10-year-old hockey players threatened with suspension by club owner over ‘egregious’ team merch

A New Jersey youth hockey dispute that erupted on social media this week began with an email threatening to suspend 10-year-old players over jackets their parents bought without the organization's approval.

But the players were never suspended, according to Bobby Reiss, owner of the Jersey Hitmen and the Ice Vault rink in Wayne, who said Wednesday that all of them attended practice as scheduled.

Reiss told NJ.com the warning was intended to pressure the players' parents into addressing what he considered a violation of the organization's rules.

"Nobody was suspended," Reiss said. "They all practiced last night."

Reiss acknowledged writing in an email to parents that their children would be suspended, but said the threat was meant to get the parents' attention. He added that none of the parents were actually forced to pay royalties at this point.

"Did I write that they would be? Yes, I did," Reiss said. "But that was to get the attention of the mothers."

The controversy began after a group of mothers associated with the Hitmen's 10U major team had custom jackets made using team branding, according to Reiss.

In his email, Reiss said Hitmen logos and trademarks could not be used without permission and that the prohibition was spelled out in team contracts. He wrote that the parents and their children would be suspended until "restitution" was made to the organization in the form of a 15% royalty.

The email quickly spread online and was highlighted by Barstool Sports , which portrayed the dispute as a youth hockey organization suspending 10-year-olds because their mothers made matching jackets. The story subsequently went viral across social media.

Reiss said that characterization left out an important part of the story.

"We had no intent of not letting the kids practice," he said. "That was to get the attention of the parents."

Reiss said the organization employs people who produce team merchandise and argued that parents who independently create products using the Hitmen brand are using the organization's trademarks without permission while taking business away from employees who make apparel for the club.

He also said families agreed to restrictions on the use of Hitmen branding when they signed their contracts.

"All I want people to do is respect the boundaries that you agreed to," Reiss said. "We provide a service, they partake of the service, but within that service, there are restrictions."

Reiss said he selected the 15% royalty because he considered it comparable to licensing fees charged by larger sports organizations.

"I just picked a figure," he said, adding that he believed it was generally in line with licensing fees elsewhere in sports.

Asked why he threatened the ice time of children over a dispute involving their parents, Reiss was candid.

"The only way parents deal is through their kids," he said. "When their actions (cause) potential issues for their children, then they'll deal with the issue at hand."

In his email, Reiss wrote that he did not "relish taking it out on the players" but could not see another immediate way to handle the matter.

When asked whether he considered other options, Reiss said: "There really wasn't any. The only option that you have is ice time."

But Reiss emphasized that no ice time was ultimately taken away.

Reiss explained his decision to threaten suspension.

"That's why I used that terminology: 'I'll suspend your kids,'" he said. "The only way I can get their interest."

Reiss said the underlying dispute remained unresolved because he had not spoken directly with the parents. But he insisted the children would not be punished as it continues.

"The kids will never be affected," Reiss said. "Let me make that perfectly clear."

Reiss said he was frustrated that the dispute became public and argued that the parents should have approached him directly.

"I'm from an era where you resolve these things face to face," Reiss said. "What they did is they took it to the press purposely to make me and the organization look bad."

He acknowledged that the publicity had portrayed him negatively but stood by his position that families cannot use the organization's branding without permission.

"They're now trying to paint me in a bad light, which in a way I'm not going to deny they have," Reiss said. "But I don't really care about that."

Reiss said the organization has allowed families to create certain items in the past when they first sought permission and the Hitmen could not produce the items themselves.

"If I can't do it, that's a different story," he said. "They didn't explore that with me. They never gave me a shot."

It has come to my attention that the Mothers of our 10U major team took upon themselves to design and make jackets that used the Hitmen logos. In all Bandit and Hitmen contracts it VERY specifically says that no one is allowed to use these trademarks. These trademarks are Federally registered and any transgressions over the years have been dealt with by our law firm. All of you know that we have the most comprehensive team apparel of any youth organization in the country. We take great pride in what we produce and are very protective of our rights. When you signed your contracts, we make this very self-evident by incorporating into all contracts.

The parents involved in this were so proud that they took a video which I am sure will circulate, as all things do, on social media. I cannot permit or tolerate these actions. Therefore, the parents on this team and their children are suspended until restitution is made to our organization. Parents who were not involved can continue to practice. Restitution will consist of a 15% Royalty which is common place for the rights to use a company's trademark providing, you get permission, which was not sought out or granted in this case. If the person or persons that initiated this trademark infringement come forward, along with a copy of the bill of sale from the supplier, as well as the payment of the royalty we will allow their players to practice immediately as soon as we have the discussion.

This has been one of the most egregious violations in recent memory of someone taking upon themselves to violate this policy in our contracts. I don't relish taking it out on the players, but I cannot see any other way to deal with this in the immediate time.

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