The NHL officially has a new on-ice jersey provider after they jointly launched their new sweaters with Fanatics on Wednesday. The two parties have kicked off the 10-year, expanded partnership deal that they agreed to last year.
Compared to the immense amount of coverage and scrutiny that Fanatics’ MLB gear received this past spring, initial looks at the company’s NHL uniforms appear smoother and more in line with players’ expectations. To help guide fans into the new era, Fanatics tasked one of the NHL’s brightest stars, Auston Matthews, to star in a video featuring historic jerseys from players who inspired him as a child.
The first jersey Matthews receives is the Washington Capitals’ iconic road “Screaming Eagle” sweater that Alex Ovechkin famously wore during his rookie season. Ovechkin scored “The Goal” against the Phoenix Coyotes wearing the jersey and a young Matthews, who grew up in Scottsdale, Arizona, was at the game to see the puck slide into the net.
“The old Washington Capitals, Ovechkin jersey,” Matthews says. “It takes me back to my childhood. I was at the game where he scored that crazy goal against the Coyotes on his back. In my opinion, it’s the greatest goal ever scored. It’s a classic. Yeah, that’s beautiful.”
Matthews is also presented with jerseys worn by Daniel Brière and Patrick Kane before receiving the jersey that he will wear for the Toronto Maple Leafs next season. The video explains that the NHL’s future jerseys will still be made by the same factory, SP Apparel in Saint-Hyacinthe, Quebec, that made the first three classic jerseys handed to Matthews.
Additionally, Fanatics had the former voice of the NHL, Doc Emrick, narrate another video expressing the same point.
While the jersey’s base construction will remain similar to the jerseys of old, a few new features are coming with the change to Fanatics. Per the NHL, those new features include:
- An additional fabric layer on the lower sleeves, meant to increase durability from friction against the boards.
- New shoulder fabric eliminating the dimples used in Adidas jerseys
- A holographic finish on the NHL logo
- Embroidered Fanatics branding on the back.
Here’s what those changes will look like on the Capitals’ upcoming jerseys.
The new uniforms have already been handed out to the league’s players and, perhaps more importantly, NHL equipment managers for review and feedback purposes. NHLPA executive director Marty Walsh praised Fanatics for the effort they’ve gone through to ensure players are happy with the product.
“From very early in this process, Fanatics has kept their commitment to partnering with the players in the transition to the new on-ice jersey,” Walsh said in a press release. “I am very thankful to Michael Rubin and the staff in Fanatics’ hockey department, for taking the time and expense to travel to NHL rinks to get players’ first-hand input on the fit and feel of their most iconic piece of equipment.”
Early reviews from NHL stars are very positive. “The Fanatics jersey looks good,” Connor Bedard said. “I like that there is not a lot of change from the older version, and I also like the design of the new practice jersey.”
“I love the jerseys,” Quinn Hughes added. “The Canucks logo really pops on them, and the fabric feels airy and breathable. They’re really just beautiful jerseys.”
Fans will be able to purchase the actual on-ice authentic jersey worn by the players through Fanatics in September. Retail stores will be stocked with four different options at different price points, including Authentic Pro, Premium (equivalent to the highest level of current retail jerseys), Breakaway (the existing Fanatics fan jersey), and a new retail version of the practice jersey that Bedard referenced.
However, if you want to purchase the last run of Adidas-produced jerseys you still can through this link. NHL Shop still has a variety of Adidas-branded Capitals jerseys and other apparel.
Note: RMNB will get a tiny percentage of anything purchased through the NHL Shop links in this article. Those funds will be used to pay our writers, improve our infrastructure, and help us create more content for you. It’s one of the easiest ways to support the site.
Here’s the NHL’s full press release:
NHL, Fanatics Debut On-Ice Player Uniforms for 2024-25 Season
Manufactured by the same Quebec-based company that has provided the NHL with superior quality on-ice player uniforms for nearly five decades.
NEW YORK (June 26, 2024) – The National Hockey League (NHL) and Fanatics today officially debuted the Fanatics Authentic Pro NHL on-ice uniforms, the first Fanatics-branded and designed NHL player uniforms that will be worn during the upcoming 2024-25 season. Today’s unveiling builds anticipation for the 2024 Upper Deck NHL Draft on June 28-29 at Sphere in Las Vegas, where the League’s next generation of players will receive the official Fanatics jersey of their new team after their name is called on stage.
Since 2018, Fanatics has designed and manufactured performance and training apparel for the NHL’s players, coaches and team staff. Last year, the NHL and Fanatics announced an expanded partnership which, beginning with the 2024-25 season, sees Fanatics become the official outfitter of the NHL’s on-ice uniforms for the next 10 seasons. The new uniforms are being manufactured by Quebec-based SP Apparel, the same company whose elite craftsmanship has provided the NHL’s on-ice uniforms for nearly 50 years.
“I couldn’t be prouder to unveil the first-ever Fanatics branded NHL uniforms,” said Fanatics CEO, Michael Rubin. “These jerseys were meticulously crafted in lockstep with NHL players, the NHLPA, equipment managers, teams and the NHL. Their feedback on what they were looking for in their next uniform completely drove our design, which was validated when we went back to all 32 teams during the past season to the show players and the reaction was overwhelmingly positive. We’re excited to debut the jersey we’ve developed that will not only be worn by the best hockey players in the world, but also, for the first time in a decade, these same jerseys can be purchased by the NHL’s passionate fans as well.”
Fanatics’ design and development process, in collaboration with the NHL, also included active participation by a number of critical stakeholders, including NHL players, the National Hockey League Players’ Association (NHLPA), and executives and locker room personnel from every NHL Club, thereby resulting in a high-quality jersey engineered for the modern hockey player.
“NHL uniforms are considered by many to be the best in sports, and the history, tradition and respect that goes with our NHL sweaters is paramount to both the NHL and Fanatics,” said NHL Commissioner Gary Bettman. “Fanatics listened to our players and Clubs, and preserved the quality, performance and design of our uniforms to serve our world-class athletes. We have a shared commitment with Fanatics to serving our Players and fans, and we are proud of what Fanatics has delivered to our new uniforms.”
While the jersey’s base construction remains similar to the current jersey standard, new features of the Fanatics Authentic Pro uniform, which is made in Canada with domestic and imported content, include:
- An additional layer of fabric inside the lower sleeve to enhance uniform durability intended to reduce material wear from sustained friction against the boards. This enhancement was the direct result of feedback from NHL players and equipment managers.
- New shoulder fabrics replacing the debossed pattern fabric used on the shoulders of the prior NHL jersey.
- A new NHL Shield execution on the front neck of the jersey which includes a special hologram finish.
- Fanatics branding embroidered on the back neck of jerseys.
Fanatics has also introduced a redesigned on-ice player practice jersey, which now features an embroidered lightweight crest.
Over the past several months, Fanatics worked with the NHL and NHLPA to visit all 32 Clubs, where players – including Connor McDavid, Aleksander Barkov, Matthew Tkachuk, Nikita Kucherov, Steven Stamkos, Brady Tkachuk and many more – had the opportunity to see, feel and try on the new uniforms. Throughout these visits, the Fanatics Authentic Pro on-ice uniforms received positive feedback. The players were glad to see that Fanatics kept the base construction similar to what they were comfortable playing in, and also that some slight design and performance adjustments have been made to the uniform. Additional player comments included:
Auston Matthews, Toronto Maple Leafs: “Fanatics did a great job designing these jerseys. They feel comfortable and look breathable, which is important during games. Any little detail that can help us perform at our best makes a difference.”
Connor Bedard, Chicago Blackhawks: “The Fanatics jersey looks good. I like that there is not a lot of change from the older version, and I also like the design of the new practice jersey.”
John Tavares, Toronto Maple Leafs: “I think the fabric is fantastic. It feels nice and will fit really good with our gear on. On the inside of our jerseys, it reads ‘Honour, Pride, and Courage.’ It’s that type of attention to detail and quality that will hold true through the jerseys too. Wearing the Maple Leaf is incredibly special, and I look forward to putting the new jerseys on for this upcoming season.”
Jack Hughes, New Jersey Devils: “Fanatics made a really good-looking jersey. It feels great, the Devils crest looks amazing, and I look forward to wearing it on the ice next season.”
Luke Hughes, New Jersey Devils: “The material of the Fanatics on-ice jerseys feels really comfortable, and the new design makes them look clean too.”
Cole Caufield, Montreal Canadiens: “I’m lucky to wear one of the most iconic jerseys [Montreal Canadiens] in sports, and any time you put it on is really special. Fanatics’ design of the jersey looks amazing, feels great and I can’t wait to wear them next season.”
Quinn Hughes, Vancouver Canucks: “I love the jerseys. The Canucks logo really pops on them, and the fabric feels airy and breathable. They’re really just beautiful jerseys.”
“From very early in this process, Fanatics has kept their commitment to partnering with the players in the transition to the new on-ice jersey,” said Marty Walsh, NHLPA Executive Director. “I am very thankful to Michael Rubin and the staff in Fanatics’ hockey department, for taking the time and expense to travel to NHL rinks to get players’ first-hand input on the fit and feel of their most iconic piece of equipment.”
Fanatics has also created an elevated and enhanced retail portfolio of authentic and replica jerseys. For the first time in a decade, fans can now purchase the authentic on-ice jersey, the identical jersey made in Canada and worn by their favorite teams and players every game. Fans will now be able to shop four distinct Fanatics jersey categories – Authentic Pro, Premium (equivalent to the highest level of retail jersey that exists now), Breakaway (the existing Fanatics fan jersey) and a new retail version of the Practice jersey.
While the new Fanatics NHL jerseys will be given to players selected at the 2024 NHL Draft, the retail versions and additional apparel – including a new line of NHL fan gear that is meticulously crafted in Canada – will be available across online and physical retail locations starting in September closer to the start of the 2024-25 NHL season.
