SAFETY FIRST!

Over the last couple of years, there’s been a rise across the hockey world to make the game safer, specifically to help protect the players from being cut by the skate blades they whizz around the ice on. 

Born out of the desire to find compression pants and shirts that provide protection from being cut by skate blades while still being comfortable, Duzter Hockey has seemingly developed the solution. The Father-Son duo of Martin A. Negron (Sr.) and Martin E. Negron (Jr.) created their patent-pending, cut-resistant shirts and pants, which have received the highest degree of certification from the Bureau de normalisation du Québec (BNQ) and comply with USA Hockey’s mandates. 

Blittner’s Blue Line recently caught up with the dynamic Father-Son duo after the pair appeared on the popular TV show, Shark Tank, to discuss their product. 

*Editor’s Note: Questions and Answers have been lightly edited for clarity.

Question: Is your focus on getting your product to professional hockey players or young kids at the lower levels? 

Answer (Martin A. Negron (Sr.)): “When we created Duzter, our plan was to work exclusively with youth hockey, because we did not anticipate any demand from adult players, either recreational players or professional players, because, if you think about it, they don’t even cover their faces. So, we thought, they’re not gonna be concerned about cuts or anything that happens underneath their clothes that they’re wearing. 

“Since we were seeing accidents in youth hockey and the main goal, for me, was to prevent an accident from my son. So, we started with youth hockey and then, when the accident happened with Adam Johnson, we started receiving calls from teams asking us if we had the base layers for adult players. 

“At the time, we didn’t. So we rushed to design a base layer for adults. What happened was that, since, at the time, we were talking to players and equipment managers, we were able to collect inputs from them to refine the requirements and improve our products. That’s why the adult products that came out offer a lot more protection than the youth products that we originally had. 

“Now, what we did was, we’re selling the current inventory of the original products and replacing them with the equivalent of what we’re offering adult and pro players now.”

Question: Is the new product aiming to provide protection throughout, or just to the vital areas? 

Answer (Martin A. Negron (Sr.)): “What we try to cover are the gaps. When you put on all the hockey gear, you have the elbow pads, the gloves, the chest pad and everything and that leaves gaps. There’s a gap between the elbow pad and the gloves. So we protect that. There’s a gap around the neck, which we protect and then all the additions were to below the waist. 

“Originally, we only protected the ankles. Now we protect the femoral artery, the inner leg, the knee and the ankles. So all of those were gaps that were identified. What we’re seeing is, the shirts are very popular with The AHL, because they have the neck protection requirements. But then, the pants are very popular with The NHL, because they are looking for that protection, especially the knee and the inner leg.”

Question: Are there any specific AHL or NHL teams who you can mention who are using your product? 

Answer (Martin A. Negron (Sr.)): “In The AHL, the Henderson Silver Knights, a large number of their players are currently wearing our shirts. And I’m not allowed to mention the team specifically, but there’s one NHL team in the New York area who is a very good customer of our products. We communicate all the time. They place orders. We even delivered an order in person because we were invited to their game. That was a lot of fun.”

Question: Did you reach out to the New Jersey Devils after GM Tom Fitzgerald’s son had his scary blade cut incident?

Answer (Martin A. Negron (Sr.)): “When I read the news the next day after it happened, what I did was, we do have a contact with The NHL cut-resistant team and they’re the ones who approve or clear ou products to be used by NHL players. I told him we have a new product for goalies. And I gave him an update on everything that we’re doing. So he has the information, because I thought about reaching out directly to the team, but I think it’s better to do it through The NHL, through the formal channels. That way, the communication or the information is shared with all the teams simultaneously.”

Question: We’ve seen NHL players be resistant to change, but have you managed to make inroads at the youth level?

Answer (Martin E. Negron (Jr.)): “Two weeks ago, we went to see a team who was playing the Capitals and we spoke with their equipment manager before their warmups. He said that he himself likes the product, but it’s just that no one on the team wants to wear anything cut-proof. So we have faced a little bit (of resistance at The NHL level). But, at the youth level, it hasn’t been as big as people resisting than we expected. And of course, at The AHL level, since it’s a requirement and in USA youth hockey, it’s a requirement, we haven’t received much (pushback).”

Question: Martin (Jr.), do your teammates wear your product? 

Answer (Martin E. Negron (Jr.)): “At first, I was the only kid on my team wearing the neck guard, for about two seasons, because we started two seasons before the mandate. Even in high school, freshman and sophomore year, I was still the only one wearing this. But on my club team last season, we had two very bad cuts. One in the arm, one in the neck, about two weeks apart. The one in the neck was very similar to the situation you mentioned earlier, where he was cut in the neck and he didn’t realize until after someone said something about the blood and same about the arm. 

“Since then, no one’s had questions about getting cut since everyone on that team, specifically the next day, everyone had on our shirts. This season on my club team, everyone had at least some sort of neck protection. People are still holding back against the arm. But for the neck protection this season, both in club and high school, everyone was wearing it.”

Question: Martin (Jr.), as a hockey player, why do you feel people are being so resistant to the arm protection?

Answer (Martin E. Negron (Jr.)): “The arm, it’s a lot of stuff. I mean, a lot of people, myself included, look up to the guys in The NHL. That’s something you don’t see on the ice. When I was younger, in 12U is when they bring up mouth guards and at first, everyone hated them, ’cause it’s new equipment and whatnot. But then you get used to them. 

“With the arms specifically, out of all the pieces of equipment, that’s something you just don’t feel. People who are resisting simply have not tried, or they simply don’t want more equipment. But once you put the shirt on, you don’t feel it. So, eventually, as more and more people wear the arm protection, it’s going to become normal.”

All very salient points and something the hockey world should take note of. In our discussion with Duzter Hockey, they also detailed how they are bringing to market protection for goalies to wear as well as non-hockey usages for their cut-resistant shirts and pants, notably for surfers and law enforcement.