Perfect Edge is a family-run business that sells equipment and accessories for both hockey and lacrosse.
They opened their original location in Howell about 12 years ago — and Friday — it’s opening in Traverse City.
“All my life I played hockey,” said family owner Marc Okeefe. “Played all the way up until I got injured a little later so I couldn’t get any more competitive, so I went into the equipment side of things."
Growing up a hockey player, custom skate fitting and molding is something he feels especially connected to.
“When I was younger and stuff I had issues skating and stuff like that because I was out in the wrong type of skate so that kind of put my passion into – ok I really want to help these younger players,” said Mark.
They don’t just sell equipment — they sell technique, too. That’s what the treadmill is for.
“The treadmill is gonna help really with your stride getting that recovery stride back and just helping you skate a little bit better,” he said.
And they are even held up by the suspenders if they can’t quite keep up — making it perfect for beginners.
“Working on the training equipment here has really helped me put that on the ice,” said Marc’s wife and family owner, Lauren Okeefe.
Good skating sets a player up for a better shot, and there’s practice for that too.
It’s called the Rapid Shot. Players have between 1.6 and 4 seconds to catch the puck and shoot it.
The corners of the net light up, indicating which corner the player should aim for – helping the player with accuracy, reaction time, and shot speed.
16 shots later — students get to review their stats.
“I’m shooting everything well but I’m not getting that left corner good so that’s gonna help and tell ya what you really need to work on,” said Marc.
Technology Marc wishes was around when he was hitting the ice.
“I wish it was back when I was younger cuz I’d use it every single day,” he said.
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