Mike Vaughn

The first time I ever met Mike Vaughn, I knew he was the quintessential goalie gear manufacturer. Something could be said about the man who only had $400 to start his business out of his parents’ garage. When I met him at the Montreal hockey show, it wasn’t about business, we talked about flying planes. It was Mike’s hobby. The biggest difference is that I never owned a plane but Mike Vaughn did.

Mike Vaughn is a well-known manufacturer of premium goalie gear and equipment. The company is known for producing high-quality products designed specifically for goaltenders, including goalie pads, gloves, blockers, chest protectors and other essential gear. The company has been a trusted name among goaltenders and it is known for its commitment for quality and innovation. Many professional goalies work closely with Vaughn Custom Sports to create custom gear tailored to their preferences and playing style.

Mike Vaughn had no illusions of grandeur when he was growing up in Michigan in the 1970’s and 1980’s. Perhaps he was a sturdy and maybe unspectacular goaltender who understood the professional game that was envisioned in his childhood playing street hockey. Mike Vaughn’s innovated approach to goaltenders had a significant impact on the industry by incorporating multiple layers of foam into the pads. What he did for the sporting good industry, was improve protection and that acted as a springing board for other manufacturers to follow suit. He was committed to technological advancement in his protective gear. This improved goalie’s safety while enhancing performance.

What made Mike Vaughn the most influential and innovative man in the sporting good industry, was he was able to find intrinsic value in companies that struggled. He became a major shareholder of Brian’s Custom Sports. He purchased Eagle Hockey and was able to custom manufacture hockey gloves in the USA and Canada. Even before Graf was sold, my good trusted friend for over 35 years, Gerry McSorley and I teamed up to bid for Graf’s inventory. Needless to say we were both confounded when a liquidator purchased Graf’s stock at five times the prices that Gerry and I were willing to pay! Now don’t feel sorry for Gerry, he was able to come out with Blackout stick that is sold universally in every hockey retailer in North America. When we heard that Mike Vaughn purchased Graf, people knew it was a good move. Not because everyone thought the skates were old, and lacked innovation. The skates that are made by Vaughn are stiffer; they are able to achieve flex on movement. The reason why Graf went under was because their products lasted longer than their competitors.

Before Mike Vaughn purchased Graf, there was Gayle Estabrooks who became the CEO of Graf Canada. She came into my store because I was the biggest Graf dealer. I give her credit because she indicated if a retailer was going to carry her line; it would be a commitment of close to $120,000. When Mike Vaughn purchased Graf, he streamed lined it and it became less of a commitment for retailers with respect with other brands and made Graf stronger. Mike Vaughn is an astute businessman. He will purchase companies that have intrinsic value and worth with respect to the consumers.

Mike Vaughn became more famous because he was one of the first to take someone to court over counterfeit products. Piku made unbranded goalie pads for a NHL goalie who won prestigious goaltending awards. These pads were said to resemble those manufactured by Vaughn Custom Sports. The pads were allegedly the same pads the goalie had used during his award-wining season, which were originally branded with the Vaughn name. This resulted in Mike Vaughn opening a legal case regarding the use of intellectual property, branding, or proprietary designs. Legal cases like this often revolve around issues such as trademark infringement or breach of contracts. Resolutions typically involve legal proceedings to determine the facts and protect the rights and interests of all parties involved. The jury’s unanimous verdict in favor of Vaughn Custom Sports included that the defendants falsely designated the origin of their products, breach fiduciary duties and duties of loyalty and engaged in unfair competition and civil conspiracy. This was a significant legal victory for Mike Vaughn and Vaughn Custom Sports that received several hundred thousand dollars in monetary damages.

Mike Vaughn is a great leader; he has established a great legacy. But more profound is that he gave American technological companies a path to move forward and receive compensation for Americans technological advancements from counterfeits. He was one of the first. Mike Vaughn decided to keep 70% of his workforce employed during Covid by having them make hospital gowns for local hospitals in Michigan. He is a true American hero.