Bob Perani, founder of the hockey equipment superstore chain that bears his name, passed away over the weekend while on an international flight from Detroit to Tokyo.
Perani, who was a goaltender at St. Lawrence from 1964-66, was 69.
“He was a great guy,” Perani’s daughter, Lahna Ward, told the Flint (Mich.) Journal. “If somebody needed help, he would give them the shirt off his back if he could.”
In recent years, the CCHA had forged a business relationship with Perani’s Hockey World.
“Bob Perani was a true innovator who, while becoming the most singularly dominant force in the hockey equipment retail business, never lost sight of the personal relationships that make our sport so special,” said CCHA commissioner Fred Pletsch. “The CCHA extends deepest sympathy and condolences to the extended Perani family.”
A memorial service has been planned for the Flint area, but details have yet to be finalized.
