC - Tuff-n-Lite material is ounce-for-ounce up to 15-times stronger than steel, but it is as soft and flexible as cotton. Originally it was introduced in the food-handling industry where meat processing is especially dangerous. Tuff-n-Lite aprons and gloves have saved many an employee a serious injury.
This technology is now being introduced to the world of ice hockey. The cut-resistant protection has now been cleared by the NHL. Two NHL players were recently saved from serious ankle injuries because they were wearing Tuff-n-Lite cut resistant socks.
It is not just professional hockey players that Tuff-n-Lite are trying to reach, they have also introduced a neck and wrist guard for amateur players. Safety is everything today, but with Tuff-n-Lite you do not have to sacrifice comfort.
Speed skating is another area that Tuff-n-Lite has moved into with a special full-body suit for practicing. But it is hockey that is attracting the most interest in the product. The socks offer comfort, coolness and most importantly protection. The New York Rangers have ordered the socks for their players, one of many NHL/AHL/NCAA teams wearing them.
Tuff-n-Lite is created by a unique, multi-patented process that combines natural and synthetic fibers for unimaginable strength. It is slash and cut resistant as well as tear and abrasion. To eliminate odor, fungus and bacteria, every product is treated with Micro-Texpur, an Eco-Green antimicrobial agent that will inhibit the growth and transfer of microbes.
In 1981, Supreme Corporation, the parent company of Tuff-n-Lite, the leading high-performance specialty material in America, decided to make a real difference in people’s lives. The company saw a need for a safety fabric that was stronger than steel, highly cut and abrasion resistant, yet as soft, flexible and comfortable as cotton to wear.
After years of research and development Tuff-n-Lite was born. Recently Tuff-n-Lite Hockey was created because the company is passionate about the sport. Staff at Tuff-n-Lite Hockey play the game; they know serious injuries can happen. Because of this the company has created a line of innovative and high-performance cut resistant garments that are worn to protect areas that are not fully protected by equipment. These garments are available to all levels of hockey player, from the professional to the weekend warrior.
Tuff-n-Lite clothing is designed by hockey players for hockey players.
Contact Eddie.Mitchell@prohockeynews.com
© Copyright 2011 by Prohockeynews.com
