Bauer Hockey, the manufacturer of ice hockey equipment and a subsidiary of Performance Sports Group Ltd., will open its second Own The Moment retail experience in Bloomington, MN.

A transformative and historic initiative for Bauer Hockey, the premium Own The Moment retail experiences will elevate the BAUER brand, deliver an unmatched consumer educational experience and serve as the ultimate BAUER brand and product showcase. The Bloomington location is the second to be announced by Bauer Hockey with the first-ever Own The Moment retail experience expected to open in Burlington, Mass., this summer.

“We are excited to officially announce the location of our second retail experience, and we look forward to bringing the Own The Moment retail experience to the State of Hockey,” said Rich Wuerthele, Executive Vice President, Bauer Hockey. “Just like our first location outside of Boston, the Minneapolis area has an incredibly passionate base of hockey players and fans, and we look forward to delivering a hockey retail experience to the area that is unlike anything else that exists today.”

The Own The Moment retail experience is expected to open in late fall and will be located at 758 American Blvd. West in Bloomington, which is the current location of Hockey Giant.  Hockey Giant, one of the nation's largest hockey retailers, played an instrumental role in paving the way for Bauer Hockey's second-ever retail experience

“We have served this community for more than 12 years and have built a large customer base in this area, and this location will be the ideal spot for Bauer Hockey's second Own The Moment retail experience,” said Shael Wilder, President and CEO, Hockey Giant. “We worked closely with Bauer Hockey to help facilitate the conversion of our location, which will present a great opportunity for hockey players in the greater Minneapolis area to enjoy an incredible brand experience from hockey's leading manufacturer. Bauer Hockey has been a great partner of ours for years, and we are pleased to play a role in helping bring the Own The Moment retail experience to Minnesota.”

Bauer Hockey will transform the current 33,000-square foot space into its own store and align the look and feel of the space with its first Own The Moment retail location in Burlington, Mass. In addition to modifying both the inside and outside aesthetics, the Bloomington Own The Moment retail experience will also feature an indoor ice rink to provide a unique try-before-you-buy experience.

Built to inform and inspire hockey players, each Own The Moment retail experience will have expertly trained associates to guide each consumer through a “fit, learn and experience” process. The in-store fitting protocol and experience will be personalized for the entire hockey community, including players of all ages and abilities.

Every Own The Moment retail experience will have dedicated areas for each product category as well as specific areas to easily educate new-to-hockey families and welcome them to the sport.  Each retail experience will host several events and initiatives for players, parents and the overall hockey community.

Bauer Hockey expects to open an additional 6-8 Own The Moment retail experiences over the next several years in key hockey markets across the U.S. and Canada. The company expects its retail operations to grow its overall business and be profitable in less than two years.

“The Own The Moment retail experiences will be living representations of our brand, and we will be able to provide insights into the protection and performance of each product, while fitting each player with similar tools and techniques that we use to properly fit the best athletes in the world,” Wuerthele said. “The Own The Moment retail experiences are designed around every hockey consumer's needs and will fully showcase our technological advancements, how our products work together and the benefit of selecting equipment that is fine-tuned for your game.”