Regina hockey equipment store out tens of thousands of dollars after theft

What was supposed to be an exciting Saturday for staff of Extreme Hockey quickly turned to disappointment after they discovered the business had beenrobbed of tens of thousands of dollars in sportsequipment.

The store, located on McIntyre Street in Regina's Warehouse District, had been holding a week-long tent sale from Sept. 9 to 15 to take advantage of the rush of customers buying equipment for the upcoming hockey season.

But sometime between the evening of Sept. 13 and morning of Sept. 14, a thief or thieves slashed the side of the 18-by-six-metre tent and cut a hole in the fencing to get atmerchandise.

The store's general manager, Derek Bilboe, said staff arrived to find the empty hangers around 8 a.m. on Sept. 14.

"Certainly felt a little defeated," he said. "We had a big day planned."

Since rainy weather that weekkept people inside, hehoped the sunny Saturday would entice customers. The store had also planned a barbecue and invited members of the Adam Herold Legacy Foundation.

Many expensive items taken

Bilboe said the stolen items includedskates, sticks andbaseball cleats.

"A lot of those items were of higher value," said Bilboe, who believes whoever stole the goods likely scouted out the site beforehand.

He also said some remaining clothing had to be tossedout becauseit wasthrown on the wet concrete during the robbery.

Bilboesaid that he didn't know the exact value of the stolen goods and thatit's too early to determine what impact the theftwill have on the store. Although a little concerned about a shortage of product, he believes the business will bounce back.

"We still have our CCM and our Bauer and our Sports Excellence products in terms of the clothing," he said.

Concern about itemsbeingresold

Regina Police Service(RPS) spokesperson Elizabeth Popowich confirmed police are investigatingbut don't have any suspects yet.

Bilboe is concerned the merchandise isbeing resold online. He's been looking at certain websites but hasn't been able to find any of thestolen items.

Popowich said RPShas officers that scan online marketplaces for stolen goods. She said it's possible those officers are looking into this matterbut haven't found anything yet.

She addedpeople should be vigilantwhen purchasing items through online marketplaces. If they suspect the item might be stolen, they should contact police or Crime Stoppers.

"I would hope that people would recognize that if something is beingoffered ... not by a retailer thatthey ought to ask a few questions," she said. "If it's offered for a price that is greatly reduced, that should raise their suspicions."

Staff 'trying to stay positive',says Bilboe

Bilboe said the store has security cameras, but none captured the incident. He said staff will look at how they can enhance security for the next tent sale.

The store has decided to continuetheir tent sale through this weekend. Bilboesaid he's proud of his staff for regrouping so quickly and not dwelling on the theft.

"You can't really help what's happened in the past. All you can do is look to the future. We're just trying to stay positive."