Fanatics signs 10 year deal to be uniform supplier of NHL

[leafsfan5]

Well I’m getting a jersey or 2 when adidas goes on clearance

 

[Svechhammer]

This will effectively be a branding logo swap for the first 2 seasons. Starting in 2026, it's all Fanatics.

Given how heavily involved Fanatics is with online sales, you have to believe they are going to actively encourage as many alternate jerseys as possible to supercharge the markets. Wouldn't be shocked to see 5 or 6 regularly worn jerseys per team per year in the near future.

 

[tucker3434]

You can just not spend hundreds of dollars on hockey jerseys and then this won’t affect you

Do you work in the NHL’s marketing department? Because that sounds exactly like what they’re saying.

 

[Hammettf2b]

The 1st world privilege is strong in this thread

oof, what a bad take

 

[Svechhammer]

oof, what a bad take

yeah but how can we all know they're so edgy if they aren't sharing their edgy takes

 

[Sheppy]

I have a Pastrnak fanatics jersey, I've worn it once and feel like the lettering is already peeling...

 

[Ace]

Joke league

 

[TheBeastCoast]

You can just not spend hundreds of dollars on hockey jerseys and then this won’t affect you

Sounds like a great business model for the NHL!

 

[TheDawnOfANewTage]

“But the owners make money, so Bettman is good!”

-posters who love the taste of boots.

 

[RainyCityHockey]

The material on their tshirts is brutal

The shirt itself is usually crap as well.

Everytime you got stuff from them you probably hope it might be as good as Fruit of the Loom....

 

[6ix]

 

[AvroArrow]

You can just not spend hundreds of dollars on hockey jerseys and then this won’t affect you

Just don't buy our product ! Yes That's exactly the message Fanatics/NHL want to send to their fans

 

[Turin]

I’m beginning to think that most of us here will outlast the NHL. Reasons for being interested, even as a hardcore fan, are really dwindling.

 

[DownIsTheNewUp]

I guess people aren't reading what I posted earlier.

Fanatics makes the "Nike" jerseys that MLB players currently wear.

 

[Casper The Soy Ghost]

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:

The collab the world didn't know they needed.

 

[joelef]

I’m beginning to think that most of us here will outlast the NHL. Reasons for being interested, even as a hardcore fan, are really dwindling.

The demographic changes are really going to hurt them

 

[Nemesis Prime]

 

[Breakers]

Doesn’t fanatics stuff disintegrate in a light rain storm?

I heard their stuff is absolute garbage

 

[The Gr8 Dane]

You can just not spend hundreds of dollars on hockey jerseys and then this won’t affect you

Yeah I don't understand. I couldn't get ripped off like that me , personally

 

[joelef]

Found the league exec

Marketing and business, while I would in no way consider myself an expert (just like 99% of people here), are within my comprehension.

Yes, Fanatics sucks, I don't think otherwise.

But this remains an overreaction by many. It's not like they're going to spew out jerseys that tear apart from a simple touch to the players. It won't affect what really drives their business (broadcast deals) negatively. And while jersey sales might go down (and I say might, because Fanatics might be more willing to expand the customer base), it will most likely be made up by whatever that deal with Fanatics offers, monetarily, that other brands didn't.

(Also, internet is accessible to like 60-70% of the world population today from a quick search, it's not exactly a 1st world privilege anymore)

People are mad because it’s a constitant pattern with nhl.

 

[IamNotADancer]

10 f***ing years of that disaster? Hellooooo eBay!

Their hats are the worst their jerseys suck. Why would the NHL do this?

Even the clerks at the NHL Shop in NYC said customers despise Fanatics.

 

[Casper The Soy Ghost]

So I basically need to order jerseys before this season ends in order to avoid fanatics... f***.

 

[kirby11]

Don't worry, folks--Gary will have one of his awesome "anonymous" polls about how everyone thinks going with Fanatics for jerseys is an amazing choice. Just like how we all love the digital ads!

I’m beginning to think that most of us here will outlast the NHL. Reasons for being interested, even as a hardcore fan, are really dwindling.

Great sport. Horrendous league. Just actively shooting themselves in the face every chance they get.

 

[TheSituation]

Inexcusable by the league to sign a decade long contract with a company with no track record of producing any sort of quality product. Fanatics has the worst quality of any apparel producer in the industry. They’re primarily known for having a completely garbage product and somehow even worse customer support. If I’m forced to buy something on their website I filter out anything Fanatics makes themselves because the difference in the pictures they put on the website and the actual quality of the product you receive is enormous.

Just an unbelievably bad decision by league officials. Guess I will be spending zero dollars on their shit for a while.

There’s still time to fix this, NHL. Do the right thing.

This. It's embarrassing. There are people who went through 5+ NYCFC jerseys because they couldn't put a dime sized heat press on straight.

 

[Richard]

The direction the NHL is taking in regards to their intellectual property has crossed over into the absurd. Weakening their brand seems to be the objective here