Last Updated on Friday, 23 August 2013 14:53
Long-time hockey pioneer Bill McLean has been named the recipient of the Bob Perani Lifetime Achievement Award.
McLean is a Buffalo, N.Y., native who has been passionately involved in many hockey ventures, from his first job as the U.S. warehouse manager for the Bauer Skate Company in Tonawanda, N.Y., to his last position as president of Superfeet Worldwide, Inc., a leading insole and shoe insert company based in Ferndale, Wash. McLean retired at the end of July.
Prior to joining Superfeet Worldwide, Inc., McLean spent 20 years at Bauer, serving as a sales representative, sales manager and vice president of sales before moving on to positions at Louisville Slugger and Tournament Sports. In 1996, he took over as president of Brine, which was sold in 2004.
“It is a tremendous honor for me to be given the award named after Bob Perani,” McLean said. “Bob was a tremendous friend and someone that always supported me along my career. I know he is greatly missed by the hockey industry, but especially by his friends and family.”
“Mr. McLean’s contributions to the hockey industry are a wonderful example of the essence behind the award,” said Robert Perani, Bob’s son. “My family and I are proud to have known him so well over the years.”
This award is given in honor of the late Bob Perani. Winners of this award are individuals in the hockey industry who live up to Perani’s standards of passion, dedication, commitment, responsibility, hard work and integrity. Perani was a long-time hockey person who played collegiately at St. Lawrence University and later professionally for the Flint Generals. He then founded Perani’s Hockey World and built this into 19 national stores.
The inaugural winner of the award was Bob Naegele, Jr.
The Bob Perani Lifetime Achievement Award will be presented at a reception on Friday, March 7 in St. Paul in conjunction with the 25th Annual Let’s Play Hockey Expo. In addition, long-time sales reps and dealers will be honored at the reception.
