The howies story

Howies Hockey was founded in 2002 in Grand Rapids, MI by Howard “Max” Sieplinga. At the time, Max was a student at Calvin College, balancing classes while playing club hockey. Hockey was more than just a sport to him - it was a way of life - so he set out to solve one of hockey’s toughest problems: tape that wouldn’t fall off after just a few skates. After extensive research, testing, and development, Howies Hockey Tape was born. He began selling in bulk to teammates and friends in the Grand Rapids hockey community, and it quickly spread across the Midwest. What started as a fun college side project soon became something much bigger.

After graduating, Max continued growing the business, expanding into multiple tape colors, grip tape, and the iconic wax players know today. Realizing the brand needed professional exposure, Max and a small team - including two childhood friends - began calling college and pro teams nationwide, sharing samples and the Howies story. Those early calls paid off when Sales Director Dave Visser landed the New York Islanders as Howies’ first NHL team, a major turning point that showed the pros trusted the brand.

From the beginning, Howies has focused on using the highest-quality materials paired with genuine, responsive customer service. The first headquarters was Max’s parents’ garage, followed by a small basement under his dad’s photography studio. Those early days were fueled by grit, tape dust, and late nights figuring out operations, marketing, and logistics.

Today, after several HQ moves, Howies operates out of HQ5 with offices, warehouse space, and a growing team. We proudly serve nearly every NHL, AHL, NCAA Division I, and Major Junior team worldwide, plus rinks, pro shops, and retailers on every continent - except Antarctica (we’re still working on that). Through it all, one thing hasn’t changed: our commitment to quality, customer care, and the people who made it all possible.

To be the “World’s Highest Quality,” both in products and customer service - that’s the goal at Howies. If you’re ever dissatisfied with our tape, laces, or any other product, let us know and we will make it right - you have no risk when you deal with Howies.