Most hockey players use clear tape to secure their shin pads.Others make use of it by patching up their equipment. Heck, some people even hoard it!
42in42
The stretchy, waterproof product is able to endure all sorts of contact and ensure that a player feels safe on the ice. The sound of it unravelling off of a roll is also one of the most recognized and appreciated ones in the game.
But has anyone ever wondered how it’s made?
Scapa Group plc is a global provider of sock tape and manufactures their North American product in Renfrew, Ontario, a small town of 8,500 people located just outside of Ottawa. Ironically, hockey is deeply embedded in its roots. In 1909, M.J. and Ambrose O’Brien created the National Hockey Association; an organization that was the direct predecessor to today’s NHL.
To uncover how the product is formulated from scratch, our team made the trip to Renfrew and took a tour of Scapa’s humongous factory. Here’s what we found:
The video uncovered nearly all of the details, but here are a couple of additional facts to take in. 1) A large roll of tape (which could be seen on the forklift) can way up to 1,800 pounds after it runs through the countering process. 2) It is then sent to the slitter where it is cut into rolls of 18 or 30 meters in length.
The company is known for producing regular stick tape as well, however the Pro clear is their best-selling product. According to their website, Renfrew’s Pro tape has been in the dressing room of the past 20 Stanley Cup championship teams.
Hopefully this video makes you appreciate exactly how clear tape makes its way from simple ingredients onto the ice.
It really is a neat process.
