The 21-year-old owner of Swift Hockey, an NHL certified hockey stick company based out of Oshawa, Ont., didn't know how the hockey community would react to a young, Black entrepreneur being behind a business looking to produce affordable sticks for those unable to manage the high costs of rival companies.Zechariah Thomas never wanted to be the face of his business.
Thomas and Swift Hockey's athletes pose for a photo. Swift Hockey has various professional and collegiate players representing their brand, including Luc Del Bel Belluz, Rylan Haslam and Anson Thornton. "It was really hard, honestly," Thomas said. "This was a business I never wanted to put my face on; I was really scared that I wouldn't be a business — I wouldn't be able to sell hockey sticks if people knew it was a Black-owned company in the hockey industry."Swift's pitch saw airtime on Sept. 21, 2023, when the Canadian show kicked off its 18th season.
That's the root of Swift Hockey — creating an affordable option for the parents of hockey-hungry hopefuls looking to chase their dreams.To keep their price tag to $150.99 US, or $170.99 for a goalie stick, the Swift team has a simple strategy to maintain low costs.