The Globe and Mail reports in its Thursday edition that CCM Hockey has scored a Canadian co-owner, with Northleaf Capital Partners joining CCM's Swedish private equity backer in a bid to make the 125-year-old company the top global player in hockey gear. The Globe's Andrew Willis writes that in October, Stockholm-based Altor Equity Partners announced plans to acquire CCM, founded in 1899, from Toronto-based Birch Hill Equity Partners. Altor made the commitment with plans to bring in a minority Canadian partner, and chose Northleaf, a $27-billion (U.S.) fund manager with numerous investments in consumer companies. Michael Flood, head of private equity at Toronto-based Northleaf, told The Globe on Wednesday, "Canadian ownership of CCM is central to the way we want to build the best brand in hockey." Northleaf previously owned an indirect stake in Montreal-based CCM as an investor in funds run by Birch Hill, which acquired the gear maker in 2017 from Germany's Adidas for $110-million (U.S.). Northleaf and Birch Hill were both created by management-led buyouts of divisions at TD Bank. CCM's new owners plan to build the business by increasing sales to women, who currently account for 10 per cent of hockey players globally.