Easton Hockey appointed Jim Darby as its new vice president of corporate affairs and hockey sports marketing. 

Entrenched in sports business for over 30 years, Darby started his career with the Curley-Bates Company in 1977.  Easton acquired the company in 1985 and Darby has been a part of the Easton team ever since. In his new position, Darby returns to the role he pioneered for the brand drawing from his experiences as the primary contact between the brand and endorsed athletes.

“Jim is the ultimate flag carrier for the Easton Brand. For more than 25 years, Jim has been instrumental in establishing the majority of our key athlete partnerships in hockey and baseball,” said Chris Zimmerman, President of Easton Sports. “Over the years, Jim built partnerships with NHL greats including Wayne Gretzky, Steve Yzerman, Joe Sakic, Jeremy Roenick and many others. Jim is deeply passionate about equipping the world’s best athletes with our game-changing products.”

Darby led the charge in signing professional players to endorsement deals, inking the first two NHL players to ever endorse Easton Hockey in 1986. Capitalizing on his relationships with premier NHL players, Darby was also pivotal in negotiating a deal with Wayne Gretzky and the brand in 1990.