You could think of it like instruments. I see Billie Joe (green day) playing with a Gibson Les Paul. I now want to get that guitar, because it's a good guitar, and my favourite frontman uses it. Therefore, when i have, say, 2k laying around I buy it. Gibson makes money that way. Gibson sponsors bands. Same goes for goalie equipment, I see that Kipper uses a Warrior stick, I want a Warrior stick. You see Crosby in Reebok commercials, that's because Reebok supplies him with gear and money, so he does commercials with them to promote their product. NHL players definitely don't pay for their own gear. I can, however, see them having to pay for the design on their helmet. That's not a mandatory thing (see Jonas Hiller last season) and as such, it probably comes out of the players pockets.
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