Fanatics signs 10 year deal to be uniform supplier of NHL

[joelef]

This jersey contract is a microcosm of Gary Bettman's NHL. You've got a dollar store tier jersey and merchandise supplier while the other 3 leagues have Nike. You've got a team playing in a 5000 seat arena that refuses to meet the cap floor. A playoff format where seeding is largely irrelevant. This is what I'd expect from the WNBA or some shit, not an alleged member of the "big 4." Yet somehow theres morons that come out and say this turd is good for the game of hockey.

I hate Goodell (as any NFL fan should), but this type of bush league shit would never happen in his league.

They have a once in a generation player and is completely invisible to the American public

 

[5cotland]

Still better than cas ore

I love my Castore gear. I think you might have some green tinted specs on sir

 

[I Hate Philadelphia]

2023: "Ew, is that guy wearing a fake aliexpress jersey? Looks awful"

2025: "Ew, is that guy wearing an authentic Fanatics jersey? Looks awful"

 

[BlueOil]

gonna have to start stealing the game worn ones when the players go down the tunnel

 

[Scomerica]

I love my Castore gear. I think you might have some green tinted specs on sir

Yeah just messing. I've found fanatics to be okay for NFL and MLB stuff but I know people that have had issues with NFL jerseys, especially customized names on them.

 

[S E P H]

I don't know if this was already mentioned, but it looks like Fanatics makes Nike's gear for other leagues. I wonder what the perceived quality is of those "Nike" uniforms:

"For example, Nike is the official outfitter of Major League Baseball, but Fanatics has made MLB's Nike-branded uniforms for all 30 teams since 2017, when it acquired Majestic. In total, Fanatics makes close to 100,000 MLB uniforms each season. Fanatics also makes authentic NFL jerseys that carry a Nike logo, which are sold online and in stores."

From: Fanatics replacing Adidas as NHL uniform partner

Fanatics seems like a super cheap company to work with and why other sports along with clothing brands probably use them. Nike is bad because of what they did with the Olympic hockey jerseys making them look like an absolute travesty and in another way, they're an evil company. I just do not want the designers from Nike anywhere near the hockey sweaters.

 

[hangman005]

Hey NHL, don't know if anyone has told you.... but April Fools Day is next week.

 

[Big McLargehuge]

They'll get $0 out of me for the life of this deal. Their designs are awful, their business practices are disgusting, and their quality is sub-knockoff.

Always count on the NHL to make the absolute worst possible decision.

 

[Boris Zubov]

I'm more amazed Great Britain actually has a national baseball team.

 

[jmichael7753]

NHL players won't wear crap jerseys. The authentic from fanatics will be good quality. Replica level nike baseball jerseys suck as well.

 

[joelef]

I'm more amazed Great Britain actually has a national baseball team.

They’ve had one since 1938

 

[Ceremony]

I wish @Mayor Bee still posted, he was always good for tearing Fanatics to shreds.

 

[Matty Sundin]

This is honestly baffling bad news.

 

[Boris Zubov]

They’ve had one since 1938

As competitive as the Jamaican Bobsled team, I'd assume.

 

[Svechhammer]

 

[DownIsTheNewUp]

This jersey contract is a microcosm of Gary Bettman's NHL. You've got a dollar store tier jersey and merchandise supplier while the other 3 leagues have Nike. You've got a team playing in a 5000 seat arena that refuses to meet the cap floor. A playoff format where seeding is largely irrelevant. This is what I'd expect from the WNBA or some shit, not an alleged member of the "big 4." Yet somehow theres morons that come out and say this turd is good for the game of hockey.

I hate Goodell (as any NFL fan should), but this type of bush league shit would never happen in his league.

Fanatics makes the “Nike” uniforms MLB players are wearing. Fanatics makes the “Nike” NFL jersey you buy at the store.

 

[bringbacktheskate604]

Horrible. I enjoy collecting jerseys but I guess I’m done now

You gotta figure that considering the fact they won't be making these as cheaper alternates that the quality should be much improved.

From the NHL standpoint, I doubt they would risk major loss of revenue by allowing fanatics to produce cheap shit given what's at stake.

 

[Kobe Armstrong]

If the NHL is even around 10 more years

Nostalgia for me but I liked Reebok

 

[ottawa]

Definitely feels like one of those cases where the NHL said f*** everything about the quality, go for the cheapest highest bid regardless of all the issues they come with.

I suspect Nike/Reebok/CCM, etc couldn't compete with their margins.

 

[Svechhammer]

Absolutely scathing review of why this sucks for the fans by The Athletic:

 

[joelef]

Definitely feels like one of those cases where the NHL said f*** everything about the quality, go for the cheapest bid.

I guess they really underbid the hell out of Nike/Reebok/CCM, etc.

Or fanatics overbid

 

[Fixed to Ruin]

This is the worst sports uniform decision since George Costanza switched the yankees uniforms from polyester to cotton.

 

[ottawa]

Or fanatics overbid

You're right, I guess technically they overbid.

I'd wager they'd have higher profit margins for a $200 jersey than all the other big guys since they probably use the cheapest material available and probably Chinese labour.

 

[bringbacktheskate604]

The kicker is, when it comes to Fanatics, we're not just talking about the quality of the materials, we're also talking about actually getting what you paid for. The internet is loaded with examples of just the exact wrong things for the wrong teams and sports being sent to customers. And hell, then you have shit like this where they don't even get the team right:

Come on now, you have to figure all those issues will be cleaned up now that they are making official jerseys.
Adidas perfected their template but they were met with similar skepticism as was Reebok.

I'm not gonna pretend too know the legalities but I wonder if the prime green template will be sold to them since Adidas wouldn't have a need for it for hockey, at least not for the NHL.

Also I feel that people complaining about their quality are forgetting you get what you pay for.
When the official costs 350 for Adidas but half that for a fanatics knock-off it seems disingenuous to assume we're going to see that same quality at a higher price point.

Let's just be honest and admit that humans go to move is to loathe change and expect the new to suck.

 

[Svechhammer]

Come on now, you have to figure all those issues will be cleaned up now that they are making official jerseys.
Adidas perfected their template but they were met with similar skepticism as was Reebok.

I'm not gonna pretend too know the legalities but I wonder if the prime green template will be sold to them since Adidas wouldn't have a need for it for hockey, at least not for the NHL.

Also I feel that people complaining about their quality are forgetting you get what you pay for.
When the official costs 350 for Adidas but half that for a fanatics knock-off it seems disingenuous to assume we're going to see that same quality at a higher price point.

Let's just be honest and admit that humans go to move is to loathe change and expect the new to suck.

Its not just hockey. Fanatics is f***ing miserable across the board for everything they touch.

They aren't going to change because they have exclusive access to the NHL. Shit, it'll probably end up making it even worse than it was before because you really will have no other options to turn to for NHL merch.