The National Hockey League (NHL) announced on Sept. 15 that the popular sportswear company Adidas will become the official outfitter for all major hockey teams in the league. The two companies have decided on an exclusive seven-year deal, starting with the 2017-2018 season.
While there are two seasons left in which the NHL will still be using the current uniforms from their old supplier Reebok, a company that is under the Adidas banner, fans can expect to see the three stripes adorning all jerseys during the 2016 World Cup of Hockey.
With the news of new uniforms on their way, it will be interesting to see which teams take this change of producers as a chance to update any of their current uniforms for the 2017-2018 season. The shift over from Reebok to Adidas is not expected to cause any major changes to the quality of the uniforms. When Reebok acquired CCM in 2004, only the logo changed on the jerseys, but there have been mutterings from fans about the potential for advertising on the new jerseys.
Advertising on a sports team’s uniform is not a new concept; it’s a common practice on soccer kits and the jumpsuits worn by Nascar drivers. The idea that the practice would be brought over to the good old hockey game has fans worried about the further corporatization of the game.
Hockey, especially for Canadians, is an iconic game. Look at any jersey from any of the original six teams, or any of the older expansion teams, and there is a feeling of history and tradition to the uniforms that could be overshadowed by the inclusion of company logos stitched beside team emblems.
League commissioner Gary Bettman has already addressed the issue head-on by speaking out against the inclusion of advertising on team uniforms stating, “Our sweaters, I think among all the sports, are iconic […] you’d probably have to drag me kicking and screaming, which would take a lot, a lot, a lot of money, and it’s something we’re not considering now.” While Bettman assured fans that the inclusion of company brands would not be making their way onto NHL jerseys anytime in the near future, he was not as staunchly against ads when discussing the World Cup of Hockey.
Hockey, as with many major sports, has become further corporatized as various avenues have opened up to make more money off of Canada’s game, but fans can rest assured for now that the golden arches won’t be sharing space with the maple leaf.
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The Ontarion publishes independent, student-produced news, opinion, and commentary for University of Guelph students so that they can make informed decisions in their lives. To do this, The Ontarion provides learning opportunities and training in journalism, media production, leadership, board governance, and other aspects of nonprofit news.
The Ontarion is the University of Guelph’s independent student newspaper. It began in 1951 as part of the Ontario Agricultural College and then began to represent the entire University of Guelph once it amalgamated in 1964. The Ontarion incorporated in May 1970 as The Ontarion, Inc., a not-for-profit corporation registered with the province of Ontario.